Warfare post-globalisation

July 3, 2025

Thanks Brian Toohey, great article.

As noted, during WW2, Australian industry supplied huge quantities of food, medicine, clothing, ammunition, explosives, rifles, guns, ships and 2000 combat aircraft.

We also had a merchant navy, ships owned and crewed by Australians that were key to that effort.

Now there are no ships and no crew.

The technology is now radically different and changes at a phenomenal pace (evolving on a monthly and weekly basis in Ukraine) but the fundamental problem remains the lack of local manufacture and sustainment. Big bits of kit are vulnerable, not suited to our vast territory; a poor use of funds.

Our economy is hollowed out by economic theories that made no allowance for war. We need smarts more than fodder. Smart tech, smart spending and a lot smarter strategy and diplomacy.