Troy Lee-Brown
@drtlee-brown.bsky.social
Research Fellow @ UWA Def & Sec Institute | Editor @ Black Swan Strategy Papers | Project Manager @ Blue Security Program | Maritime Security, India FP, Indian Ocean, Defence | avmo
“I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make.” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Trump waters down criticism of UK’s Chagos Islands deal after call with Starmer
US president says deal, which he previously described as act of ‘great stupidity’, was ‘best’ PM could make
theguardian.com
'Beijing’s bid to host the secretariat of High Seas Treaty has brought ASEAN’s long-standing maritime anxieties back into focus, raising doubts about whether stewardship of the global commons can be separated from tensions in the South China Sea and.. the Arctic.' cambodianess.com/article/beij...
Beijing’s Bid for High Seas Treaty Secretariat Tests ASEAN Faith in Maritime Rules
PHNOM PENH — As China moves to anchor the world’s newest ocean treaty on its own coastline, Southeast Asia is asking an old question with renewed...
cambodianess.com
New issue of @bluesecprogram.bsky.social Maritime Affairs by Su Wai Mon and Vu Hai Dang on cybersecurity at Southeast Asia's ports.
Blue Security@bluesecprogram.bsky.social · 6mo agoOUT NOW Maritime Affairs Issue 18 | Ensuring Cybersecurity in Ports for Major Port States in Southeast Asia by Su Wai Mon and Vu Hai Dang.
'But since late last year, some Japanese officials have been discreetly urging [fisherman] Nakama and his peers to steer clear of the remote outcrops - known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China - to avoid escalating a diplomatic clash with Beijing'.
Reuters@reuters.com · 6mo agoJapanese authorities have been discreetly urging the country’s fishermen to steer clear of islands claimed by both Japan and China, to avoid escalating a diplomatic clash with Beijing reut.rs/3LY2pMB
I'm quoted in SCMP, thanks Maria Siow for the opportunity to comment. 'The Will for Peace exercise should not be read as Brics abandoning its economic agenda altogether, according to Troy Lee-Brown, a research fellow at UWA’s Defence and Security Institute.' www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...
Testing the waters: is Brics evolving into a security alliance?
The first naval exercises under the ‘Brics plus’ banner saw Brazil, Egypt, China, Russia and South Africa take part. India did not.
scmp.com
On Monday, [Gor] was formally welcomed as the ambassador at an event in Delhi...Classic American songs filled the room - a playlist.. personally chosen by the ambassador - ranging from Hello by Lionel Richie to YMCA by Village People and Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.' www.bbc.com/news/article...
India and US 'actively engaged' in trade negotiations, says new ambassador
Sergio Gor tells reporters in Delhi "real friends can disagree but will always resolve differences".
bbc.com
Add this great new Maritime Affairs issue to your summer reading list by Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh.
Blue Security@bluesecprogram.bsky.social · 8mo agoOUT NOW Maritime Affairs Issue 17 | Cooperation Mechanisms for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in Maritime Southeast Asia by Thu Nguyen Hoang Anh
Great new issue of Maritime Affairs!!
Blue Security@bluesecprogram.bsky.social · 9mo agoOUT NOW Maritime Affairs Issue 16 | Securing the Blue Energy Future: Offshore Wind and the Protection of Critical Infrastructure at Sea in Southeast Asia and Australia by Dawoon Jung, Febryani Sabatira and Camille Goodman.
'South Korea's Marine Corps Commandant Ju Il-suk will meet with his counterparts from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen security in the region and expand military cooperation with the nations.' www.koreaherald.com/article/1059...
