The Shephard Defence Podcast

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, we bring you the latest from the land, air and naval domains in the UK and provide you with an insight of the most relevant defence stories of the last month in the Asia-Pacific region.News Round (00:42)  This week our domain journalists focus on the UK after the MoD released its latest Defence Equipment Plan, covering the period 2019-2029. The plan, which was rated ‘unaffordable’ by the National Audit Office (NAO), reveals a fiscal black hole that threatens future investments in procurement of new equipment across the land, sea and air domains.In depth:Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira touches on the potential implications for the British Army as it attempts to implement a challenging modernisation programme. Officially, £32 billion is set aside for army equipment projects in 2019-2029, but the NAO report raises questions over the fate of programmes such as Ajax, Boxer, the Challenger 2 replacement, MRV-P (JLTV) and Warrior. Editor – Air Tim Martin highlights some potential impacts on UK air programmes. A lack of funding is likely to result in significantly delayed deliveries of the MQ-9B Protector UAV, for example. RAF procurement of E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and P-8 Poseidon MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft could also be affected, which in the first case could translate into a serious capability gap. Tim also delves into the Sea Venom design: the Defence Equipment Plan mentioned design problems with the anti-ship missile, resulting in a 15-month in-service delay.  Senior Editor - Naval Richard Thomas updates our listeners on how the senior service fares under the Defence Equipment Plan. Naval Command expects to spend around £30.9 billion over the next ten years. This includes the completion of build and trials activity of the carrier HMS Prince of Wales and work-up of HMS Queen Elizabeth for its first operational deployment in 2021. However, costly problems on the construction of HMS Audacious (boat four in the seven-boat Astute class of submarines) are having a knock-on effect for the delivery of the next boat, HMS Anson.Deep Dive – The latest from Asia-Pacific (18:23)Asia-Pacific Editor Gordon Arthur brings our listeners the latest news from the region, looking at some of the biggest stories of the last month following shows in India and Singapore.Gordon talks about Singapore’s plan to increase its naval capacity by investing in more littoral vessels and upgraded patrol boats. He also mentions the prospects for Indian procurement of MH-60R helicopters, in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s recent visit. Elsewhere, in China the PLA is placing a major order for body armour; and in Australia the RAAF faces a problem after the USN suspended acquisition of the MQ-4C Triton for two years. Interview- Schiebel (31:35)Gordon Arthur talks to Hans Schiebel, chairman of the eponymous Austrian company, about a recent contract from the Royal Thai Navy to supply its Camcopter S-100 VTOL UAS. Gordon also asks about future plans and investments from Schiebel in South East Asia.  Music and sound mixing provided by Fred Prest 

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, we bring you the latest from the land, air and naval domains. We talk about the LTAMDS milestone, the SB>1 Defiant test flight and coronavirus concerns. News Round (01:03)  Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira talks through a landmark for Raytheon in the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) programme, with completion of the first radar antenna array.  LTAMDS will ultimately replace Patriot in the US Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense network, and the new array is expected to perform twice as efficiently as its predecessor. The army expects that LTAMDS will bring enhanced protection to defeat advanced air and missile threats such as hypersonic weapons.   Air Editor Tim Martin looks back on his visit last week to West Palm Beach, where three experimental test aircraft performed at a Sikorsky flight test demonstration event. One of these was the SB>1 Defiant that has been jointly developed by Sikorsky and Boeing as a candidate solution for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) requirement. Defiant is moving towards increased speed flight tests, having overcome a gearbox joint issue that affected it last year. Turning to the UK, Tim discusses news from an RAF briefing in London this week, where senior officers raised concerns that the quest for accelerated data transfer techniques could lead to the loss of important information.News Editor Ben Vogel looks back on the resignation of Pentagon policy chief John Rood, effective from 28 February. No official reason has been given for this development, but some analysts regard Rood’s ejection as the latest example of retribution being meted out to executive branch officials linked to the recent unsuccessful impeachment proceedings. Deep Dive - Sirkorsky defiant test flight (18:07)Tim Martin grabs a chat with Sikorsky test pilot Bill Fell who flew the SB>1 Defiant coaxial demonstrator.Interview - Talks on submarine rescue systems with JFD (30:10)Richard Thomas, Senior Editor – Naval, speaks with Richard Devlin, Head of Global Sales at submarine rescue system provider JFD, on the technological and environmental complexities encountered in the sector, and time constraints that dictate the conduct of subsurface rescue operations. Industry Voice - Nammo (40:00)VP Content Tony Skinner is on the phone with Endre Lunde, Senior Vice President Communications at Nammo, to talk about the ongoing coronavirus crisis and its potential long-term effects on the defence industry.This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing provided by Fred Prest 

