Defence & Security Podcast Network
Momentum Media
The Defence & Security Podcast Network hosts a unique series of podcasts, featuring discussions with key enablers from across the Australian defence and security industry.
The podcasts provide the perfect blend of business intelligence and insights from a range of guests, which include government officials, ADF personnel, industry stakeholders, and members of the academic community.
By aligning ourselves with the ADF and the Commonwealth government, we are uniquely placed to deliver a dynamic 360° platform that bridges the gap between the customer (Defence) and industry.
We split our focus not just into the traditional sectors of Land (Army), Air (Air Force) and Sea (Navy), but into the six new Capability Streams:
- Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare and Cyber
- Key Enablers
- Air and Sea Lift
- Maritime and Anti-Submarine Warfare
- Strike and Air Combat
- Land Combat and Amphibious Warfare
As Defence moves to ensure the Force Structure Review and the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence plans are met, Australian industry involvement is critical for mission success.
The Defence & Security Podcast Network will provide you and your business with valuable lessons, tips and insights into the industry, putting your company in the best position to take part in the increased Defence spending.
We’ll cover every aspect of doing business in the defence industry, from the tender process to recruitment, success stories, access points to Defence, smart business strategies, and geopolitical insights.
Subscribe to the Defence & Security Podcast Network and be part of this exciting and innovative industry.
The podcasts provide the perfect blend of business intelligence and insights from a range of guests, which include government officials, ADF personnel, industry stakeholders, and members of the academic community.
By aligning ourselves with the ADF and the Commonwealth government, we are uniquely placed to deliver a dynamic 360° platform that bridges the gap between the customer (Defence) and industry.
We split our focus not just into the traditional sectors of Land (Army), Air (Air Force) and Sea (Navy), but into the six new Capability Streams:
- Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare and Cyber
- Key Enablers
- Air and Sea Lift
- Maritime and Anti-Submarine Warfare
- Strike and Air Combat
- Land Combat and Amphibious Warfare
As Defence moves to ensure the Force Structure Review and the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence plans are met, Australian industry involvement is critical for mission success.
The Defence & Security Podcast Network will provide you and your business with valuable lessons, tips and insights into the industry, putting your company in the best position to take part in the increased Defence spending.
We’ll cover every aspect of doing business in the defence industry, from the tender process to recruitment, success stories, access points to Defence, smart business strategies, and geopolitical insights.
Subscribe to the Defence & Security Podcast Network and be part of this exciting and innovative industry.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 13, 2020 • 31min
The Defence Connect 2020 Australian Defence Industry Awards Finalist Showcase – Naval Business of the Year
In this episode, Defence Connect Analyst and Editor, Steve Kuper is joined by Michael Hardy from KBR, Principal Partner of the Australian Defence Industry Awards, and two finalists in the Naval Business of the Year category: John Giffard of OPSTAR and Clint Thomas of Serco Defence. The four discuss defence industry’s response to the COVID pandemic and the way defence businesses of all sizes have pivoted to support the economic response and collaborated to support the Australian defence supply chain. They also discuss the ways in which Giffard and Thomas have supported their respective businesses through the challenges, the immediate goals and what they believe set them apart from the competition for this year’s awards. Defence Connect will continue to recognise the achievements of talented professionals in the lead up to the 2020 Australian Defence Industry Awards — despite a limited capacity to gather physically. Registration is free for our live stream, which will be held at 8:15PM AEDT on Thursday, 26 November. Register now to be a part of the Defence Connect 2020 Australian Defence Industry Awards Live Stream.
