Vince Scappatura
Vince Scappatura is Sessional Academic in the Macquarie School of International Studies at Macquarie University, and author of “The US Lobby and Australian Defence Policy”, Melbourne: Monash University Publishing, 2019. He recently published “B-2 Bomber Strikes in Yemen and their Significance for Australia”, Nautilus Institute Special Report, 11 November 2024.
Recent articles by Vince Scappatura
7 September 2025
When Australia defied US nuclear plans. Part 2: Sovereignty at stake
Declassified US. Pacific Command Histories, which provide much of what is now known about the Australian B-52 terrain avoidance and maritime surveillance missions, reveal that the Fraser Government was far from transparent with the public about the true stakes of the B-52 deployments to Australia – and perhaps not fully cognisant itself.
6 September 2025
When Australia defied US nuclear plans. Part 1: B-52s over Australia in the 1980s
It wasn’t always like this. For a brief moment Australia stood apart.
12 November 2024
B-2 Bomber Strikes in Yemen and their significance for Australia
Australian territory has been used in supporting US B-2 bombers en route and in return from strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on October 17, and highlights the profound strategic significance of this event for the future role Australia may play in US strategic bomber operations against China, in the Asia Pacific and beyond.
14 October 2024
Australia’s evolving nuclear posture: avoiding a fait accompli (Part 2 of 2)
The significance of US strategic bomber deployments:Defence Minister Richard Marles played down revelations in late 2022 that up to six US B-52 strategic bombers are to be forward-deployed to Tindal Air Force Base, telling reporters at the time that ‘everyone needs to take a deep breath here.’ Marles implied that there was nothing new about the revelations given US bombers have ‘been coming to Australia since the 1980s’ and ‘training in Australia since 2005.’
12 October 2024
Australia’s evolving nuclear posture: avoiding a fait accompli (Part 1 of 2)
A monumental transformation: There has been a great deal of public criticism of Australia’s decision to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) via the AUKUS security partnership. The criticism has been both broad and deep, spanning political and industrial challenges, budgetary consequences, safety and environmental concerns, strategic risks, and the erosion of national sovereignty.
1 May 2023
National Defence takes Australia closer to war with China
The 2023 Defence Strategic Review has recommended Australia adopt a new strategic conceptual framework dubbed National Defence that incorporates a strategy of denial. This approach is tied to a broader concept of collective security in the Indo-Pacific and is aligned with Americas framework for integrated deterrence of China. National Defence is consistent with American force structure designs to develop the northern Australian expanse as an increasingly important base of operations for force-projection.
6 September 2022
Pitch Black. Not a benign military training exercise
The military exercise Pitch Black is currently underway in Northern Australia.
13 August 2019
American missiles in Darwin?
While in Australia last week for the annual Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, twice hinted at the possibility of Australia becoming host to American missiles pointed at China. Although Prime Minister Scott Morrison attempted to rule a line under the idea, it is unlikely to be the end of the story.