In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Mike Pezzullo, principal author of the 2009 Defence White Paper and former secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, joins host Steve Kuper to unpack how the Australian Defence Force can meet the demands of the nation’s uncertain security environment.

• The pair begin the podcast by looking at the alternative global order, including an emerging Eurasian bloc that is seeing North Korean troops deployed in Russia and BRICS’ alternative financial system.
• They then examine geopolitical fractures between BRICS members and whether China is in an economic position to become a global hegemon.
• Pezzullo then analyses how Australia’s force structure is designed to overcome low-level threats and why the country needs a new base level of Defence spending.
• Kuper and Pezzullo wrap up by discussing efficiencies in domestic manufacturing and how technology can expedite the production of large-scale naval assets.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team