Defence boost races ‘Davidson window’ timeline on Taiwan

In The Australian, Security & Defence PLuS Executive Director Dr Ian Langford writes that Australia faces a narrowing window to align its strategic ambition with its capacity to realise it. “In short, the challenge is not intent but tempo.”

“For Australia, the challenge of military preparedness captures the central dilemma of its national defence strategy: how to accelerate capability acquisition within a defence bureaucracy designed for deliberation.”

He notes that while the 2024 National Defence Strategy and AUKUS enterprise have set a clear direction, the pace of risk and regional change demands faster realisation of capability. He also highlights that stabilising relations with Beijing plays a key role in Australia’s strategic calculations.

“The government’s emphasis on stabilising relations with Beijing should be seen as part of its calculations on diplomatic and military preparedness. Dialogue, properly framed, buys time for the military capabilities to mature. The challenge is to ensure that diplomacy and deterrence evolve together rather than sequentially.”

Ultimately, Dr Langford concludes that success will depend on Australia’s ability to anticipate challenges rather than react to them.

“Preparedness is cumulative, built not in reaction to crises but in anticipation of them.”

Read the full article in The Australian: Defence boost races ‘Davidson window’ timeline on Taiwan