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, we bring you the latest from land, air and naval domains. We discuss the armoured vehicle sector, especially in Asia and Europe where ageing vehicle fleets have implications for procurement, and Air Marshal Gerry Mayhew gives us his insight into new-generation capabilities and aircraft.News Round (00:50)  Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira describes Finnish and Latvian cooperation to produce an armoured wheeled vehicle system. After the two countries signed a technical agreement, a new high-performance vehicle will be supplied that is based on Patria’s 6x6 platform. This is an armoured wheeled vehicle chassis that Finland and Latvia hope will provide mobility to a low cost. Deliveries will begin next year, after completion of the research phase.Flavia also discusses a programme milestone in Canada, where the Department of National Defence announced completion of their Medium Support Vehicle System programme. This replaces a 30 year-old fleet of medium logistic vehicles. News Editor Ben Vogel looks into problems in Kuwait, after the strange decision of the MoD to announce via social media that it is halting acceptance of Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters. Based on the latest reports, technical faults were found on two Caracals and a technical committee has been set up to examine the issues – but Airbus say it is still awaiting official notification.Senior Editor- Naval, Richard Thomas, describes how Germany and Norway’s different use cases and operating environments for their jointly developed Type 212CD submarine programme remain obstacles, as the two countries continue to debate how to apply the Naval Submarine Code. The code is designed to ensure safety and best practices for industry and operators. Discussions between Germany and Norway on how best to utilise the submarine code have been in progress for up to two years, although the two parties are yet to find common ground and finalise an agreement.Deep Dive – Armoured Vehicle market forecastSenior Analyst at Shephard, Sonny Butterworth sits down for a chat with our news editor to talk about the latest market forecast based on our Defence Insight research. Specifically, Sonny focuses on the armoured vehicle market both in Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. With the 2019 being a notable year for the global AV market, the procurement spending for ground forces is expect to increase by 9.5% with over $26 billion expected to be spent in 2020. Interview with Air Marshal Gerry MayhewVP Content Tony Skinner talks with UK Royal Air Force Deputy Commander, OperationsAir Marshal Gerry Mayhew, for insight on progress and status of the new generation of aircraft and new capabilities that are being introduced in the air domain. Music and sound mixing provided by Fred Prest 

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, we delve into US budget proposals across the air, land and naval domains; we are in Singapore with insights from the floor of the biggest Asian aerospace and defence event of the year; and we discuss EW capabilities, the threats from China and what the West can do to cushion the blow. News Round (00:50)  Air Editor Tim Martin discusses USAF funding in the US DoD defence budget proposal.The US DoD has decided to play safe on its investments on aircraft procurement, with figures dropping $800 million compared to last year. The new budget predicts over $56 billion for new aircraft procurement and design, and an additional $11 billion to be allocated for the F-35 programme. Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira talks about the new US Army budget on land warfare and the renewal of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle programme to replace the Bradley. A previous OMFV attempt attracted only one bid, so the US Army issued a market survey to restart the project. The purpose of the survey is to understand what went wrong during the previous solicitation process.In terms of new equipment, the Army budget for FY2021 focuses on enhancing readiness and lethality, with both the Army and the USMC likely to receive around 4,500 vehicles in 2021.News Editor Ben Vogel looks into the US Navy budget for FY2021. The budget proposal calls for $19.3 billion to procure a total of ten new ship funding to recapitalise the SSBN fleet with the new Columbia-class; and efforts to prioritise investment for programmes that deliver warfighting advantages against China and Russia.Show coverage - Singapore Airshow 2020 (15:51)VP content Tony Skinner, Asia Pacific editor Gordon Arthur and Senior Analyst Ilker Aktasoglu report from the Singapore Airshow 2020. The show this year has suffered from the heavy impact of coronavirus on South East Asia registering over 8% lower attendance than expected, with exhibitors being unable to attend due to worldwide governments issued travel restrictions. However, they report on the newest developments of aircraft and platforms on display.Deep Dive – EW capabilities and threats from China (32:00)Senior Editor - Naval Richard Thomas talks to our regular contributor Thomas Withington about EW global capabilities and artificial intelligence. Thomas, who is a specialist in electronic warfare and radar technologies, analyses new EW developments in China, what they mean for the West, and what are the possible countermeasures. Industry Voice - Nammo (44:33)VP Content Tony Skinner speaks to Endre Lunde, SVP Communication at Nammo, who brings us the latest from the Air Power Seminar 2020 in Norway. This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing provide by Fred Prest 

