American power and high-tech warfare in the Indo-Pacific: A conversation with author Christian Brose

America has long enjoyed uncontested military dominance in the Indo-Pacific. But the traditional basis of its power is now eroding, straining under rapid technological change and China’s own pursuit of military supremacy. This dangerous dynamic could see the United States fail to deter, or even lose, a future war with China — a potential that carries grave implications for Australia’s security and regional stability.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. As Christian Brose argues in his new book The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare, the US military can maintain a competitive edge provided that it quickly embraces advanced technologies and pursues entirely new ways of thinking about 21st-century warfare. This will not be an easy or uncontroversial task. But it is only by developing a more effective “kill chain” that America will be able to deter aggression and maintain stability in our increasingly contested neighbourhood.

To discuss these issues, USSC hosted a webinar event featuring Christian Brose, Chief Strategy Officer of Anduril Industries and former Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee under Senator John McCain, in conversation with Ashley Townshend, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre and co-author of Averting Crisis: American Strategy, Military Spending and Collective Defence in the Indo-Pacific.

Show Notes

Christian Brose is currently Chief Strategy Officer of Anduril Industries, a technology start-up that develops national defence capabilities, and Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He served as Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee (2015-2018), where he was the youngest person to hold the position in the committee’s history. Before that, he served as Senator John McCain’s senior policy advisor (2009-2015). Brose was previously a speechwriter to two secretaries of state, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, and a member of the State Department Policy Planning Staff.

Ashley Townshend is Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, where he works on strategic affairs with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Ashley is also founding convenor and co-chair of the US-Australia Indo-Pacific Deterrence Dialogue and a lecturer in the Centre’s postgraduate program. A frequent contributor to the Australian and international media, Ashley’s analysis has appeared in outlets such as the Financial Times, CNN, the Australian Financial Review, Bloomberg, ABC, and Sky News.

What is USSC Live?

Catch up with events produced by the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney with USSC Live. These events offer new insights and perspectives on topics including American foreign policy, economics, politics and culture.