Mick Ryan is a retired major general in the Australian Army. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the U.S. Marine Corps University Command and Staff College and School of Advanced Warfighting, he is a passionate advocate of professional education and lifelong learning. He has commanded at platoon, squadron, regiment, task force, and brigade level, and, after completing 35 years with the Australian Army, transitioned to the Army Reserve in 2022. Ryan is a keen author on the interface of strategy, innovation, advanced technologies, and people. In February 2022, his book War Transformed was published by the U.S. Naval Institute Press. His next book, White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan, was published in May 2023 by Casemate. His latest book, The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation under Fire, was published in August 2024 by the U.S. Naval Institute Press. He is the inaugural senior fellow in military studies at the Lowy Institute.

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The Last Line of Defense

Is Putin Winning the War or Just Buying Time?

Host Seth Jones talks with Mick Ryan, retired Australian Army Major General, about his recent visit to Ukraine's frontlines.

Podcast Episode by Seth G. Jones and Mick Ryan — November 19, 2025

The Last Line of Defence

Seven Contemporary Insights on the State of the Ukraine War

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, new insights reveal how drones, long-range strikes, and rapid tactical adaptation are reshaping the battlefield and what it means for the conflict’s next phase.

Report by Mick Ryan — November 17, 2025

Audio Briefs

China’s Military Display and Its Indo-Pacific Message

An audio version of “⁠China’s Military Display and Its Indo-Pacific Message⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Mick Ryan. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Mick Ryan — September 4, 2025

Audio Briefs

China’s Military Display and Its Indo-Pacific Message

Xi Jinping’s call for peace was quickly overshadowed by Beijing’s military parade; a spectacle designed less to commemorate history than to rewrite it, sell arms, and project China’s unstoppable rise.

Commentary by Mick Ryan — September 4, 2025

A New Defense Review for Australia

This commentary explains main takeaways of Australia's new Defense Strategic Review and key challenges ahead for the review's implementation.

Commentary by Mick Ryan — April 27, 2023