ANZUS Pivot Points Roundtable Lunch Discussion with Peter J. Dean

It is my pleasure to invite you to participate in an invitation only roundtable lunch meeting to discuss the release and recommendations of my latest Black Swan Strategy Paper entitled, 'ANZUS Pivot Points: Reappraising ‘The Alliance’ for a New Strategic Age'.

The paper calls for a change in focus for the ANZUS Alliance as Australia moves into a new era in the Indo-Pacific region. It argues that “2021 marked the most significant moment in Australia’s alliance-based strategic culture since the signing of ANZUS in 1951.”

Last year we saw fundamental changes to the nature and character of Australia’s alliance with the United States. The relative decline of the United States, Australia’s increasing importance to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, the emergence of a multi-polar region and new challenges to the rules base order have seen both countries shift policy.

As our new policy paper notes, amidst all the discussions of nuclear-powered submarines, what was largely missed was a series of far more significant changes to Australia’s strategic position and the direction of the Alliance with the United States.

Chair of the UWA DSI Board and former Defence Minister Professor Stephen Smith noted that the new Black Swan Policy Paper is the first to describe the Integrated Defence and Deterrence era (including AUKUS) and nuclear-powered submarines as an “Alliance Revolution”.

“Like so much of what Professor Dean writes, this Black Swan Strategy Paper on the history of the Alliance, is fully informed, incisive, and both informative and challenging for modern day practitioners,” Professor Smith said.

To address the new challenges the Black Swan Strategy Paper calls for:

• Much more open and frank discussion of the future of the Alliance based on mutual interests and balancing its benefits: including a more detailed discussion of its potential risks and costs.
• An integrated force structure and force posture review to realign Australia’s defence force ADF to meet the challenges of major power competition and the new US policy of Integrated Deterrence.
• A review of Alliance institutions, the expansion of joint military planning and the investigation of new headquarter for combined US and Australian operations in the Indian Ocean.
• A new language to describe the alliance reflecting an era of heightened Australian requirements and greater strategic risk in the US-Australia Alliance.
• A holistic national security strategy that integrates foreign, defence, industry, climate, energy and geo-economic policies to meet the challenges of a now multi-polar Indo-Pacific, and the increased security threats generated by major power competition and climate change.

This event is an invitation only, lunch meeting in the Senate Room, The University of Western Australia, and places are limited.

Date: Wednesday 9 June

Time: 12.00pm – 2.00pm - Please arrive by 11:45am

Location: Senate Room, Winthrop Hall, UWA

RSVP: Please register using Eventbrite by Friday 3 June

We look forward to welcoming you.

Regards,

Professor Peter J. Dean

Director, UWA Defence and Security Institute