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, we talk all things electronic warfare and speak to contributor Tom Withington about Russia’s EW capabilities and how that is determining NATO’s response; we speak to Shephard Media’s CEO Darren Lake about the new face of defence publishing and discuss how the future is digital; and we look at all the news from the week.News Round (00:41)  Land reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira focuses on the German Army, which is currently conducting a pilot course for the G22A2 sniper rifle. The G22A2 is an upgraded version of the AW model and it includes a more powerful target optic as well as the ability to determine precise distances and shot corrections. The manufacturer, Accuracy International, will retrofit 780 rifles.Our director of analysis Matt Smith talks about the current markets in Asia Pacific as we look forward to next week’s Singapore Airshow. Matt explains how the Asian fighter aircraft market in particular is currently active.Meanwhile, the US Air Force (USAF) is adapting its air and cyber operations in the Asia-Pacific region to a more distributed approach given that the location of its main military facilities is well-known by potential rivals, with China again proving the focus of attention for planners.Shephard Media is going digital (12:30)VP content Tony Skinner sits down for a chat with Shephard Media's CEO Darren Lake to discuss how the publishing world is undergoing an irreversible process of digitalization and how this is leading companies to change the way they deliver news to the readers. As for Shephard, we have embraced a digital model for our magazine issues to adapt to the way the audience consumes content and stores data.You can now consume the latest quality content from Shephard’s Air Warfare, Land Warfare, Naval Warfare and Military Training digitally. Magazines are available to read for free on our Shephard Media App on Apple Store and Play Store.If you download the App you can enjoy three months of a Premium News subscription for free. A desktop version is also available here.Deep Dive: Electronic Warfare with Thomas Withington (26:00) VP content Tony Skinner is on the line with Shephard’s regular contributor Thomas Withington who is a specialist in electronic warfare and radar technologies. Tom discusses new concerns related to Russia’s electronic warfare (EW) capabilities and how these improvements create new opportunities for NATO EW practitioners at the operational and tactical levels.For more on this subject, read the next issue of Land Warfare, which is out soon.Music and sound mixing provide by Fred Prest 

