Defence & Security Podcast Network

24:15

CONTESTED GROUND: Is Australia slowly regulating away...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/16

Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson examine the growing debate over Australia's economic direction, drawing on Chris Uhlmann's recent article in The Australian on the "Argentinisation" of Australia. They unpack the risks posed by weak productivity, rising regulation, higher costs, and falling investment – and ask what sustained economic underperformance could mean for housing, business confidence, and the nation's broader strategic strength. Because if Australia enters an

en

34:56

SPOTLIGHT: Building an integrated ADF through cloud...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/15

Australia's emerging defence technology priorities will only deliver their full potential if they are integrated into a broader operational framework connecting platforms, people, data and decision making, according to Microsoft global defence and intelligence solutions manager Jonathon Beesley and Atturra defence lead Richard Campbell, chief executive officer of SME Gateway. The 2026 Defence Innovation, Science and Technology Strategy identifies long-range fires and hypersonics, high-energy

en

36:02

Australia's defence procurement is narrowing and...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/11

Australia's defence industry faces a period of growing consolidation and uncertainty, how is past procurement impacting national security of the future? Speaking with Defence Connect news editor Robert Dougherty, 127 East Advisory director Colin Storey, a former head of growth at Raytheon and Royal Australian Navy patrol boat navigator, discusses his analysis of major defence contracts awarded over the past decade and what the data reveals about Australia's defence industrial base. Storey's

en

34:47

Australia's UGV dilemma and why land autonomy remains...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/10

Australia's push to develop autonomous ground systems has delivered promising prototypes and live-fire demonstrations, but land-based autonomy remains outside the Australian Defence Force's current priorities. Speaking with news editor Robert Dougherty, Sightline Intelligence managing director Stephen Bornstein discusses the challenges facing Australia's emerging uncrewed ground vehicles sector and the growing importance of low-cost autonomous systems. Cyborg Dynamics Engineering's Warfighter UGV

en

46:56

CYBER UNCUT: AI is forcing banks to rethink...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/08

AI is pushing financial institutions to modernise, but the answer is not to replace everything. Banks should focus on the technology, data, and processes that directly support business outcomes. AI is putting modernisation back on the executive agenda as legacy systems increasingly limit banks' ability to adopt AI, access data in real time, and respond to regulatory and resilience demands. Atos executives Dee Lawler and Matthew Hughes argue modernisation is now a business issue, not simply a

en

34:27

SPOTLIGHT: Building resilience against...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/08

Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, AI enabled and difficult to attribute, creating growing risks for Australia's defence networks, critical infrastructure and broader economy, according to Glenn Maiden, chief security officer and director of threat intelligence for Australia and New Zealand at Fortinet. The cyber threat landscape is increasingly blurring the lines between state-sponsored actors, cyber criminals and issue-motivated groups. For Defence, cyber operations offer

en

46:56

CYBER UNCUT: AI is forcing banks to rethink...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/08

AI is pushing financial institutions to modernise, but the answer is not to replace everything. Banks should focus on the technology, data, and processes that directly support business outcomes. AI is putting modernisation back on the executive agenda as legacy systems increasingly limit banks' ability to adopt AI, access data in real time, and respond to regulatory and resilience demands. Atos executives Dee Lawler and Matthew Hughes argue modernisation is now a business issue, not simply a

en

39:23

CYBER UNCUT: Big 4 banks back local AI, NSW Health...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/07

Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth break down the essential AI and security news of the week, from sovereign capability to cyber crime, and fighting property scams. Hollingworth and Croft open the podcast with a breakdown of why Australian banks are standing up a new partnership program to promote the growth and adoption of local AI innovators – and explain why it's an important step in Australia's AI journey. At the same time, NSW has said it is taking steps to combat the rise of AI in classrooms

en

34:48

SPOTLIGHT: Quantum technology could reshape...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/04

Quantum technology could become a major force multiplier for Australia's future defence capabilities, according to Kendy Hau, head of defence at Fujitsu Australia, and Mahesh Krishnan, chief technology officer for Australia and New Zealand at Fujitsu Australia. Quantum technology spans three key areas: quantum sensing, quantum communications, and quantum computing, each at different stages of maturity and offering distinct opportunities for Defence. For Defence, the opportunity extends beyond

en

39:27

Digital engineering, GWEO, and the future of guided...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/03

How can digital engineering help Australia deliver faster, more capable, guided weapons programs? In this special episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, news editor Robert Dougherty is joined by Dan Christie, chief technology officer and CEO of Australian Missile Corporation (AMC), and Pierre Marchadier, vice president of value engagement industry consultant at Dassault Systèmes. The pair discuss AMC's new partnership with Dassault Systèmes and how model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is

en

32:15

CONTESTED GROUND: Is Australia's political discontent...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/02

