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PODCAST

Contested Ground

Contested Ground exposes the complex and murky world of greyzone warfare, and how state and non-state actors vie for influence beneath the threshold of armed conflict. In our interconnected and globalised world, new opportunities have emerged for states to advance their interests within the global system. From cyber operations to disinformation campaigns, and from economic coercion to food security, join us as we navigate how state and non-state actors engage in this high-stakes game of power

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All Episodes

14:35

The nexus of national security, social cohesion and...

Contested Ground ·

2025/12/15

In this solemn episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper discuss the immediate aftermath of the Bondi Beach terror attack. The trio discuss the terrorist shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, Sydney, which resulted in at least 15 deaths and over 40 injuries. They also tackle the implications of the targeted anti-Semitic attack on Australia's intelligence and law enforcement community. The conversation then

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46:45

Australia's strategic crossroads and aspects of...

Contested Ground ·

2025/12/10

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by special guest Dr Ross Babbage, chief executive officer of Strategic Forum and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington DC. Together, the trio dive into Australia's rapidly shifting strategic landscape, the pressures shaping the US–Australia relationship, and the risks emerging across the Indo-Pacific as 2026 approaches

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29:30

Peace in sight but questions remain about future of...

Contested Ground ·

2025/11/26

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and new co-host, Steve Kuper, detail the intricacies of the proposed Russia–Ukraine peace deal announced by US President Donald Trump. The trio also unpack three emerging security issues: a proposed Russia–Ukraine peace deal, heightened Chinese activity in the northern Pacific, and suspected Russian sabotage operations in Europe. The peace proposal centres on a 30-day ceasefire, prisoner

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35:01

Hacktivists target ADF program, China counters...

Contested Ground ·

2025/11/14

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Liam Garman, and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack two unfolding challenges shaping Australia's strategic outlook, an Iran-linked cyber breach exposing sensitive defence data, and China's latest move to outmanoeuvre Canberra in the Pacific. The discussion opens with the major cyber breach linked to Iran-aligned actors, exposing sensitive information from Australian defence programs through vulnerabilities in overseas

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29:05

From PNG to Gaza – what’s defining Australia’s...

Contested Ground ·

2025/10/21

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Liam Garman, and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack how shifting defence alliances and Middle Eastern instability are reshaping national security. The conversation opens with Australia’s growing regional partnerships, including the Australia–Singapore cooperation agreement and the new defence pact with Papua New Guinea, and how they strengthen deterrence amid China’s rising Pacific influence. Thompson highlights the

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28:33

The information and financial risks to national unity

Contested Ground ·

2025/10/10

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Liam Garman, and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack how Australia’s shifting information and economic environment is deepening social rifts and reshaping national security. Tarrant opens with the housing debate, questioning whether allowing buyers into the market with just a 5 per cent deposit strengthens opportunity or fuels instability. Garman warns that financial strain on younger Australians could erode national

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24:47

Andrew Hastie on espionage, resilience, and the new...

Contested Ground ·

2025/09/12

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by the Honourable Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for home affairs, for a hard-hitting discussion on the shifting nature of Australia’s national security challenges. No longer confined to conventional defence or counter-terrorism, the security debate now spans economic sovereignty, industrial security, and social cohesion. Against the backdrop of recent revelations of Iranian espionage attempts on Australian soil, Hastie

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37:59

When information becomes the battlefield

Contested Ground ·

2025/09/03

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the escalating role of information warfare in today’s conflicts. From the mobile phone’s transformation into a weapon to the blurred lines between propaganda and “information operations”, the team dissects how truth itself has become contested ground. The conversation explores the challenges of navigating a “post-truth” world dominated by political tribalism, misinformation,

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32:07

CONTESTED GROUND: From housing to subs – the...

Contested Ground ·

2025/08/15

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman dissect the forces shaping Australia’s national security in an increasingly volatile world. From the shortage of tradespeople to the sustainability of the nuclear submarine program, the team explores how domestic economic realities – including the property market – intersect with defence capability. The conversation turns to the AUKUS arrangement, as Thompson questions whether

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48:41

Inside the information battlespace – how the creative...