In this episode of the Weekly Defence podcast, we turn our attention east and consider the latest defence news from Asia-Pacific, we are on the floor of SHOT show in Las Vegas and we bring you all the news of the week. And our sponsor Nammo provides this week’s Industry Voice segment.News Round (01:50)   The team discuss the news that Chinese company Huawei will be allowed to contribute to the UK’s 5G network and any impact this will have on the UK’s information sharing and future in the Five Eyes network. Experts from the cyber community have deemed the risk posed by Huawei hardware ‘manageable’.VP Content Tony Skinner also highlights the recent decision of the Czech MoD to boosting its defence budget in new or modernized military equipment. The budget allocation of $3.2 billion is the biggest ever in defence procurement for the country and aims to significantly strengthen the Czech Army.Reporter - Land Flavia Camargos Pereira speaks about the US Army’s effort to replace the Vietnam War-era M113 armoured vehicle, with the commission of 150 Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) following the 21 January contract modification revealed by the Pentagon worth $400 million. Flavia also gives an insight on the latest developments on the Scorpion programme as France moves forward and the French Army announced it will field the Thales’ 120-mm Rifled Recoiled Mounted Mortar systems. Asia Pacific update (17:54)Asia Pacific Editor Gordon Arthur brings us the latest from the Asia-Pacific region, including India’s announcement it has elevated its response to China’s threat deploying seven to eight submarines in the Indian Ocean last week. The Indian MoD is making slow, though significant, advances on both submarine and fighter fronts as part of their Project 75(I) submarine programme.Moving onto China, Gordon talks about the recently revealed Chinese production of aircraft jet engines. The announcement and the jet exhibitions of the jet engines in Hebei last month, marks a new era on Chines plans for military aircraft production.  Show coverage – SHOT Show (31:50)Senior Editor - Naval Richard Thomas talks to our regular contributor, Scott Gourley, about the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show he attended in Las Vegas last week. We find out what SHOT is, how it went from being a sporting show to attracting ballistic technology experts from all over the world and the latest industry news from exhibitors on the floor. Turkish counter-UAV ammunition and multi-calibre rifles on showIndustry Voice - Nammo (42:55)VP Content Tony Skinner speaks to SVP Communication at Nammo Endre Lunde about the company’s focus for 2020, including the specific needs of troops in the new operating environment. Music and sound mixing provide by Fred Prest  

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast we bring you the latest from the 32nd annual Surface Navy symposium in Washington DC; we talk about air defence systems and how they work; we discuss the US Army’s decision to cancel OMFV solicitation, and, looking forward to India hosting its biennial DefExpo next month, consider whether the country is ready to tackle its huge list of not-too-competently managed procurements. News Round-up (00:45)VP Content Tony Skinner discusses an interesting opinion piece by The Geobukseon on India’s procurement practices. With the DefExpo 2020 exhibition being held in Uttar Pradesh early next month, The Geobukseon considers whether and how India will be able to manage its morass of defence procurements, which have negatively affected the armed forces in past decades. Reporter, Land Flavia Camargos Pereira gives an insight into the US Army’s decision to terminate the current acquisition process for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV). This followed the receipt of only a single bid in the competition to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Deep dive – Air Defence Systems (16:25)  Following the catastrophic events of 6 January, which confirmed that a Russian-made, Iranian- operated Tor-M1 system was responsible for the Ukrainian airliner crash near Teheran, Director of Analysis Matthew Smith and Senior Analyst Ilker Aktasoglu discuss how air defence systems are operated, what are challenges the industry is currently facing, the pressures operators are under, and what fail-safes are in place. Surface Navy Symposium and interview with Lockheed Martin (30:00) VP Content Tony Skinner chats to Senior Editor, Naval Richard Thomas who was on the floor of the 32nd annual Surface Navy Symposium in Washington DC last week.The biggest stories from the naval domain include the Maritime Strike Tomahawk, which is no longer expected to achieve its milestone this year following a delay in achieving initial operational capability; and the UK RN which will see its fleet escort numbers dropping in the next years as the build schedule for the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates struggles to keep pace with the planned out-of-service dates of the ageing Type 23 class.Richard also speaks to VP of Naval Combat and Missile Defence systems at Lockheed Martin, Jim Sheridan, about ship self-defence systems.This episode was produced and recorded by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest.

