Toward Programme
Australia’s Indian Ocean moment
Lowy Institute Institutional·2026-07-20AUS DefenceP1: Resource SovereigntyP6: Defence SurgeP7: Alliance Architecture
Why it matters
The article argues Australia must operationalize its commanding Indian Ocean exclusive economic zone to secure resource sovereignty and extend maritime defence depth, directly addressing Pillar 1 (Resource Sovereignty) and Pillar 6 (Maritime Defence). Closing this strategic gap would reduce Australia's vulnerability to chokepoint disruption and strengthen allied posture in a contested Indian Ocean.
Pillar tags and the significance note are AI-classified (Claude) and human-curated. The platform's own preparedness scores never move on a single story without a separate human approval.