Defence & Security Podcast Network

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by vice president of vehicles and tactical systems at Thales, Kevin Wall, who will discuss the capabilities of land vehicles currently in service within Australian Army, those about to go into service, and the role of Thales in future-proofing emerging technology to meet the needs of a future defence industry. Wall will discuss the Bushmaster program's place in current defence industry, Thales' ambitions for the program in regard to upgrades and design, its competition in the market, and the opportunities that opening the program to the wider export market would generate. He will also unpack the emerging Hawkei program and discuss export opportunities outside of military vehicles, including the F90 rifle and exporting training in the defence sector. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by engineer, project manager and solution integrator at Mirragin Aerospace Consulting, Rob Sutton, to discuss Australia's role as a leader in the growing drone sector and its place in defence industry. Sutton will share how Mirragin is tailoring solutions to an array of clients while unpacking the vast capability of drone technology across multiple industries in everything from communications to surveillance and maintenance. Having served with the military himself, Sutton will reflect on his time in uniform and the transition of his interests into the drone sector, and discuss Australia's place in the future of the technology. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by the director of international mine warfare programs at Northrop Grumman Corporation, Gene Cumm, to discuss how they are aiding the development of an autonomous future for the minehunting sector. Cumm will define minehunting versus minesweeping, discuss the transition into an autonomous minehunting model that Northrop Grumman is currently implementing, and analyse its effectiveness compared with a more traditional method. With the shift to an autonomous system having faced some challenges, Cumm will reveal how the company's work with the Autonomous Warrior program last year has attracted an influx of interest from defence partners, how the technology is being shaped, and the opportunities available to SMEs should the Australian Defence Force implement the demonstrated technology. Finally, Cumm will discuss the upcoming demonstrations in the Queensland area that Northrop Grumman will be involved in, and share his thoughts on the benefit of defence personnel seeing the system operate in their navy's own waters. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

This Anzac Day, Soldier On Australia is conducting an awareness and education campaign in honour of those Australians who returned from war 100 years ago, and to support the ongoing services that they continue to offer to veterans and their families. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Soldier On CEO Mat Jones, who discusses the campaign, his journey into the role that he is in today, and the programs that Soldier On is conducting to help defence personnel transition into life after service. He will address the shift in dialogue in recent years away from the stigmatisation of mental health issues and the acceptance of mental health conditions as an "injury" like any other, reveal the types of roles that veterans are shifting into, and why he believes that one of the key concerns facing the sector is collaboration across companies, departments, and various stakeholders involved in the life after service transition process. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Having previously covered his role as capture leader for the SEA 5000 program, David Eyles of Thales again joins host Phil Tarrant on the Defence Connect Podcast to discuss multi-static technology, the developments that it has seen since its inception, and how it will be utilised in the roll out of the Type 26 Hunter Class frigate. Eyles will address the operational benefits that can result from utilising the technology, compare bi-statics with multi-statics, and reflect on some of the challenges that have arisen in developing the technology. Finally, they will discuss cross integration of the technology within Defence, the transfer of information through multi-statics, and Thales' role in creating technology today for the Defence Force of tomorrow. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this special compilation episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by multiple attendants of the Avalon International Airshow and Defence Exposition to discuss their roles in defence industry. First to join the show is Air Marshal (Ret'd) Greg Bagwell, CB, CBE, to reflect on his 36 years in the RAF and discuss his current role as executive vice president of business development for Cobham. He will discuss his transition from uniform to the corporate defence sector, discuss the need for education around air power and discuss the similarities and synergies between the UK and Australian air force sectors. Josh Polette, director of strategic initiatives with Thales Australia, is next to join the show and will discuss Thales' immersion the space sector, including unpacking its rich history within the area, share his thoughts around the Australian Space Agency and some of the opportunities and challenges that will arise as a result. Mark Burgess, the CEO and managing director at Quickstep Holdings, is next to join host Phil Tarrant. He previously joined the show when he was only two months into his current role to discuss his ambitious plans of reshaping the strategies and practices within the company. Burgess will share how Quickstep has achieved a huge uptick in productivity, the work that it is currently involved in, including its F-35 partnership, and share his tips for other SMEs looking to enter the global supply chain. Finally, Doug Shaffer, the program manager for the MQ-4C Triton at Northrop Grumman, will discuss the program, compare the Global Hawk to the Triton, and talk about the proposals and bids that Northrop Grumman currently has underway. Shaffer will share his thoughts around comparable autonomous systems, the interest in the Triton outside of Australia and the different stakeholders that will benefit from the implementation of the technology.