       News Round (00:38) Reporter- Land Flavia Camargos Pereira gives us an insight on Brazilian defence priorities, including the Brazilian Air Force procurement of the KC-390, the army’s purchase of the VBTP-MR Guarani and, on the naval domain, the PROSUB submarine programme, which delivered the first submarine to the Brazilian Navy in 2018 and is set to deliver the next three by 2022.Air Editor Tim Martin discusses the biggest story of the week as Leonardo has overcome competition from Airbus, Bell and two other contenders to win the US Navy’s (USN) TH-73A trainer helicopter programme, securing a four-year production run for 130 TH-119 aircraft.·        Deep dive – the role of the frigate (18:00) Tony Skinner talks to our Special Correspondent Tim Fish about how the role of frigates is changing. Cold war ships are retiring to meet new requirements and strategic maritime challenges while new technologies in the maritime domain will soon dominate the industry, making large expensive surface platforms potentially vulnerable and not cost-effective in delivering capability. ·        Interview – L3Harris (35:40) Tony Skinner speaks to Dr Paul Brittan, chief scientific officer at L3Harris about artificial intelligence and machine learning, and how the modern battlefield constraints impact the architecture and performance of contemporary machine learning techniques. Keeping in mind the role of the human operator, what are the benefits AI can provide in the battlespace and how effective can it be? ·        Industry Voice - Nammo (48:10) VP Content Tony Skinners talks speaks to Senior Vice Presidents Communication at Nammo, Endre Lunde about design and branding in the defence industry discussing where we are at and what can be improved.  Music and sound mixing provided by Fred Prest

On the podcast this week...Interview: (01.13) Senior Editor – Naval Richard Thomas sits down with Paul Mcloughlin, news editor at the Middle East focused and London-based TheNewArab to talk about how Iran has cultivated and supported proxy forces in the region, and how the Quds Force operates as intelligence gatherers, trainers and convert operators in aid of Tehran’s ambitions.News Roundup: (09:00) Editor – Air Tim Martin talks from an air domain perspective about how air defence networks and fighter fleets could see more regular action if the conflict between Iran and US continues to escalate. He also focuses on how Iran prioritises its defence spending and what offensive and defensive capability the country possesses. In this episode we also introduce our new Reporter – Land Flavia Camargos Pereira. She approaches the crisis from a different angle, analysing the radically different political reactions of South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. While Brazil supports the US action with President Jair Bolsonaro saying the country rejects all forms of terrorism, Argentina is more concerned about boosting security, with defence minister Agustín Rossi warning that the country must be alert. In Colombia meanwhile, the FARC political party organised a ceremony to pay tribute to the Iranian general, whereas other Latin American countries are concerned about how the crisis will impact the oil price.Interview: (21.53)Sophia Bellas, Middle East analyst at Dryad Global, speaks about where recent events leave the US’s influence in the region.Recorded and produced by Noemi Distefano  with music and sound mixing provided by Fred Prest 

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, as we welcome in the new year, we take the chance to look back at some of our best coverage of the past few months, including coverage from DSEI, an examination of the fixed-wing market, an interview with L3Harris and discussing defence export controls.Show coverage: DSEIThe team report from DSEI in London, where among the announcements was news that Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 has won the £1.25 billion ($1.54 billion) programme for the five-ship Type 31e light frigate programme.Sea editor Richard Thomas and deputy air editor Tim Martin run through the machinations of the long-running Type 31e saga.Tim also looks at the decision by the UK and Italy to partner on the Tempest future fighter programme. A statement of intent has also been agreed at an industrial level between Rome and London, further evidence that engineering and design efforts will involve a formidable and diverse mix of suppliers including BAE, Leonardo, Rolls-Royce and MBDA.Meanwhile, land domain editor Beth Maundrill outlines the progress of the UK’s flagship land programmes, including the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) upgrade and the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme (CR2 LEP).Deep Dive – Fixed Wing Aircraft AnalysisLand Editor Beth Maundrill sits down with Shephard’s Director of Analysis, Matt Smith, to talk about the latest in the series of Defence Insight’s analysis. This time the team looks into military fixed-wing aircraft and the upward tick in investment over the next decade.Interview – The AVX-L3Harris Compound Coaxial HelicopterTim Martin speaks to Luke Savoie, the President of Aviation Services for L3Harris, about its proposal for the US Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft that it is developing in partnership with AVX.AVX and L3T show FARA handInsight: What next for the FARA five?Industry VoiceBeth Maundrill speaks to Nammo’s SVP of Communications Endre Lunde, who provides his insights into the area of defence export controls.Music and sound mixing provided by Fred Prest