Defence & Security Podcast Network

Momentum Media

The Defence & Security Podcast Network hosts a unique series of podcasts, featuring discussions with key enablers from across the Australian defence and security industry. The podcasts provide the perfect blend of business intelligence and insights from a range of guests, which include government officials, ADF personnel, industry stakeholders, and members of the academic community. By aligning ourselves with the ADF and the Commonwealth government, we are uniquely placed to deliver a dynamic 360° platform that bridges the gap between the customer (Defence) and industry. We split our focus not just into the traditional sectors of Land (Army), Air (Air Force) and Sea (Navy), but into the six new Capability Streams: - Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare and Cyber - Key Enablers - Air and Sea Lift - Maritime and Anti-Submarine Warfare - Strike and Air Combat - Land Combat and Amphibious Warfare As Defence moves to ensure the Force Structure Review and the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence plans are met, Australian industry involvement is critical for mission success. The Defence & Security Podcast Network will provide you and your business with valuable lessons, tips and insights into the industry, putting your company in the best position to take part in the increased Defence spending. We'll cover every aspect of doing business in the defence industry, from the tender process to recruitment, success stories, access points to Defence, smart business strategies, and geopolitical insights. Subscribe to the Defence & Security Podcast Network and be part of this exciting and innovative industry.

  1. CONTESTED GROUND: Australia's sovereign capability reckoning – why the system is no longer fit for purpose

    5 hrs ago

    CONTESTED GROUND: Australia's sovereign capability reckoning – why the system is no longer fit for purpose

    Host Steve Kuper is joined by former navy logistician Dave Grosvenor and chair of the Gravity Group Steve Hayes for a wide-ranging discussion on Australia's sovereign capability, industrial resilience and the growing gap between strategic risk and national preparedness in this episode of the Contested Ground podcast. The conversation opens with a blunt assessment of Australia's strategic vulnerability, with the argument that it is no longer theoretical but "empirically established" through a growing body of evidence. The panel examines what concrete indicators – ranging from supply chain fragility to operational dependence on external partners – most clearly demonstrate this exposure, and why existing frameworks such as the Defence Strategic Review did not go far enough in diagnosing the scale of the challenge. A key theme is urgency. The guests argue that incremental reform and repeated reviews are insufficient, making a comprehensive national audit of sovereign capability essential now rather than later. They explore how wargaming outcomes and scenario analysis increasingly point to Australia's limited resilience in the face of prolonged disruption, particularly across critical supply chains and industrial dependencies. The discussion then turns to the structural limits of market-driven solutions. The panel outlines how market failures, foreign subsidies and competing international industrial strategies distort outcomes for Australian industry. They also unpack the "theory of the second best" in practical policy terms, arguing that partial reforms in a distorted global system can sometimes worsen outcomes rather than improve them. The debate extends to the real-world cost of inaction, framed not just in economic terms but in strategic and operational risk. Attention shifts to what a national audit would need to deliver, including whole-of-government visibility, cross-sector integration and measurable outcomes rather than another cyclical report. The guests stress the importance of avoiding bureaucratic capture and ensuring the process translates into actionable reform rather than analysis paralysis. The conversation then explores the policy tools available to government, including long-term procurement, sovereign industry funds, and strategic industrial zones. Particular focus is given to the most under-utilised levers in Australia's current policy toolkit and the skills gaps that continue to undermine sovereign capability ambitions. International comparisons feature prominently, with the Republic of Korea highlighted as the most relevant model for Australia. The panel discusses Korea's long-term policy consistency, export-driven industrial strategy and state-enabled industrial scaling while questioning how much of that approach is realistically transferable to the Australian context. Institutional reform is another focal point, with discussion of proposals for a dedicated Ministry of Sovereign Industry. The guests examine how such an institution might interact with Defence, Treasury and industry departments, and whether Australia can maintain continuity of strategy across electoral cycles without a dedicated anchor for sovereign capability policy. The episode also addresses public trust and communication challenges, emphasising the need for transparency in how sovereign risk is communicated to avoid unnecessary alarm while strengthening social cohesion and democratic engagement. Finally, the panel considers implementation realities – what can be achieved within a single parliamentary term, how bipartisan consensus might be built, and the respective roles of states, territories and private capital in delivering large-scale industrial transformation. In closing, the discussion returns to first principles: what motivated the push for a national audit, how lived experience in procurement and logistics shapes the analysis, and what success would look like for Australia if it meaningfully closes its sovereign capability gap over the next decade. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