In this special episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, recorded live on site at the 2019 Avalon International Airshow and Defence Exposition, host Phil Tarrant is joined by new Victorian defence industry advocate John O'Callaghan to talk about the integration of Victoria's defence industry in the defence supply chain; Andrew Pryor, business development director at Northrop Grumman Technology Services; and Michael Hardy, general manager, modelling, simulation and training at KBRwyle. O'Callaghan will discuss the evolution of Victoria's defence industry and the growing capability of the SME sector to support large-scale projects like LAND 400 Phase 2, SEA 1000 and SEA 5000, as well as the role of collaboration between the various state and territory defence industry advocates and their organisations to help support the Commonwealth government's agenda for development of ADF capability. During the discussion, Pryor will focus on the role Northrop Grumman is playing in supporting key Royal Australian Air Force capabilities, like the KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport and the C-27J Spartan airlifter, and the importance of close collaboration and relationships between industry and Defence to enhance the capability and service life of key capabilities. Finally, Hardy will discuss the shifting nature of training, modelling and simulation in supporting the next-generation warfighter. He will focus on the growing place for augmented and enhanced reality training simulation technology and the training requirements of a fifth-generation ADF. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this special episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, recorded live on site in Avalon on day two of the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Lockheed Martin Australia chief executive Vince Di Pietro and Professor Deborah Hodgson from the University of Newcastle to discuss the Altitude Accord and the role defence primes play in supporting the development of Australia's future workforce. They will talk about the role defence primes like Lockheed Martin Australia play in supporting the development of regional Australia and the impact the Altitude Accord, signed between Regional Development Australia Hunter, Lockheed Martin Australia and the University of Newcastle, will have in creating economic opportunities. As the program of focus for Australia's F-35s has shifted from acquisition to the operational and sustainment stage, Di Pietro and Professor Hodgson will discuss the importance of the support provided by primes like Lockheed Martin in supporting the $1 billion defence and aerospace industry in the Hunter region, while also looking at the role tertiary education institutions like the University of Newcastle can play in supporting Defence and industry.Finally, they will address the role of nurturing the growing talent pool of regional Australia and the investment model for industry and academic collaboration, which will play a critical role in supporting the long-term development of Australia's future defence and aerospace workforce. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this special episode of the Defence Connect Podcast recorded live on-site at the Avalon International Airshow and Defence Exposition, host Phil Tarrant is joined by the senior analyst of defence strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Dr Malcolm Davis, and Defence Connect journalist Steve Kuper to discuss some of the challenges facing the Australian defence landscape. Dr Davis will share his thoughts on Australia's position in the global defence environment, discussing the likelihood of Australia being at direct threat and how Australian involvement could look in future conflicts. He will address the gap that he believes has been created with the retirement of the F-111 and will also expand his take on the attitudes of defence leaders towards long-range strike capability. Finally, they will address the 2016 Defence White Paper and its relevance in the current defence climate, the push to keep Australian training and knowledge within Australia, and why communication with the US defence sector is paramount to our success. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Seeing Machines general manager Patrick Nolan and flight simulation and training lead Alexander Robinson join host Phil Tarrant to discuss the work that they are completing in the human factors science sector to create AI technology that observes driver habits and attention, and the opportunities that such technology is presenting in training within the RAAF. They will reflect on the history of the company, having been founded out of the Australian National University in Canberra, the challenge of matching technological capabilities with industry requirements, and how the scope of transport vehicles that they are serving has grown and developed. Nolan and Robinson will address how their technology is being implemented in pilot training with the RAAF, the type of data that can be obtained and how that information is being best utilised, and how it is aiding in the success and cost effectiveness of pilot training. Finally, they analyse their point of difference in the market against those with similar product offerings to Seeing Machines, discuss how their technology is being implemented into various vehicles and systems, and the projects that they are currently involved in within defence industry.