NEWS WRAP

Drones swarm US military sites

• ‘Mystery drones’ raise alarm | US military sites in Virginia reported seeing swarms of drones over their facilities in December of last year, reports the Wall Street Journal. Intelligence services have yet to determine who chartered the drones, which appeared nightly over Langley Air Force Base over a period of 17 days and sounded like a “parade of lawn mowers.” READ MORE HERE
   

• US warning for Israel | The United States could withhold future military support to Israel unless it improves the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, US officials have warned. The news comes as the Pentagon announced that it is sending Israel an advanced missile defence system and 100 American troops to operate it, following Iran’s missile attack on Israel on October 1. READ MORE HERE
   

• Scores still missing in NC | Ninety-two people are still missing in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, said the state’s Governor Roy Cooper. Search and rescue operations are still underway after the storm, which left 95 people dead in North Carolina and mountain communities in the state’s west without running water and electricity. READ MORE HERE
   

• Rumours on Biden-Harris rift | Biden staffers are reportedly still tense over the way in which President Joe Biden was pushed to end his re-election bid, with reports suggesting that they are not working fully in sync with the Harris campaign. The White House has denied the rumours. READ MORE HERE
   

• SpaceX launches ‘Starship’ | The largest, most powerful rocket in the world was launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company in Texas. The Starship’s booster was filmed landing back in its launch tower in Boca Chica, with giant prongs catching it in a ‘chopsticks’ manoeuvre. SpaceX’s goal is for the vehicle to shuttle people and cargo to the Moon and Mars. READ MORE HERE

EVENT

Competition in cyberspace and the future of US security leadership

The USSC is delighted to host Admiral (ret) Mike Rogers, the former Director of the US National Security Agency and former Commander of US Cyber Command in conversation with John Barron, co-host of ABC TV's Planet America for a panel discussion about some of the most pressing cyber and national security challenges of our time.

From banking to managing critical infrastructure, we are increasingly living our lives in cyberspace and subject to the threat of attack from rogue cyber actors. The panel will discuss what cyber and national security policy will look like under a Harris or Trump administration; how US cyber, intelligence and technology policy has evolved; and what the implications of the major cyber incidents of the last two years — from the Russia–Ukraine conflict to the Volt Typhoon campaign — mean for the world and for Australian businesses.

The panel discussion will be followed by a networking reception.

WHEN
25 October 2024. 4.30pm – 6.00pm AEDT

WHERE
Auditorium, The Michael Spence Building (F23) at the corner of Eastern Avenue and City Road, The University of Sydney

COST 
Free but registration is essential

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Did you USSC?

• COMMENTARY | Australia should champion Indian Ocean port development
  USSC 2024 Maitri Fellow Riya Sinha on how Australia can expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region. READ HERE
   
• PODCAST | Film Versus Film: A USSC podcast special
  In Episode 3 of the USSC's Film Versus Film podcast series, the hosts discuss Ivan Reitman’s Dave and Alexander Payne’s Election. LISTEN HERE
   
• PODCAST | What Australians think about the US alliance
  The Briefing Room podcast breaks down the results of the USSC's 2024 Allies and Partners Poll. LISTEN HERE
   
• COMMENTARY | Trump is the Titanic, but is Harris the iceberg?
  USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe on the status of the race. READ HERE

BY THE NUMBERS

Americans and allies oppose introducing taxes to compete with China militarily

In the latest episode of the USSC Briefing Room podcast, USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein discussed the limited support among the Australian, American, and Japanese publics for introducing new taxes to bolster military competitiveness against China. 

The USSC's Allies and partners poll 2024 found that less than a third of Australians (31%) and Japanese (24%) back such an initiative, while slightly more Americans (34%) are in favour of additional taxes. Most Australians (52%) oppose the idea, echoing sentiment in Japan (54%) and the United States (46%). Although concerns about China's military strength remain high across these three publics, the results suggest that many respondents prefer strategies other than taxation to counter Beijing's influence. 

To listen to the full conversation, tune into the new USSC Briefing Room episode, What Australians think about the US alliance. 

THE WEEK IN TWEETS

#Starship