    43 min
  2. Defence export ambitions, drone technology and defence manufacturing hubs

    11 hrs ago

    Defence export ambitions, drone technology and defence manufacturing hubs

    Questions remain around how Australia can grow sovereign capability while responding to evolving strategic challenges. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Stephen Kuper, Robert Dougherty and Bethany Alvaro discuss a busy week across defence and industry, including Australia's record $2.5 billion defence export deal with Canada and what it means for future international partnerships. The discussion explores changing geopolitical dynamics, Arctic security and how middle powers are reshaping defence and economic relationships. Attention then turns to emerging drone opportunities, including Ukrainian manufacturers expanding into Australia and DroneShield's push into European counter-drone markets. The team also examines Western Australia's ambition to establish new defence manufacturing hubs and discusses Electro Optic Systems' latest counter-drone export successes and the challenges of building sovereign industrial capability. Rounding out the episode, the panel looks ahead to LAND Forces 2026 and the technologies expected to shape the future of Army modernisation. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

    19 min
  3. PODCAST: Offshore manufacturing, defence procurement and industrial resilience, with Philippe Odouard and David McLaughlin

    1 day ago

    PODCAST: Offshore manufacturing, defence procurement and industrial resilience, with Philippe Odouard and David McLaughlin

    How can Australia strengthen sovereign industrial capability while building a sustainable and globally competitive defence manufacturing sector? In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Philippe Odouard, former CEO of XTEK (now HighCom) and Quickstep, alongside David McLaughlin, co-founder and chief technology officer of 3D scanning technology company Bodd. Odouard brings extensive experience across Australian and international defence manufacturing, including leadership roles in aerospace, body armour production and major defence capability programs. McLaughlin brings experience in innovative advanced body scanning, equipment fitting and human performance data systems with applications across defence and commercial sectors. The podcast conversation includes the following topics: Industry perspectives on the National Defence Strategy 2026 and whether sovereign capability ambitions are being matched by procurement reform. Lessons from Australian defence industry success stories, such as F-35 supply chain participation, protected mobility vehicles and guided weapons manufacturing. The commercial realities behind onshore versus offshore manufacturing decisions and why Australian companies expand into international markets. How dual-use technologies are helping defence SMEs survive long procurement cycles and diversify revenue streams. Debate surrounding local content requirements, sovereign industrial policy and government willingness to support emerging capability. Strategies for Australian companies seeking entry into US and allied defence supply chains. Finally, the discussion wraps up by examining what policymakers can do immediately to support innovation, strengthen industrial resilience and ensure Australian defence capability is translated into long-term sovereign outcomes. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

    57 min
  4. CYBER UNCUT: Anthropic blocks Fable 5, Mackay Sugar tackles cyber attack, and the AFP gets tough on cyber crime

    4 days ago

    CYBER UNCUT: Anthropic blocks Fable 5, Mackay Sugar tackles cyber attack, and the AFP gets tough on cyber crime

    This week, Cyber Uncut looks at the launch – and the blocking – of Anthropic's latest AI models, a raft of cyber attacks on Aussie organisations, and praises the Australian Federal Police for its work at home and abroad. AI giant Anthropic had a tough week recently. It launched its most advanced AI model yet, only to have the US government force it to block access. Cyber Daily's David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft work through what happened and its implications for organisations in the Asia-Pacific region. And it's been a tough week – a tough month, really, for cyber criminals targeting Australian entities, and even government bodies, both state and federal, were not immune. But it also seems some cyber criminals may have been exaggerating just a little bit. Find out what happened to the NSW government and the Australian Productivity Commission – and how it impacted Aussie journalists! Finally, the AFP has been very busy, assisting in an international takedown operation targeting vital criminal infrastructure and working with Five Eyes law enforcement agencies to combat organised cyber crime groups targeting vulnerable youth. Just another week in cyber security. Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