Marine chief to discuss regional security with Thai, Indonesian, Philippine counterparts
South Korea's Marine Corps Commandant Ju Il-suk will meet with his counterparts from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines on Tuesday to discuss ways to stren
koreaherald.com
‘Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Australian P-8 surveillance plane was conducting a routine patrol over the South China Sea when it was approached by a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Su-35 fighter jet that released flares two of them "very close" to the P8.’ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
'Unprofessional' Chinese fighter jet incident raised with Beijing: Marles
Defence Minister Richard Marles says the incident was "unsafe and unprofessional" and the government has made representations to China.
abc.net.au
'India has secured agreement from govt of Mauritius allowing it to establish a satellite station in Chagos archipelago'. This follows on from an agreement made in September to allow Indian naval vessels to conduct hydrographic surveys of the archipelago. www.maritime-executive.com/article/indi...
India Secures Defense Presence on Chagos Islands
India has secured agreement from the government of Mauritius allowing it to establish a satellite station in the Chagos archipelago, according to rep...
maritime-executive.com
'Apaches can project lethal vertical firepower forward to deny adversaries freedom of movement, to support marine and amphibious insertions, protect key bases and lines of communication, and respond rapidly to challenges in remote areas.' nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/wh...
Why Australia Is Buying Up AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters
Australia’s Apache purchase deepens the US-Australia industrial and defense relationship—while underwriting Canberra’s credentials as a serious defense industrial actor in the Indo-Pacific.
nationalinterest.org
I write for ASPI on improving the resilience of Australia's network of northern airbases. "Geography dictates the importance of an effective northern base network. Time, however, is the critical factor and Australia cannot afford further delay." www.aspistrategist.org.au/australias-n...
Australia’s northern air bases: building resilience, slowly | The Strategist
Australia’s northern air bases are vital to national defence, yet improving their resilience remains a work in progress. And the progress is incremental. This isn’t a new task. The 2023 Defence Strate...
aspistrategist.org.au
"ATLAS’s operational acceptance is a first step to improving the Space Force’s ability to detect, track, and characterize objects in space in a precise enough way to allow persistent “eyes” on adversary satellites." breakingdefense.com/2025/09/spac...
Space Force declares ATLAS space domain awareness software 'operational' - Breaking Defense
"[O]n the ops floor, [ATLAS is] generating a catalog — it's publishing data to Space-track.org They're using that as a primary system," Space Systems Command's Shannon Pallone said in an exclusive int...
breakingdefense.com
INS Nistar already contributing to regional deep sea S&R in Southeast Asia just a couple of months after she was commissioned. With the proliferation of manned underwater assets in the region, the ability to conduct rescues quickly & safely is paramount. economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence...
Indian Navy demonstrates global submarine rescue capability at Exercise Pacific Reach
The Indian Navy's Submarine Rescue Unit (East), embarked on INS Nistar, showcased precision and professionalism at XPR-25, hosted by Singapore Navy (RSN), the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
economictimes.indiatimes.com
Good outline of some of the strategic maneuvering by regional and extra-regional powers in Bay of Bengal. www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/op-e...
Build-up in the Bay, the Andamans shuffle, and the region’s maritime makeover
Except for the time of the mercantile militarists of various European countries that swamped the region in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Bay of Bengal has perhaps never been in as sweet a geopoliti...
dhakatribune.com
The announcement of a shipbuilding plan by India designed for both commercial and strategic purposes and working alongside trusted partners. This is a smart move by India designed to increase strategic self-reliance over maritime transport and therefore trade.
The Japan Times@japantimes.co.jp · 10mo agoIndia has signed off on a package worth nearly 700 billion rupees to help turbocharge its shipbuilding industry and make it more globally competitive against shipbuilding giants in China, Japan and South Korea.
A comprehensive new United States Studies Centre report outlining a number of principles to drive diplomatic, economic and security engagement over the next decade in the Indian Ocean by Peter Dean and Alice Nason. www.ussc.edu.au/an-australia...
An Australian Indian Ocean agenda to 2035
As the Indian Ocean grows central to Australia’s security, this report sets out a roadmap for a cohesive strategy that balances ambition with resources.
ussc.edu.au
I'm quoted in the @scmpnews.bsky.social: “The broader strategic logic of reinforcing allied undersea capability in the Indo-Pacific remains compelling enough to outweigh the Trump administration’s protectionist impulses”. www.scmp.com/week-asia/ec...
