The Shephard Defence Podcast

This week on The Weekly Defence Podcast, we look at Germany’s plans for the P-8A Poseidon, report on the latest from the Asia Pacific region, dive into the synthetic VS live military training debate and talk sustainability with Bell. Newsround [00:00]Germany has sent two pilots to the IFTS fast-jet training course as part of an evaluation programme. The Dutch and Belgian navies have added a significant boost to their ASW training capabilities with the addition of seven SEMA targets from French company RTsys. On 3 October, a pair of USMC F-35B fighter jets successfully conducted the first-ever take-offs and landings of the aircraft on the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Izumo.The German Army has equipped its first unit with Leopard 2A7V MBTs to improve mobility, firepower, and crew protection.The US Army is proceeding with full-rate production of its new two-channel software-defined radios that will fully integrate frontline units into the Integrated Tactical Network.In focus [06:20] Air Editor Tim Martin reports on new details on the German procurement of Poseidon MPA platforms where questions remain unanswered around the weaponry that will equip the aircraft;  Senior Naval Reporter Harry Lye looks at the USN reorganizing two of its existing Programme Executive Offices (PEOs) to support submarine acquisition; and Trevor Nash gives us an insight on the long-time standing readiness Vs availability debate. Deep Dive- News from Asia Pacific [31:00]Gordon Arthur joins the show this week for the monthly round up of all the news from the Asia Pacific.Highlights include the new arsenal of Chinese designs, prototypes and other equipment showcased during the 13th edition of the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai;  a look at Indonesia’s order of C-130J aircraft; South Korean progress on its SLBM programme with fires of a ballistic missile for the first time and more.Industry Voice [01:02:00]Creative director Tony Skinner speaks to J. Blank, Senior Manager, government affairs at Bell about the importance of sustainability across both industry and the military.Noemi Distefano produced this episode with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest. www.floatinsound.com  

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast we speak to the Global Special Operation Forces Foundation (GSOF) to look at the aftermath of the Western involvement in Afghanistan, and we hear from Raytheon Missiles and Defence about the future of air dominance. Newsround [00:00]The UK has finally released its National Space Strategy on 27 September after two delays. In the new vision the UK is looking at contributing to the a multi-billion pound space industry by boosting private investment and fostering partnership with NATO allies and countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft for the French navy is expected to reach IOC in October, following recent upgrades to Standard 6 configuration of five more aircraft in mid-September.On 28 September the Greek Defence Minister signed an MoU with Naval Group and MBDA, opening negotiations for supply of new FDI frigates to the Greek Navy in a deal worth €3 billion. The Australian Defence Force awarded a $6.17 billion contract to a domestic firm for the production of 40 small rough-terrain vehicles (RTVs). Interview – Global Special Operation Forces Foundation (GSOF) [05:19]News Editor Ben Vogel speaks to Stuart Bradin, President and CEO of GSOF. In an exclusive interview, Bradin discusses the lessons learnt by the Special Operation Forces community in the past twenty years of war in Afghanistan and challenges ahead as the need to deliver multi-domain operations become more apparent. Industry Voice – Raytheon Missiles and Defence [36:40]Creative Director Tony Skinner speaks to Steve Dickman, Executive Director, Air Dominance Product Area and Alison Howlett, StormBreaker Programme Director at Raytheon Missiles and Defense to define the concept of air dominance, its importance and the work the company is carrying out in this sector. This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest 

AUKUS fallout, US eyes Wedgetail and 8x8 armoured platformsIn this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, the team looks at the AUKUS fallout, the latest USAF interest in procuring the E-7A Wedgetail, new Czech investment in artillery systems and the worldwide market for armoured vehicles. Newsround [2:34]Thales and Schiebel have joined forces to serve the growing appetite from navies for UAS-based ISTAR capabilities.Greece is expected to decide on its frigate requirement by the end of 2021, with Lockheed Martin joining the competition with its multi-mission ship design. Brazilian defence equipment exports reached a new record in the first half of 2021, with sales of $1.35 billion. On 16 September the Australian Department of Defence released an RfP under Project Air 6502 Phase 1, calling for bidders to provide a Medium-Range Ground-Based Air Defence system.In focus The team engage in a roundtable discussion looking at news from Europe, the US and elsewhere across the air, land and sea domains. Topics include the move by Czech MoD to upgrade artillery systems by procuring new Caesar self-propelled howitzers to replace the obsolete Dana design. USAF senior officers continue to eye the acquisition of the AMTI radar-equipped Boeing E-7A Wedgetail platform as a stopgap solution to replace the ageing E-3 Sentry.[18:29] AUKUS pact implicationsThe team also considers the implications of the AUKUS programme on existing Franco-British programmes and agreements.  Deep dive – 8x8 global vehicle market [28:52]Multimedia Journalist Noemi Distefano is on the line with Shephard Defence Insight Senior Land Analyst Sonny Butterworth to dive into the world of 8x8 armoured vehicles. Sonny gives an update on emerging manufacturers, ongoing export deals and an overall view of a global market which has seen rising demand in recent years. This episode was brought to you in partnership with Raytheon Missiles and DefenceProduced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest.    