    44 min

  5. 19 June

    SPOTLIGHT: Cyber warfare, autonomy and the future of defence, with Palo Alto Networks' Tom Scully and MAJ GEN (Ret'd) John Davis

    How is artificial intelligence changing the world of modern defence operations, cyber security and military decision making? In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Palo Alto Networks' Tom Scully, director and principal architect for government and critical industries Asia-Pacific and Japan, and US Army Major General (Ret'd) John Davis, vice president of public sector. The discussion explores how AI is accelerating change across defence and cyber operations, from autonomous systems and edge computing through to intelligence, trust and decision making. Scully and Davis also examine the growing role of commercial innovation in national security and the need to secure AI-enabled capabilities from the outset. The podcast conversation includes the following topics: The growing use of AI, autonomy and edge computing in defence operations. How cyber threats are evolving through AI-enabled speed, scale and sophistication. Why governments are increasingly adopting commercial technology and industry innovation. The importance of identity, zero trust and secure AI-by-design frameworks. Challenges around trust, governance and human oversight in AI-enabled decision making. The role of public-private partnerships in strengthening cyber resilience. Finally, the conversation examines how defence leaders can prepare for the next generation of conflict while ensuring AI remains secure, trusted and operationally effective. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Spotlight team

    41 min
  6. CONTESTED GROUND: Fortune favours the bold – building a national security strategy for the 21st century, with Marc Ablong

    15 June

    CONTESTED GROUND: Fortune favours the bold – building a national security strategy for the 21st century, with Marc Ablong

    When Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced a Coalition government would develop and implement a national security strategy, many shouted, "Finally!", but delivering a strategy that is fit for purpose is more political than most would think.   Since the release of the nation's first whole-of-nation national security strategy in 2013, successive Australian governments have sought to mask the nation's lack of preparedness with individual but isolated strategies from across government.   Championed tirelessly but ultimately unsuccessfully by the late Jim Molan, a national security strategy has often been viewed as solely the remit of a narrow clique of public policy professionals with access to security briefings and the levers of power.   But as host Steve Kuper and geostrategic analyst Marc Ablong unpack, a truly encompassing, whole-of-nation national security strategy presents immense opportunities not just for the nation but also for the political party that recognises the challenges we face need to be overcome.   This conversation comes at a time when political upheaval, atomisation and social cohesion continue to challenge established and insurgent political movements at home and across the broader Western world.   The pair discuss the immense opportunity for the political party that understands and develops a strategy incorporating a distinct and inescapable but seemingly forgotten factor: national security begins with the individual.   They discuss just what makes a "good" national security strategy in the modern context, the lessons Australia can learn from the Scandinavian nations, the United States and other like-minded countries that have recognised the challenges and opportunities presented by the return of multipolar, great power competition.   Finally, they discuss a question, only just starting to re-emerge in the public and political consciousness: "What sort of country do we want Australia to be?"   Enjoy the podcast,  The Contested Ground team

    41 min
  7. CYBER UNCUT: ThreatLocker's Emile Barakat talks Essential Eight, cyber policy, and security as a human challenge

    15 June

    CYBER UNCUT: ThreatLocker's Emile Barakat talks Essential Eight, cyber policy, and security as a human challenge