A dramatic political shift in Western Australia has put the major parties on notice and raised a much bigger question: what happens to Australia's national resilience when voters stop trusting the institutions that govern them? Hosts Phillip Tarrant and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson examine the rise of populism in Australia and why growing political polarisation, cost-of-living pressures and economic frustration should be viewed through a national security lens. They unpack the erosion

en

33:50

SPOTLIGHT: The hidden defence advantage of...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/09/01

Australia's commercial logistics network could become one of its greatest defence advantages, according to Steve Roughsedge, senior vice-president of Theatre Supply Chain within the government and defence division of Toll Group. The shift from peacetime efficiency to resilience is already reshaping how the Australian Defence Force thinks about logistics. Australia's vast distances, limited transport corridors and vulnerability to weather disruption create challenges that cannot be solved simply by

en

39:09

CYBER UNCUT: AI advice woes, Aussie auto dealers...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/31

Join David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft for this week's round-up of cyber security and artificial intelligence news! The pair kick things off with the startling revelation that young Australians are turning to AI for their financial advice, as cost-of-living pressures bite. Can AI help get your finances in line? The jury is very definitely out. Then it's on to the impact of cyber crime on Australian businesses, with a relative newcomer ransomware groups targeting Aussie car and automotive dealers

en

24:39

The broad church – why Pine Gap remains the focal...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/27

Recent public backlash over the suspected involvement of Pine Gap in the ongoing conflict with Iran has once again raised concerns about Australia's sovereignty, its status as an "imperial" province or valued partner and the future of Pine Gap and other US bases in the country. The 300-person gathering at Pine Gap in Alice Springs signals a periodic spike rather than a structural acceleration of Australia's anti-bases movement, according to Dr Nicole Townsend, war studies lecturer and director of

en

38:36

SPOTLIGHT: From assembly to manufacturing – how Port...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/25

Port Wakefield is not a replica of Camden. This distinction matters enormously. James Heading, director and general manager for missiles and fire control at Lockheed Martin Australia, has spent 18 months driving that message home to critics who dismiss the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System operation as mere assembly. The risk reduction activity that concluded with successful live-fire testing earlier this year was never about final-form production. It was methodical de-risking: importing weapons

en

24:12

CYBER UNCUT: s your Microsoft 365 tenant really...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/24

Microsoft 365 is the backbone of many Australian businesses – but are organisations doing enough to secure the platform itself? Tune in to David Hollingworth and CoreView's vice president of APAC sales, Andrew McAllister, as they tackle the risks and what businesses can do to build genuine resilience. Microsoft 365 may be ubiquitous, but that doesn't mean it is secure by default. Hollingworth and McAllister explore the often-overlooked risks lurking in tenant configurations, administrative

en

17:03

Drones over Williamtown, radar exports and...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/21

How can Australia strengthen the protection of critical defence infrastructure while navigating the modern drone-heavy environment? In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Stephen Kuper and Robert Dougherty unpack a series of developments across Australia's defence and national security landscape, including drone incursions over RAAF Base Williamtown, the expansion of Australia's first-person view drone capabilities, major defence industry partnerships and emerging opportunities for

en

36:23

SPOTLIGHT: Cyber loyal wingmen – how frontier AI...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/20

An adversary's numerical advantage is something Australia faces across all domains, but the cyber domain is one area where Australia can offset that advantage, building true asymmetric capabilities. The cyber battlespace has undergone a step change with the arrival of frontier AI models. What took penetration testers two years to accomplish, Tom Scully from Palo Alto Networks completed in three weeks when paired with Claude's Mythos model. That compression has collapsing vulnerability windows and

en

37:13

SPOTLIGHT: Building Australia's missing middle – how...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/18

Australia's 2026 Defence Industry Development Strategy (DIDS) signals a significant shift in how Defence acquires capability, moving beyond traditional procurement models towards earlier collaboration with industry and a greater focus on innovation, software and continuous capability development. The 2026 Defence Industry Development Strategy marks a doctrinal shift in how Australia approaches defence acquisition: rather than locking capability requirements and then inviting industry to bid, Defence

en

24:11

CYBER UNCUT: Why cyber security's basics still matter...

Defence & Security Podcast Network ·

2026/08/17

Malicious browser extensions, AI-powered phishing, and the evolution of Australia's Essential Eight are all putting renewed focus on proactive cyber defence. Hear ThreatLocker's lead cyber security engineer, Kieran Human, explain why organisations need to get the basics right before attackers get the chance to exploit them. Malicious browser extensions are giving attackers another route into corporate environments, with phishing campaigns tricking users into installing tools capable of running

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

While We Still Can

Tina Langland and Lisa Rollison

I - On Defense Podcast

I - On Defense

Ones Ready

Aaron Love, Trent Seegmiller, and Jared...

Command and Control

Peter Roberts

The Access:VFX Podcast

ACCESS:VFX