The Future of the United States-Australia Alliance: Evolving Security Strategy in the Indo-Pacific - Paperback

by Scott McDonald (Editor), Andrew Tan (Editor)

The United States-Australia alliance has been an important component of the US-led system of alliances that has underpinned regional security in the Indo-Pacific since 1945. However, recent geostrategic developments, in particular the rise of the People's Republic of China, have posed significant challenges to this US-led regional order. In turn, the growing strategic competition between these two great powers has generated challenges to the longstanding US-Australia alliance. Both the US and Australia are confronting a changing strategic environment, and, as a result, the alliance needs to respond to the challenges that they face. The US needs to understand the challenges and risks to this vital relationship, which is growing in importance, and take steps to manage it. On its part, Australia must clearly identify its core common interests with the US and start exploring what more it needs to do to attain its stated policy preferences.

This book consists of chapters exploring US and Australian perspectives of the Indo-Pacific, the evolution of Australia-US strategic and defence cooperation, and the future of the relationship. Written by a joint US-Australia team, the volume is aimed at academics, analysts, students, and the security and business communities.

Author Biography

Scott D. McDonald is a Non-resident Research Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies and pursuing a PhD at The Fletcher School of Tufts University, USA. A retired US Marine Corps officer, his final active duty position was as a Military Professor at APCSS, where he taught Chinese philosophy and strategic thought, East Asia security dynamics, National Security Strategy, and strategic foresight.

Andrew T. H. Tan is Professor at the Department of Security Studies and Criminology, Macquarie University, Australia. He previously taught at the University of New South Wales, Australia, and Kings College London, UK, where he was based at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Watchfield. Andrew has published 20 sole-authored, edited and co-edited books, and more than 60 refereed journal and chapter articles.