The Grumpy Strategists

"It looks like Australia just gave up its sovereignty and got nothing for it': This episode focuses on the proposed new Australia law that's meant to make innovation happen under the AUKUS partnership, but instead seems guaranteed to kill innovation and ensure even higher barriers to doing business with Defence. Forget working with anyone but the Anglosphere - so the hugely powerful creativity of...

Australian PM Albanese's world tour ends with a bright spot in the South Pacific. An internal review of the Australian Defence Department's advice and it's compliance with financial and administrative rules shows deep leadership failure at the highest level. And the B-21 as an alternative long range strike platform for Australia.

In Grumpy Strategists Episode 5, Marcus Hellyer and Michael Shoebridge get into why the complex, top heavy leadership structure of Defence affects performance and demotivates those below it. They discuss the recruitment and retention crisis in the Australian military that's unfolded since 2016 - a force that's meant to have grown has shrunk - and finish with insights about the state of the US Navy...

In this episode, Marcus Hellyer and Michael Shoebridge discuss the implications of Hamas' mass murders, and what Ukraine and Hamas mean for strategies of deterrence against other aggressors. The release of imprisoned journalist Cheng Lei as a precursor to Anthony Albanese shaking Xi Jinping's hand is discussed as an example of calculating hostage diplomacy.

In Episode 4 the Grumpy Strategists cover the restructuring of the Australian Army in the aftermath of the Defence Strategic Review, as well as setting out the lessons and challenges for the Defence Force from the permanent grounding of the Army's Taipan helicopters after a fatal crash. They end by discussing the implications for the Australian government's China policy around PM Albanese's trips...

Marcus Hellyer and Michael Shoebridge discuss what the Ukrainian military's attack on Sevasotopol says about navies & denial. This, along with lessons from Australia's 25 year journey of discovery in a multi-billion dollar US drone program, can and should drive a reassessment of what Australia's military needs - and what the broader Australian industrial base can provide. Hint: digging stuff u...

The second Grumpy Strategists Production looks at ‘continuous shipbuilding’ and the Navy. 6 years on, the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise hasn’t delivered any ships. Meanwhile, the ANZAC frigates and Collins submarines are ageing & will become increasingly fragile. What does the Defence Strategic Review show us about the role of the Navy? While the public debate around US Admiral Hilari...

In this first Grumpy Strategist Productions podcast, SAA's Marcus Hellyer and Michael Shoebridge do a health check on the Defence Strategic Review, with some disturbing news for the patient and for Australia’s defence industry. Hear about the budget arm wrestles within Defence holding back investment decisions, along with how the DSR’s baby reviews advance the Treasurer’s fiscal strategy. And lear...