Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda

A bi-weekly podcast featuring in-depth analysis and insight on the perils of a new nuclear age, with Ankit Panda.

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Allies, Escalation, and the Next Crisis in the Indo-Pacific

Thinking the Unthinkable with Ankit Panda
October 28, 2026

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Episode Notes:

Ankit is joined by Ben Zala of Monash University, Suon Choi of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, and Yee-Kuang Heng of the University of Tokyo. Building on a workshop the group held in Canberra, they examine how the long-range strike and other advanced conventional capabilities that Australia, Japan, and South Korea are acquiring could shape a nuclear crisis in the Indo-Pacific. The conversation takes on some uncomfortable questions about signaling, escalation thresholds, and what happens when allies and Washington don’t see a crisis the same way.

Image: White House via Wikimedia Commons