Nov 12, 2020 • 31min
INSIGHT: Assessing the impact of the next President – Stephen Loosley AM, Visiting Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney
President-elect Joe Biden promises a return to ‘normality’ for America’s global engagement following the turmoil of the Trump administration, with direct impacts for Australia. On this episode of the Defence Connect: Insight podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Steve Kuper are joined by Stephen Loosley AM to discuss the fall out of the tumultuous US election and the election of Joe Biden. They cover the dramatic shift in foreign policy and the challenges that face a Biden administration in Europe, the Middle East and, critically for Australia, the Indo-Pacific. As part of this they unpack the Australia-US alliance and how it will move forward under the 46th President, including overhauling the nation’s response to the COVID pandemic and setting the course for economic recovery. The trio also talk about the return to traditional alliance structures and enhancing the international order, abandoned by President Trump, and the importance they will play in reasserting American leadership in the face of great power competition and the way in which the US under President Biden will move to counter the increasingly belligerent rise of the People’s Republic of China. Finally, they discuss the regional response to the election result and what nations throughout the Indo-Pacific are saying, as well as the economic impact for Australia and its regional partners over the coming decade. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
Nov 5, 2020 • 43min
INSIGHT: Australia, Indonesia and the opportunities of south-east Asia – Ben Bland, director, Southeast Asia Program, Lowy Institute
South-east Asia is key to Australia’s long-term economic and strategic stability, nurturing those relationships is critical to mutual security and stability. On this episode of the Defence Connect: Insight podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Ben Bland, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, where the pair discuss the transformation of south-east Asia since the end of the Cold War and Australia’s place in it. The pair cover the growing importance of the Australia-Indonesia relationship as both nations navigate the defining factor of economic and strategic security in the region: the US-China relationship. Bland discusses his experience on the ground in Indonesia and the challenges facing Indonesia’s long-term development in the coming decades, as well as the immense opportunities available to Australia in supporting the development of Indonesia. Finally, they talk about the response of south-east Asia to growing tensions in the South China Sea, the historic rivalries shaping the regional dynamics and the ramifications of rising tensions between mainland China and Taiwan. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
Oct 29, 2020 • 38min
The art of persuasive bid writing and communicating in defence industry – Dr Rodger Manning and David Harvey, BidWrite
BidWrite plays a pivotal role helping defence and industry communicate to meet capability requirements, while generating business in the hotly contested defence industrial ecosystem. On this episode of the Defence Connect podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Dr Rodger Manning and David Harvey, principal consultants at BidWrite, to discuss the evolving nature of responding to tenders to support the $270 billion Defence Strategic Update and the 2020 Force Structure Plan. The trio also cover the initial impact of COVID-19 on Defence and defence industry, the immense opportunity available to both primes and SMEs, and the way in which industry as a whole is evolving to the new normal. Dr Manning and Harvey also discuss the importance of getting the right balance when responding to the complex nature of Defence tenders, with key points of focusing on the customer’s needs and the unique capacity the business brings to solving the challenges proposed by Defence. Finally, they talk about the varying challenges in the tendering process, breaking down language and technicalities in order to help both parties better understand one another’s objectives. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Team
Oct 22, 2020 • 29min
Celebrating 100 years with eyes firmly set on the future – Brendon Pett, operations manager trans-Tasman defence & national security, Beca
Beca draws on 100 years of experience delivering some of the region’s most complex engineering and consulting challenges, with an expanded foothold in defence and defence industry firmly in the company’s sights. On this Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Brendon Pett, operations manager trans-Tasman defence & national security at Beca, as they discuss the evolution of the company from a traditional multi-disciplinary, consulting engineering firm to a key supporter of both the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces. The pair discuss the integral role Beca played in supporting the delivery and integration of the mission system upgrade for the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s P-3K2 Orion anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol aircraft. Pett and Tarrant also cover the role Beca plays in supporting the Sea Sprite helicopters in service with the Royal New Zealand Navy and the role collaborating with other local companies and major global defence primes has played in shaping Beca’s capability offering. Finally, the pair discuss the evolving role and relationship Beca enjoys with both key stakeholders within Defence and global primes providing a fundamental input to capability, capable of meeting the demands of the end user. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Team
Oct 16, 2020 • 30min
How RBI Hawker is innovating in APAC – Ian D’Arcy, Hawker Pacific
