With talk about Aotearoa New Zealand signing up to pillar 2 of AUKUS, Maxim Institute researcher Natasha Baulis draws a fascinating analogy between Australia’s "porcupine" defence strategy and our potential to be a “hedgehog.”
With a weakened defence force and outdated military infrastructure, Baulis proposes "Plan Hedgehog" - maintaining interoperability with Australia through Pillar II of AUKUS while signalling diplomatic conciliation with China. This approach aims to balance technological advancement without moving towards nuclear capability, using subtle diplomacy to keep the quills ready for protection if needed.
