Jun 2, 2026 · 9 min · 11 segments
The Lowy Institute has released a new analysis claiming western militaries have failed to learn important lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. It argues countries like Australia…
Mick RyanGuest
Nelson ScottHost
Are Western countries properly adapting to the demands of modern warfare? The Lowy Institute has released a new analysis, and it warns authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are procuring new technologies at a rapid rate.
But it warns that while our adversaries are rewriting their defense playbooks, Western militaries are suffering from a dangerous learning deficit.
It claims the West is falling behind in the drone and AI race, and our defense culture is learning slower than the threat is evolving, and the ADF is not immune.
So to talk us through it, I'm joined by the research author, retired Major General Mick Ryan, and I started by asking him to summarize his findings.
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Are Western countries properly adapting to the demands of modern warfare? The Lowy Institute has released a new analysis, and it warns authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are procuring new technologies at a rapid rate.
But it warns that while our adversaries are rewriting their defense playbooks, Western militaries are suffering from a dangerous learning deficit.
It claims the West is falling behind in the drone and AI race, and our defense culture is learning slower than the threat is evolving, and the ADF is not immune.
So to talk us through it, I'm joined by the research author, retired Major General Mick Ryan, and I started by asking him to summarize his findings.