Aukus faces an ‘America first’ review. Will Trump’s agenda scupper the deal?
Australia’s huge financial commitment to the Aukus pact may work in its favour, but Trump’s deal-making approach means anything is possible.
scmp.com
Japan's NEC to maintain a fleet of specialised cable ships much like SubCom (US), ASN (France), and HMN Tech (China) already do. ts2.tech/en/japans-30...
Japan’s $300 Million Undersea Cable Gamble: Inside the Global Race to Secure the Internet’s Lifelines
Japan’s $300 Million Undersea Cable Gamble: Inside the Global Race to Secure the Internet’s Lifelines - Tech Space 2.0
ts2.tech
These authors reflect on their war techno-thriller that imagined the future fight — and then watched much of it come true.
Ghost Fleet, Ten Years Later: An Interview with P.W. Singer and August Cole
This exclusive Cogs of War interview is with P.W. Singer and August Cole, who in 2015 published Ghost Fleet, a futuristic thriller depicting the next
warontherocks.com
Australian defence industry trade mission to India from Oct 6-10 much along the lines of India's def industry delegation to Land Forces in 2024. Maritime security central to the partnership. India to have a bigger presence at the 2027 Talisman Sabre: anon ADF spox. news.abplive.com/india-at-204...
First Australian Defence Industry Trade Mission To Visit India On Oct 6
The Australian defence industry trade delegation will include companies in the field of cyber defence, intelligence, and reconnaissance. India and Australia are top-tier security partners.
news.abplive.com
'US President Donald Trump's administration is on a mission to weaken China's global network of ports and bring more strategic terminals under Western control'. According to 3 sources familiar with the plan, but article does compile numerous WH efforts in this sector. www.reuters.com/world/china/...
U.S. targets China's grip on global ports in sweeping maritime mission
The drive is part of the most ambitious effort to expand U.S. maritime influence since the 1970s and is designed to address growing fears in Washington that it would be at a disadvantage to China in the event of a conflict.
reuters.com
Advocates for an Indian Ocean trilateral or a Quad including India, UK, France & increased UK-India collaboration on MDA in the IOR. www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
Beyond a Trade Deal: the India-UK Strategic Partnership
With the signing of the latest economic deal, India and the UK should either elevate their existing security arrangements or explore avenues to enhance the trajectory of their defence relations.
rusi.org
A new issue of Maritime affairs from the @bluesecprogram.bsky.social by @prakashg.bsky.social and Lucky Wuwung who argue that that regional blue economy aspirations are deeply intertwined with geopolitical realities.
Blue Security@bluesecprogram.bsky.social · 11mo agoOUT NOW Maritime Affairs Issue 15 | Maritime Security and the Blue Economy in Southeast Asia: Linkages, Impacts and Prospects by @prakashg.bsky.social & Lucky Wuwung
'In an editorial marking the start of the trial the O Globo newspaper said 2 September would go down in history as the day Brazil finally broke its “humiliating tradition” of failing to prosecute coup-mongering presidents'. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Jair Bolsonaro faces justice over alleged attempt to usurp Brazilian democracy
Former president in court along with seven others accused of failed power grab after losing 2022 election
theguardian.com
'Hanwha said the ship is a symbol of the bilateral partnership and vowed to make additional investments to ramp up the shipyard's annual production capacity from the current 1.5 ships to 20 ships.' www.koreaherald.com/article/1056...
At Philly Shipyard, Lee pledges support for MASGA success
President Lee Jae Myung visited a shipyard in Philadelphia on Tuesday, in a symbolic move to underscore South Korea's commitment to helping revitalize the Unite
koreaherald.com
Japan to provide security aid to East Timor, making it the 8th recipient country (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Fiji, Mongolia) since 2023, as part of efforts to boost defense cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Japan announces provision of security aid to East Timor - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan said Tuesday it will provide security aid to East Timor, making it the eighth country to become a recipient, as part of efforts
mainichi.jp
