Defence & Security Podcast Network

Victorian defence industry advocate and former federal politician Greg Combet returns to the Defence Connect podcast to take us through Victoria and BAE Systems Australia's partnership in the bid to secure the $5 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 project. The former parliamentary secretary for defence procurement discusses the plans for the former Holden engine plant site at Fishermans Bend if BAE Systems...

Austal has set the benchmark for successful Australian defence companies with a strong export focus, regularly securing multimillion-dollar defence and commercial contracts overseas, most recently landing a further contract for the Independence Class littoral combat ship (LCS) with the US Navy. Defence Connect caught up with Austal's chief executive David Singleton at the Pacific 2017 Internationa...

The Royal Navy marked a major millstone recently with the start of construction of the Type 26 Frigate. The Type 26, also known as the Global Combat Ship, will partially replace the Royal Navy's Type 23 anti-submarine frigates, with the first three Type 26s approved for construction by the UK Ministry of Defence as part of a £3.7 billion ($6 billion) contract. Designed and built by BAE Systems, th...

As part of a national program, a Future Submarine Industry Briefing took place in Sydney at Pacific 2017 on Wednesday, 4 October. Australian companies, R&D and educational institutions heard from the future submarine enterprise – CASG, Naval Group and Lockheed Martin Australia – in regard to opportunities available in the program and how they can work collaboratively to deliver a sovereign and reg...

QinetiQ Australia has set ambitious growth targets as it seeks to capitalise on increased government defence spending and the gamut of projects now underway across land, air and sea. The strengthening of its board has been a key priority, in line with a focused strategy to deliver value to defence customers. Join Defence Connect as we speak with key board members, including Rear Admiral (Ret'd) Ra...

Lockheed Martin marked a major milestone yesterday, with the formal announcement that the Aegis Combat System has been chosen to equip the new Australian Navy frigates to be built under the SEA 5000 program. Join Dale Bennett, Lockheed Martin executive vice president, rotary and mission systems, and Vince Di Pietro, chief executive of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand, as they discuss the...

Leonardo's involvement in Australian defence dates back to the late 1800s, when one of its heritage businesses provided torpedoes to individual Australian states. It's connectivity with the industry still remains – and it's still providing torpedoes. Join executive chairman of Leonardo Australia Michael Lenton and Defence Connect host Phillip Tarrant as they explore some of the history of Leonardo...

In the latest episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Dr Jason Held, CEO of Saber Astronautics joins host Phil Tarrant to discuss the defence industry, space and how it has developed throughout the years. Jason talks about the future prospects of a domestic space agency in Australia as "Space is the ultimate high ground." With a PdD in aerospace and mechatronics, the former Space Commander reveals...

In this special episode of the Defence Connect podcast, His Excellency Dr Jose Ramos-Horta takes us through Timor-Leste's endeavour towards independence, harmony and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and his deep respect for the Australian Defence Force going all the way back to World War II. The Nobel Laureate and UN special representative tells us tales of the ADF in Timor-Leste and why the T...

This week on the Defence Connect Podcast, Leidos managing director Christine takes us through her passion for defence and the participation of women in the industry, how she came into the role of managing director of one of Australia's largest primes and what worries her most about the future for the business. Join as we discuss the fundamentals of people and culture in defence business, staying c...

This week on the Defence Connect podcast, American Chamber of Commerce in Australia CEO Niels Marquardt unveils the importance of the longstanding alliance between Australia and the US and the formation of the Defence and Security Committee. Starting as the American Consul General to Sydney, Marquardt explains how he rose in the ranks to become head of AmCham, the impact of new administration face...

This week on the Defence Connect podcast, former Royal Australian Navy weapons engineer and ATSA Defence Services co-founders Darren Burrowes goes through the ins and outs of co-founding a successful defence SME and the brand's expansion into BlueZone Group. As co-founder of the only start-up company resulting from the $1bn Minehunter Coastal Project, which saw six "Huon" Class Minehunter ships co...

While the Australian government has worked closely with small businesses to up-skill workers, it still has a long way to go in recognising and investing in vocations that will truly realise the potential of the nation's manufacturing industry. "My concern is, where is all of this skill and capability going to come from?" asks Direct Edge chief executive, Diane Edgerton. "Do we have to import it be...

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, former journalist and bestselling author Frank Walker sheds light on the hidden side of war and reveals the treachery of governments who once went to horrifying lengths to betray their soldiers. "Who are our real enemies?" Walker poses in his new book, Traitors. "We've got to remember what we're fighting for [and] why we have a defence industry." Tun...

Babcock Australasia chief executive David Ruff says the business is dedicated to investing in the future of the Australian defence industry. "For Babcock ... part of our business model is investing, on a long-term basis, with our customers [and] with governments to grow capabilities, to grow workforces [and] to grow skills," he explains. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Ruff reveals...

In this episode of Defence Connect, Director of NSW Defence and former Royal Australian Navy Director General Submarines Peter Scott reveals how NSW will the drive the growth of its defence industry sector through government and industry collaboration. Join Scott and host Phil Tarrant as they discuss the necessity of strong partnerships, the transition from Navy, leadership skills and the NSW Defe...

The Royal Navy marked a major milestone in the development of its surface fleet in late July with the commencement of manufacture of its Type 26 Global Combat Ship, which will partially replace the Royal Navy's Type 23 anti-submarine variant frigates as part of a £3.7 billion ($6 billion) contract. The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is one of three solutions being considered by the Australian governme...

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Dtex co-founder Mohan Koo discusses cyber security as the new face of warfare and gives insight into the culture shift required for the Australian government to "take the bull by its horns" and combat this threat head-on. Tune in as he and host Phil Tarrant explore what's at stake for the Australian public, why the Defence Force is still playing catc...

Quickstep chief executive Mark Burgess says he's bullish about the future of exportation and advanced manufacturing in Australia. "We've got to set our sights on the rest of the world rather than Australia," he says. "[W]e can do anything as long as we deploy the right capital, the right skills and have a process appropriate to the market demand." Tune in to this episode of the Defence Connect Pod...

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Northrop Grumman's Ian Irving reveals how he'll align the business' abilities with the Australian government's initiative to further develop the country's defence force and sovereign capabilities. "We're focused on doing things that are really the future of national security," he explains. "Cyber security, C4I networking, fifth generation communicati...

TAE Aerospace began on a laptop with just six employees. Now, the business is its own attractor in the defence space, with a reputation for excellence drawing in top talent from across the country and top clients from across the world. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, chief executive Andrew Sanderson charts the business's journey from novice to number one and reveals the growth stra...

"Why do we want a defence industry as distinct from any other industry in this country? What is it about this industry, such that we want to make it a national mission?" poses Richard Marles, the Australian opposition defence spokesman. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Marles is in the studio to explain why a self-sustained, export-focused defence industry is critical to the Austral...

While there's no easy way in to defence as an SME, Peter Freed says the industry's willingness to accept a "degree of risk" could allow small businesses like his own to successfully operate in that space. Joining host Phil Tarrant for this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, the managing director for software solutions provider, Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems, explains why he's a champion...

There are few benefits to being a jack of all trades in the defence industry, says Stephen Renkert, with many emerging businesses making the mistake of defining themselves too broadly. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, the Electrotech managing director joins host Phil Tarrant to share his tips with SMEs on how they can identify opportunities within the defence space, better engage wi...

Stephane Ibos says he's an entrepreneur at heart, pushing boundaries and driving innovation in order to further the technological capabilities of the SME space. The former Thales program manager joins host Phil Tarrant for this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast to explain why a love of innovation spurred him to leave the defence industry and co-found Maestrano – a cloud integration platform f...