Contested Ground ·

2025/08/08

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Phil Tarrant are joined by Simon Bergman, CEO of M+C Saatchi World Services, to unpack the evolving landscape of grey zone warfare and the role of creative industries in modern conflict. Drawing on decades of operational and commercial experience, Bergman explores how advertising expertise is being harnessed to support government information operations: crafting narratives, influencing audiences, and

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41:45

Regional flashpoints and economic headwinds –...

Contested Ground ·

2025/08/01

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the Cambodia–Thai military confrontation and Australia’s economic landscape. Tarrant and Thompson begin the podcast reflecting on Exercise Talisman Sabre, highlighting how the biennial drills continue to grow in scale and strategic significance with the involvement of multiple partner nations, the live-fire deployment of HIMARS systems, and the strengthening of

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25:28

TomorrowX’s disruptive approach to legacy system...

Contested Ground ·

2025/07/25

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman, editor of Cyber Daily, is joined by Kostas Siourthas, founder and CEO of TomorrowX; Rob Parker, partner at Deloitte; and cyber security leader Dr Marcus Thompson for an in-depth discussion on the future of data protection and innovation in the digital age. The episode was recorded at Deloitte’s Sydney headquarters, where the panel explored how TomorrowX is reimagining cyber security by focusing on the movement and protection of data –

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40:34

How Australia is walking the China and United States...

Contested Ground ·

2025/07/18

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the latest news and events contributing to national security in Australia. They begin the podcast discussing Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, including how important these kinds of joint military training activities are for the interoperability between Western nations and the certainty of covert surveillance being carried out by adversaries. The pair then discuss the recent visit to

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25:38

AUKUS, Middle East tensions, and Australia’s...

Contested Ground ·

2025/07/11

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson explore Australia’s readiness to meet its military needs and examine the country’s role amid a rapidly changing global landscape. They kick things off with a discussion on Commonwealth funding, before exploring the AUKUS agreement and whether its long-term success is at risk, especially in the context of political volatility in the US. Turning their attention to the Middle East, they

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34:02

CONTESTED GROUND: Australian sentenced to 13 years in...

Contested Ground ·

2025/06/02

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the latest from Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in India-Pakistan, and how diaspora groups are expanding conflict beyond country borders. They begin the podcast discussing Australian schoolteacher Oscar Jenkins, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison by Russia. The trio then discuss the India-Pakistan conflict, and how it has drawn in regional powers and diaspora

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43:14

A sit down with Tim Knight, author of Gallipoli Soup

Contested Ground ·

2025/05/12

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Liam Garman is joined by Tim Knight, author of the recently released book Gallipoli Soup, to discuss the Gallipoli campaign and how Knight used narrative to bring to life the challenges faced by both Australian and Turkish soldiers in World War I. The pair begin the podcast unpacking Knight’s research methodology, and how a passion for understanding led him to write Gallipoli Soup. They discuss how the book was written in a narrative format,

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31:28

Cyber war, global politics and the power of truth:...

Contested Ground ·

2025/04/25

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman discuss the application of cyber and information in the modern threat environment, and how the White House is changing voting behaviours across the West. They begin the podcast by unpacking Thomas Rid's Cyber War Will Not Take Place, discussing the intricacies of cyber operations and how cyber continues to adhere to the Clausewitzian principles describing the political and

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26:47

How to develop a culture of security in your business

Contested Ground ·

2025/04/17

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson discuss how businesses can build a culture of security in the modern work environment, protecting critical business IP. They begin the podcast with a short book review of Stephen Gapps' Uprising: War in the colony of New South Wales, unpacking conflict in colonial Australia – and in particular, the Second Wiradyuri War of Resistance. The conversation turns to information security and

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30:29

Heroism, warfare and Australia’s future – WWII...

Contested Ground ·

2025/04/04

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Phil Tarrant discuss the heroic actions of Australian soldiers in World War II, before turning to the big issues in the upcoming federal election. The pair begin the podcast discussing Joan Beaumont’s book, Gull Force, and the treatment of Australian prisoners of war on the islands of Ambon and Hainan. They then discuss the role of Australia’s Reserves in warfare, before unpacking the fundamental

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26:49

Alliance abandonment and realpolitik in global affairs

Contested Ground ·

2025/03/05

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the risk of alliance abandonment in the face of moves from the White House and their implications for a changing Asia-Pacific region. The podcast begins with an analysis into how fears of alliance abandonment have led to renewed commitments to national security collaboration between European powers. They then unpack whether “deal making” is a strong enough

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43 results

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