What next for Afghanistan following the draw down of US troops?

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast we hold a debate on the political and military implications of the impending US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Newsround (00:37)

Russia is planning an upgrade to its Su-57 fifth generation multirole fighter even before the first full production version is delivered. 

The DEFENDER-Europe 20 exercise will culminate when a US-based combined arms battalion conducts an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise from 14 July to 22 August.

A major fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard on 12 July has dominated the defence news in the US as the implications of the potential loss of the vessel could have disastrous effects on operations.

News in focus:
Egypt continues the pursuit of a huge military spending package in one of the biggest arms deal of the last five decades for Italy that could cost Cairo up to €11 billion. 

Air Editor Tim Martin discusses the AW149 multirole helicopter deal, the wider effect of this potential export, the pressure coming from the US and France, and how Egypt is planning to fund its ambition.

Multimedia Journalist Noemi Distefano takes a look at how the increased defence cooperation between Italy and Egypt has drawn stiff criticism from those seeking answers for the unsolved murder of Italian national Giulio Regeni in Egypt. Is the government going to bow to such pressures?

South American countries are willing to equip their navies with icebreakers and other vessels for missions in Antarctica. Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira takes a closer look at the capabilities that Brazil, Chile and Argentina have eyed to conduct research operations in the region.

Panel Interview: Debate on the political and military future of Afghanistan (22:12)
Senior Editor Naval Richard Thomas hosts a panel interview that explores the geopolitical and military implications that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will have on the country after more than 15 years of war fought by Western and NATO forces. 

The debate is joined by Humphrey Hawkley, commentator and author of the book Asian Waters and former BBC Beijing Bureau Chief; Dr Dawood Azami, Multi-Media Editor at the BBC World Service and Associate Fellow at IISS; and Tim Foxley, Independent military analyst and former defence analyst for the MoD.

Produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest