Each month, members of the Australian Army Research Centre’s Academic Team curate a selection of recommended readings or presentations, including academic articles, podcasts, conference presentations, books, blogs, and commentary. These selections are drawn from their ongoing research and are chosen for their relevance to the challenges and opportunities facing the Australian Army today.
While many recommendations may align with the AARC’s research priorities, the series also ranges more broadly across topics such as military theory, contemporary operations, military history, regional dynamics, institutional and campaign studies, and strategic affairs.
These resources are intended to support both individual professional development and unit-level study, complementing the AARC’s own publications. Inclusion in this series does not imply endorsement of the views expressed in the original works.
Additionally, the AARC welcomes recommendations from Army’s Senior Leadership.
Please note: Items indicated as being available through the Defence Library Service are only accessible by Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) personnel.
Books
Barno, David and Nora Bensahel. Adaptation Under Fire: How Militaries Change in Wartime. Oxford University Press, 2020.
Available as a book and ebook through the Defence Library Service.
In this book, authors David Barno and Nora Bensahel pose and seek to answer a central question: 'Is the US military adaptable enough to prevail in the wars of the 21st century?'. Utilising a variety of case studies and analysis, the authors explore historical and contemporary examples of land force adaptation (or failure to adapt) in war. In doing so they identify several key characteristics that can enhance a force's adaptability, and offer recommendations on how these can be integrated into the US military. Despite its focus on the US military, many of these recommendations are relevant to supporting the adaptability of the Australian Army. Co-author Nora Bensahel has been appointed as Army's 2026 E. G. Keogh Visiting Chair, and on 7 September 2026 will provide the Keogh Oration at the 2026 Chief of Army Symposium in Perth. For a longer review of this book, see here.
Articles
John Nisser, ‘Domains Apart: How Common Terminology Masks Divergent US and NATO Multi-Domain Operations Concepts’, Defence Studies, 13 June 2026.
Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14702436.2026.2686611 (Accessible through the Defence Library Service.)
John Nisser argues that while the term Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) is becoming widely used across Western militaries, there is a lack of consistency in its usage by the U.S. Army and NATO. For example, the U.S. Army views MDO as an operational warfighting concept designed to defeat peer adversaries by penetrating and disintegrating anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems through the convergence of effects across land, air, maritime, cyber and space domains. In contrast, NATO employs MDO as a broader politico-military framework that integrates military and non-military instruments of power to strengthen deterrence, manage crises and maintain alliance cohesion. For an Australian Army audience, this article offers an important baseline to understand how our partners differ in their respective understandings of the concept. This article is of further use when paired with a recent chapter-length exploration of MDO in the Australian context by Andrew Carr in Multidomain Operations: The Pursuit of Battlefield Dominance in the 21st Century (Howgate Publishing, 2026).
Lim, Jaehwan. ‘China’s Military Says AI Can’t Replace Commanders. Xi Is Testing That.' War on the Rocks, 20 August 2026.
Available at: https://warontherocks.com/chinas-military-says-ai-cant-replace-commanders-xi-is-testing-that/
This article from Professor Jaehwan Lim (Aoyama Gakuin University) offers a fascinating look at how Chinese military publications are exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on command. Lim identifies a critical disconnect between what is being said in these publications, and what appears to be happening within the senior leadership cadre of the People's Liberation Army, and the ramifications this has on the region's largest military.
Kerg, Brian. 'Where Exactly Has the Warrior Ethos Gotten Us?' Proceedings Vol. 152/9/1,483 (September 2026).
Available at: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2026/september/where-exactly-has-warrior-ethos-gotten-us
In this article, United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Brian Kerg argues that the 'warrior ethos', which rose to prominence in the US Military during the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, is 'no longer a useful philosophy for any military service'. Kerg asserts that this ethos, which is characterised by a focus on the prowess of the individual fighter rather than the capability of an organised fighting formation, is incompatible with modern military professionalism and the requirements of the modern, peer-to-peer battlefield. Considering former Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart's review into the Australian Army Profession, this article offers important considerations as the Profession seeks to articulate its own ethos.
Reports
Ground Combat Element (GCE) 2040. Department of the Navy, July 2026.
Available at: https://www.ppo.marines.mil/GCE2040/#vision
This official USMC document ‘provides the foundational framework for the U.S. Marine Corps to develop, prioritize, and balance investments shaping its GCE through 2040.’ As the name implies, it is focused purely on the ground combat elements of the USMC and their roles and requirements for operating in the littorals of the Indo-Pacific. As a principal partner of the Australian Army, this document provides important context to the U.S. Marine Corps' contemporary and future development priorities.
Podcasts
O'Neill, Paul, Beatrice Heuser, and Olivier Schmitt. 'Episode 20: Preparing for War: Adaptable Forces and Societies'. Talking Strategy, Royal United Services Institute, 16 June 2026.
Available at: https://www.rusi.org/podcasts/talking-strategy/episode-20-preparing-war-adaptable-forces-and-societies
In this episode of the Talking Strategy podcast, hosts Paul O'Neill and Beatrice Heuser chat with Olivier Schmitt, the Head of Research at the Institute of Military Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, on force adaptability. Throughout the episode, Schmitt explores how different strategic cultures, civil-military frameworks, and procurement systems affect how contemporary militaries adapt to the changing strategic environment. The conversation offers a reminder that a force's adaptability does not solely rest on internal processes, organisational structure, and personnel mindsets, but is grounded in the societal context in which it exists.
Wroe, David and David Galligan. 'Bridging the gap: New Zealand's Chief Defence Scientist on innovation, sovereignty and AI'. Stop the World, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 11 September 2026.
Available at: https://www.aspi.org.au/podcasts/bridging-the-gap-new-zealands-chief-defence-scientist-on-innovation-sovereignty-and-ai/
In this episode of the Stop the World podcast, host David Wroe talks with David Galligan, New Zealand’s head of Defence Science & Technology. The conversation explores how the New Zealand Defence Force translates scientific research and emerging technologies, such as AI, into practical defence capability while maintaining sovereign interests and working closely with allies and partners. It also considers the institutional and workforce challenges involved in bridging the gap between technological innovation and its adoption within Defence. Amid accelerating technological progress, the discussion underscores the indispensable role of people, highlighting that responsibility and accountability for military decision-making must always remain with humans. In just under 20 minutes, the episode provides a useful perspective on how a small defence force can successfully approach innovation, sovereignty and emerging technology.
Movies
The Odd Angry Shot (1979)
Director: Tom Jeffrey (92 minutes)
Available through Tubi
The Odd Angry Shot follows a Special Air Service Regiment section during a year-long tour in Vietnam. Structured episodically, the film switches between scenes of the soldiers in camp killing time, often mischievously and sometimes with comedic results, and on patrol in the jungle. Made in 1979 with extensive support from the Australian Army, the film focuses on the soldiers’ experience rather than offering a broader political commentary on the Vietnam War itself. Though this led to criticism at the time of the film’s release, it has become a strength by focusing on an enduring story of camaraderie that highlights the deployed soldiers’ often-overlooked perspective. The majority of the film was recorded at Canungra Military Area, Queensland, and astute viewers who have trained there may recognise the exact locations where filming took place. Furthermore, several then-serving Army personnel appear as extras. The Odd Angry Shot itself is therefore part of Army’s history. While watching, it is worth considering what about Army has changed, and what has remained similar or the same, in the half-century since it was released.