This week, we bring you The Weekly Defence Podcast from the floor of DSEI 2021 in London, to delve into topics such as the future of the UK exports market and combat engineering vehicles.Newsround [00:00]The Shephard news team unpicks some of the major stories from this week from across the air, land and sea domains.Show highlights include CAE exhibiting its own Counterpart  Single Synthetic Environment (SSE), Airbus ambitions for the New Medium Helicopter competition, a focus on UGV platforms, and the new AUKUS security pact between the UK, the US and Australia.Interview- Director of UK Defence & Security exports [35:13]Air Editor Tim Martin speaks at DSEI with Mark Goldsack, Director of UK Defence & Security Exports. They discuss the posture of the UK exports market in a post-Brexit and post-COVID age.Industry Voice- FNSS [55:16]Creative Director Tony Skinner is on the line with Douglas Jackson, Assistant General Manager at FNSS, to discuss the work the Turkish company is doing on combat engineering vehicles.This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with audio edits, music and sound mixing by Fred Prest. 

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we report on news from the US, Germany and the Asia-Pacific region, and we also hear from Theon Sensors about the night vision market. Newsround [00:39]Aeralis has added two key partners to its integrated design team as the company works towards finalising the design before the aircraft's first flight in 2024.UK-based Inzpire has added three new simulators to be unveiled at this year's DSEI event. The US Army drives on with new programmes for long-range precision fires, with two of them expected to reach fruition in the next couple of years.In focus The team looks at the military training and land domains this week.Military Training Editor Trevor Nash looks at one of the most recent  US Army training exercises. The WAREX was a major live exercise conducted at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, to teach soldiers how to cope with low-cost drones on the battlefield. Senior Land Reporter Tim Fish discusses Germany’s progress on the LuWa vehicle programme. A new system demonstrator (GDS) unveiled in June 2021 suggests that some progress has been made to replace the country’s family of Wiesel vehicles.Deep Dive- News from the Asia Pacific [27:17]Asia-Pacific Editor Gordon Arthur highlights some of the main headlines from his region in the past thirty days. Top stories include the Indian Navy’s recent Rfl for four LPDs; An agreement between Pakistan and Turkey on the Anka UAV; and New Zealand’s efforts to improve its EW capability. Interview- Theon Sensors [47:19] Ben Vogel speaks Christian Hadjiminas, CEO of Theon Sensors and President of EFA Group, about the market for night vision systems and likely future technological trends in this sector. This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest

Brought to you in partnership with LeidosOn a mild summer’s day in July, a group of defence experts gathered in a central London recording studio to discuss the notion of Information Advantage.In the data-rich information age in which we live, the concept of Information Advantage has become a fundamental shift in how the armed forces prosecute warfare.Indeed, the UK Ministry of Defence calls the concept a “transformational opportunity” that must be at the heart of how it operates.Welcome to this special episode of the podcast, sponsored by our partner Leidos and produced by Shephard Studio.In this episode, you will hear our roundtable discussion on the topic of ‘Delivering Information Advantage to UK Defence and Security’.Our gathering of specialists from across the defence establishment provide context, comment and debate about this crucial new concept.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we cast an eye over the Army 2021 exhibition in Russia and speak to the UK Space Agency, to look at the country’s future operations in this growing domain. Newsround [ 1:23] The US has sealed the end of its 20-year involvement in Afghanistan on 31 August when its final aircraft took off from Kabul Airport.This followed the evacuation of UK forces which was completed on 28 August.China is making a real effort in showcasing its UAV designs with operations that could be pushing too close to the airspace of its neighbours. On 24 August, the Japanese MoD stated that a Chinese TB001 Male UAV flew near Japanese territory. In the UK, four new consortia have signed new contracts of about £5 million apiece to develop their Fleet Solid Support ship designs.Babcock International and Hyundai Heavy Industries have signed an MoU to foster collaboration on the development of the Republic of Korea’s CVX aircraft carrier programme.In Focus News Editor Ben Vogel and Senior Land Reporter Tim Fish dissect some of the key highlights from the floor of Army 2021, which took place in Moscow on 22-28 August. Highlights include Russian Helicopters signing a contract with Russian MoD to procure 30 modernised Ka-52Ms in 2022-23; a new long-range guided helicopter missile called Izdelie 305 LMUR; new variants of the Taifun family of vehicles; a new Arctic APC vehicle and more.Interview- UK Space Agency [27:20] Creative Director Tony Skinner speaks to Ian Annett, Deputy Chief Executive at the UK Space Agency, to look at the prospects of a future space launch capability from the UK and implications for both the commercial and military space sector. This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest.