Hawker Pacific is one of the leading aircraft sales and support companies in APAC, and one of the largest independent companies of its type in the region, with 800 employees. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant talks to the business’ Vice President Regional Operations, Middle East and Pacific, Ian D’Arcy, about RBI Hawker, a collaboration between Hawker Pacific and Bell Helicopters that specialises in rotor blade repair. D’Arcy discusses the plan to bring a true home base to Australia after 15 years’ experience in Dubai while looking at launching satellite operations in countries such as Papua New Guinea. He talks through the challenges and opportunities, and how the market is changing. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
Oct 8, 2020 • 32min
Building interoperability amid adversity – Captain Phillipa Hay, Royal Australian Navy
COVID-19 has reshaped the world and RIMPAC ’20 wasn’t immune, but it did in some ways enhance the way the participants conducted the operations. On this Defence Connect podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Captain Phillipa Hay, RAN, to discuss the ongoing transformation of the Royal Australian Navy and the role interoperability plays in enhancing collective security in the Indo-Pacific. CAPT Hay and Tarrant discuss the latest round of RIMPAC exercises, of which CAPT Hay was the first Australian woman appointed to command a task force in the 49-year history of Exercise Rim of the Pacific. The two discuss the growing levels of interoperability and capability aggregation developing between Australia and its Indo-Pacific partners and the role they play in supporting the government’s initiative of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific. CAPT Hay and Tarrant also discuss the complexities of managing and conducting the world’s largest maritime warfare exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic and the agility with which all partners improvised, adapted and overcame the challenges. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
Oct 1, 2020 • 33min
The pivotal role of autonomous systems to support Australian security – Chris Deeble, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia
Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton is billed as a step change for the ADF and its long-range, persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities serving as a major force multiplier in Australia’s future force. On this Defence Connect podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Chris Deeble, chief executive of Northrop Grumman Australia, to discuss the transformational capability to be delivered by the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) platform. Deeble and Tarrant discuss the key role and capability the MQ-4C Triton will deliver to the ADF as it undergoes a generational transformation and force structure review identified in the government’s $270 billion 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan. Finally, they will also talk about the role Triton will play in supporting Australia’s growing sovereign defence industry capability through the partnerships developed between Northrop Grumman and Australian SMEs, despite challenges in the US. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
Sep 24, 2020 • 34min
LAND 129 Phase 3 and supporting sovereign UAS capabilities - Jack Kormas, Managing Director, Textron Systems Australia
On this Defence Connect podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Jack Kormas, managing director of Textron Systems Australia, as they discuss the evolving realm of uncrewed and autonomous systems, specifically LAND 129 Phase 3. Kormas and Tarrant discuss Textron Systems Australia’s status as a “home grown business” stemming back to 1995 as Aerosonde and the storied history the company has of not only supporting sovereign industrial capabilities for the ADF, but also as a global leader in innovation. The pair deep-dive into company’s history of leading-edge UAS capabilities, which originally attracted Textron’s acquisition of Aerosonde and the opportunity it has presented to the Australian supply chain. Finally, Kormas and Tarrant cover the variants of the Aerosonde UAS platform, which is designed to support “small footprint” expeditionary land and sea-based operations capable of multi-role operations, key capabilities pursued by the ADF. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
Sep 15, 2020 • 28min
Working with industry to support AIC – Melissa Price MP, Minister for Defence Industry
Since their inception, Australian industry content (AIC) and sovereign industrial capability have served as key priorities for government with varying degrees of success depending on who you ask. For Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price, collaborative consultation and action are needed. On this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Steve Kuper are joined by the Minister Price to talk about her evolving priorities and the actions she has taken to better support delivering AIC requirements since being appointed to the role in May 2019. Minister Price also discusses the outcome of the government's extensive review into the Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC), the recommendations, government's response and the role collaboration plays in responding to the concerns of Australia's burgeoning defence industrial base. They also cover the response of defence industry to the COVID-19 pandemic and how businesses have evolved to support the national response. Finally, Minister Price also discusses her proudest moments working closely with defence industry and the role frequent communication plays in building collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships between government, primes and SMEs. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