    ThreatLocker's APAC director of operations, Emile Barakat, joins Cyber Daily's David Hollingworth to discuss what makes the Essential Eight so essential, the federal government's budget spend on cyber security, and the Australian outlook on cyber crime and why it happens here. This week on the Cyber Uncut podcast, Cyber Daily deputy editor David Hollingworth speaks with Emile Barakat, the head of cyber security firm ThreatLocker's operations in the Asia-Pacific region. ThreatLocker – and its boss, Danny Jenkins – is a big fan of Australia's Essential Eight cyber security standard, but what really makes that tick, and why is it so important? The pair discuss just why it's one of the gold standards of cyber protection and why other countries should take note. Then it's time to consider this year's budget and the role of government in securing businesses, economies, and consumers in a world of growing cyber threats. Finally, Hollingworth and Barakat get to grips with the local threat landscape and the human challenges of cyber security. "Typically, an organisation will run security awareness training every quarter. Some will do it less frequently, unfortunately," Barakat says. "Even with that training, you'll see compromises and, at times, the same employees make the same mistakes." Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

    21 min
  8. Developing Australia's ability to take a hit and keep fighting, with the honourable Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability

    12 June

    Developing Australia's ability to take a hit and keep fighting, with the honourable Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability

    Many critics often describe Australia's glaring lack of industrial and economic complexity as a major national security challenge, while others see it as a glass jaw impacting our ability to sustain ourselves in a fight or crisis. So, what is needed? This glaring gap in our national resilience and survivability has increasingly figured in commentary and analysis as the Indo-Pacific emerges as the epicentre of the 21st century's great game between great powers. Increasingly, this issue has also figured strongly in our broader conversations with allies, most notably the United States, which is demanding that allies lift their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP. Of that total, 3.5 per cent should be spent on military capabilities and the remaining 1.5 per cent on "enabling capabilities", including industrial capacity and infrastructure. With Australia's defence spending in the crosshairs in more ways than one, shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability Andrew Hastie has ramped up his advocacy for Australia to reindustrialise to better enhance its national resilience and long-term economic and industrial capability and competitiveness. Following his recent Anzac oration address to the University of Melbourne's Robert Menzies Institute, Hastie spoke with host Steve Kuper. The pair unpack the unique and intimate relationship between the US and Australia from the perspective of a special forces operator and how that relates to what the United States is now asking of us. As part of this conversation, they discuss the need for a more considered industrial policy, unpacking the key hurdles that are limiting our industrial and economic competitiveness on the global stage and the pressures being faced by the allied industrial base. The pair also unpack the economic and political opportunities that come from being a nation that, as Hastie describes, "makes things again" and how successive Australian governments have failed to capitalise on these opportunities to boost productivity, competitiveness and industrial capacity. Additionally, they examine models of success, what Australia can learn from friends and foes alike, and embracing serious, considered and agile economic reform, including building and rewarding a more risk-accepting culture as a means of propelling the nation forward and finally breaking the shackles of the cultural dominance of tall poppy syndrome. Finally, they also discuss an important and often overlooked question, with Hastie asking: "What sort of country do we want to be?" Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

    31 min
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4.4
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About

The Defence & Security Podcast Network hosts a unique series of podcasts, featuring discussions with key enablers from across the Australian defence and security industry. The podcasts provide the perfect blend of business intelligence and insights from a range of guests, which include government officials, ADF personnel, industry stakeholders, and members of the academic community. By aligning ourselves with the ADF and the Commonwealth government, we are uniquely placed to deliver a dynamic 360° platform that bridges the gap between the customer (Defence) and industry. We split our focus not just into the traditional sectors of Land (Army), Air (Air Force) and Sea (Navy), but into the six new Capability Streams: - Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare and Cyber - Key Enablers - Air and Sea Lift - Maritime and Anti-Submarine Warfare - Strike and Air Combat - Land Combat and Amphibious Warfare As Defence moves to ensure the Force Structure Review and the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence plans are met, Australian industry involvement is critical for mission success. The Defence & Security Podcast Network will provide you and your business with valuable lessons, tips and insights into the industry, putting your company in the best position to take part in the increased Defence spending. We'll cover every aspect of doing business in the defence industry, from the tender process to recruitment, success stories, access points to Defence, smart business strategies, and geopolitical insights. Subscribe to the Defence & Security Podcast Network and be part of this exciting and innovative industry.

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