UWA Defence and Security Institute

16/08/2026

The University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute Research Fellow Dr Troy Lee-Brown is quoted in the South China Morning Post on threats to submarine cables:
'Troy Lee-Brown, a research fellow at the University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute, said while the threats predominantly came from accidental damage by anchors and fishing vessels, there was a “growing risk for intentional sabotage as evidenced elsewhere in the world”. This was concerning as “Australia relies heavily on subsea cables for its data, and many of those cables come ashore in the same areas, such as in Perth”, he said.'

Australia should treat cable resilience not only as a domestic security issue but also as a shared regional project, analysts say.

13/08/2026

UWA DSI Research Fellow Dr Troy Lee-Brown writes in The Strategist. 'The Cocos (Keeling) Islands present an opportunity for Defence ­– as the largest economic stakeholder – to cooperate closely with environmental managers and marine scientists. If successful, they can ensure Defence’s ongoing presence on these strategically important islands.'

The marine park around the Cocos (Keeling) Islands should be understood as a national security asset, not just a conservation zone. This demands a whole-of-government approach coordinated by Australia’s Department of Defence, other Commonwealth and ...

05/08/2026

💫 UWA DSI is delighted to welcome our Semester 2 Interns! ⭐

Isabella Hulm joins us as a second-year Bachelor of International Relations student, specialising in Chinese Language and Culture Studies at UWA.

Ethan Horn joins us from Curtin University and is currently in his final semester of a Master of International Security. He also holds a double Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Cybercrime, Security, Intelligence and Counterterrorism.

Anna Ford is currently in her second-year at UWA majoring in Political Science and English Literature, with a completed minor in Indonesian Language and Culture.

We look forward to working with Isabella, Ethan and Anna throughout the semester, and to sharing their Policy Briefs with our network as they become part of the UWA DSI team. Welcome aboard!

29/07/2026

👏 A huge thank you to ECU Defence Research and Engagement for hosting this Defence Innovation on Tap event – the second in this year's series, proudly delivered in collaboration with the Defence Science Centre and Team WA Universities.

A special thank you to the keynote speaker Dr Stephen Sun from the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), as well the other speakers Dr Tim Sercombe (UWA), Dr Matt Carnie (ECU), Associate Professor Md Zakaria Quadir (Curtin), and Professor Aleksandar Nikoloski (Murdoch) for sharing their expertise and insights into Western Australia's additive manufacturing capability and its future role in Defence and advanced industries.

Congratulations and thank you to Michele Clement, Jane Hamilton and the ECU Defence Engagement team for delivering such a wonderful evening and bringing together colleagues from across government, industry, Defence, and academia.

We're proud to collaborate on this important series and look forward to continuing the conversation.

📢 Stay tuned for the next Defence Innovation on Tap event, proudly hosted by Curtin University!

22/07/2026

📢 The report for our UWA DSI Wargames Series – Game Two: Strategic Resilience – Securing Australia's Future is now available!

Delivered in collaboration with the 13th Brigade, the Wargames Series brings together leaders from government, industry, academia, and Defence to explore Australia's and the Indo-Pacific's potential geopolitical futures.

Focusing on Western Australia, Game 2 examined a scenario in which Australia faced sustained economic warfare and grey-zone coercion. The scenario involved the interdiction of commercial shipping, including liquid fuel imports, cyber-attacks, disruptions to undersea communications cables affecting trade and commerce, and influence operations directed at selected Australian diaspora communities.

The simulation highlighted Australia’s limited preparedness to rapidly transition to a national economic mobilisation during a period of strategic instability. It also underscored the country’s heavy reliance on imported liquid fuels, exposing significant vulnerabilities for defence operations, logistics networks, and food security.

A key finding was the need for a clear, coordinated national communications strategy to maintain public confidence, counter disinformation, and reinforce national unity during a crisis. Participants also emphasised the importance of strengthening sovereign capabilities, particularly in communications, transport, and other critical infrastructure, to enhance Australia’s national resilience.

A sincere thank you to everyone who contributed their expertise and insights to this exercise.

📄 Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gh87v7px

14/07/2026

Last week, DSI Research Fellow Dr Troy Lee-Brown was interviewed on ABC News about Exercise Dernacourt, a live-fire training drill conducted by 13 Brigade in Western Australia.

He commented on the importance of these exercises stemming from their ability to enhance the Australian Defence Force's ability to mobilise, sustain, and ultimately fight in a conflict. Troy also commented on the importance of enhancing national resilience in tandem with military capabilities.

"Preparedness now is front and centre of Defence's thinking...and that includes civil society as well”.

12/07/2026

UWA DSI is excited to announce that we will welcome Ms Nikita Singla to The University of Western Australia to undertake research on her Maitri Fellowship project titled, ‘Development of a Future-Ready Australia-India Ports Framework’!!

The Maitri Program – Sanskrit for ‘friendship’ – aims to deepen the Australia-India relationship at the bilateral level through supporting economic, cultural and research projects. DSI is excited to join the program, which is now in its fifth year, and contribute to advancing this important relationship.

Singla will produce a strategic research report and policy roadmap, which will investigate how Western Australia’s modernising port network can strengthen resilient Australia–India supply chains for both containerised and bulk commodities, including critical minerals and low-emissions trade. By advancing research on next-generation port infrastructure and logistics, the project seeks to enhance Australia–India cooperation on secure and resilient supply chains amid an increasingly complex geostrategic environment.

UWA Research Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

This project is supported by the Centre for Australia-India Relations.

Read more about the Maitri Fellowships here: https://www.australiaindiacentre.org.au/Fellows2026

07/07/2026

The UWA DSI extends its sincere thanks to the Honourable Paul Papalia CSC MLA for his many years of dedicated public service and his longstanding support and friendship of the Institute and The University of Western Australia.

Throughout his time in government, Minister Papalia has been a passionate advocate for Western Australia's defence sector. He has generously shared his knowledge and insights through our events, discussions, and strategic engagements, helping to strengthen connections between government, industry, and academia.

His commitment to fostering collaboration across these sectors has played an important role in advancing Western Australia's defence and innovation ecosystem, and his support of UWA's defence research community has been greatly appreciated.

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Minister Papalia over the years. His contribution to public service and to Australia's defence community has left a lasting impact, and he will be greatly missed. We wish Paul and his family strength and all the very best for the future.

24/06/2026

The latest UWA DSI Policy Brief is out! 🛰️ 🚀 🌌

Shared Visions in Space: Advancing Australia-South Korea Cooperation Through Space Security by UWA DSI Research Analyst Intern, Georgia Roberts argues the case for greater Australia-South Korea cooperation in the space domain.

"Combining Australia’s unique geographic and data-processing advantages with South Korea’s innovative technology and satellite capabilities enables a deeper strategic partnership"

Read it below 👇
https://defenceuwa.com.au/publications/policy-briefs/shared-visions-in-space-advancing-australia-south-korea-cooperation-through-space-security/

16/06/2026

Our Director, Professor Gia Parish, will be speaking next week at ‘WA | Building the New Defence-Tech Economy’ hosted by CEDA - Committee for Economic Development of Australia, discussing Australia’s defence-tech business, AUKUS Pillar II, and the recently released 2026 National Defence Strategy update. 🔬 🤖

👇 Register below! 👇
https://my.ceda.com.au/eventdetails/?id=d3cebdd2-ea4c-4a68-92e5-071208373f34