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we welcome to the show our Middle East correspondent to discuss the main highlights from the floor of IDEF 2021; and we talk to QinetiQ about the work the company is carrying out to provide an advantage to navies in countering swarm attacks.Newsround [01:07] The US joint forces launched multiple missiles and torpedoes from the air, land and sea domains during the USN’s Sinking Exercise (SINKEX) in the Hawaiian Islands operating area. The exercise aimed to demonstrate how the USN could work with other services through a common operating picture to strike in unison. The Australian Army has released an RfP for a new Personal Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) system.The search for a new man-portable EMS is part of the third tranche in the Land 154 Phase project that will introduce next-generation equipment from 2020-26. As Army 2021 takes place this week in Moscow, Russian company Ramdizel revealed two new variants of its K-4386 series of Taifun-K armoured vehicles. Shephard understands these vehicles are designed for the Russian Airborne Forces and should enter service after trials.https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/army-2021-remdizel-expands-taifun-family/Canada is calling for new elections on 20 September that could significantly impact the acquisition of new fighter jets for the country’s air force. In focus The news team welcomes Tayfun Ozberk, Shephard’s Middle East correspondent, to get an insight into the main capabilities on display at IDEF 2021 in Turkey. Highlights include new rotary-wing programmes moving through to several Turkish Aerospace (TAI) projects, new naval soft-kill countermeasures, and a new avant-garde project known as the Digital Troops concept from Turkish company Havelsan. Interview- QinetiQ [32:10]Multimedia Journalist Noemi Distefano speaks to Jules Werner, Director of Business Development at QinetiQ Target Systems, to get the company perspective on some of the solutions that could help navies worldwide tackling swarm attacks. This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano  with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest 

In this episode of The Weekly Defence Podcast, we bring you a roundtable discussion on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan from a military angle; and, as IDEF 2021 takes place this week in Istanbul, we speak to FNSS to find out about its armoured vehicles on display. Newsround – Weekly highlights [1:26]The team highlights some of the main stories from the week, which include copy from IDEF 2021 and analysis of the key investments in procurement from the air, land and sea domains emerging from the recently released Italian defence budget proposal for 2021-2023. Deep dive – Debate on Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan [5:31] Multimedia Journalist Noemi Distefano, Air Editor Tim Martin, Senior Land Reporter Tim Fish, Senior Naval Reporter Harry Lye and Military Training Editor Trevor Nash engage in a debate on the collapse of Afghanistan to the Taliban. A military perspective focuses on the US and NATO legacy in the country, the change in procurement and counterinsurgency doctrine for NATO allies in the past 20 years, and the role of the UK and the US investment in training the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF).Industry Voice- FNSS on display at IDEF 2021 [53:33]Creative Director Tony Skinner is on the line with Douglas Jackson , Assistant General Manager at FNSS, to discuss the Pars IV 6x6 armoured vehicle and other capabilities the company is highlighting at IDEF 2021.

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, the team reports on the latest from the European defence industry, explores major stories from the Asia Pacific region and discusses the procurement of interoperable defence technologies in the Middle East.Newsround: [00:33]As it improves its capabilities under the Advanced Helicopter Training System programme, the USN has received an initial batch of 32 TH-73A Thrasher aircraft. German special forces could adopt up to 80 Mammoth modular vehicles from Dutch manufacturer Defenture. The UK Royal Navy is scoping out options for its next surface to surface guided weapons system, as highlighted in the UK Defence Command Paper to replace Harpoon.In FocusThe team looks at the latest on the UK Boxer platform, the modernisation of the US Army’s Gray Eagle UAS, and an overview of the Polish Navy Miecznik (Swordfish) programme.Deep Dive: News from the Asia Pacific [25:34]News Editor Ben Vogel is on the line with Shephard’s Asia Pacific Editor Gordon Arthur to look at the most recent defence developments in his region.Topics of conversations include an insight on China's ICBM silo building spree; considerations around the UK naval presence in Indo-Pacific segueing into Indian Navy Project 75I; a look at T-50 jet sales to Indonesia & Thailand.Industry Voice: The World Defense Show [48:13]Shephard's Tony Skinner speaks to Shaun Ormrod, CEO of World Defense Show, about how the Saudi Arabia-based event will further the development and procurement of interoperable defence technologies.This episode has been  produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing by Fred Prest.