ASPI Podcast: Policy, Guns & Money The Australian Strategic Policy Institute

In this special episode, Justin Bassi speaks with Richard Fontaine and Lisa Curtis from the Center for a New American Security, and Alessio Patalano from King’s College London, about the strategic imperatives and future challenges of AUKUS.
With the AUKUS optimal submarine pathway now unveiled, there are big plans, big promises, and a lot of work to do. Why do we need AUKUS? How do we improve information-sharing while reducing barriers to technology cooperation? How do we integrate our defence industries which are more accustomed to competing than cooperating? What are the opportunities for additional partners, including the Quad? And how is all this being explained to the public?
To dissect these questions and more, ASPI has been holding a trilateral AUKUS dialogue in Washington DC with CNAS and KCL’s Centre for Grand Strategy. Guests (in order of appearance):
Justin Bassi, executive director of ASPI - https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/justin-bassi; Richard Fontaine, CEO, CNAS - https://www.cnas.org/people/richard-fontaine; Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director, Indo-Pacific Security Program - https://www.cnas.org/people/lisa-curtis; Alessio Patalano, Professor of War & Strategy in East Asia, KCL - https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-alessio-patalano

Rodeo Drive by Eazy, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

After the long-awaited AUKUS submarines announcement, ASPI director Bec Shrimpton and senior analyst Malcolm Davis give their analysis of the decisions unveiled in San Diego on Tuesday AEDT.

In conversation with David Wroe, Bec and Malcolm give their views on the role nuclear submarines can play in deterrence, the cost of the program weighed against the potential costs of underinvesting in defence, the need for an overhaul in skills-creation, the risks to AUKUS of information-sharing paralysis and future political headwinds, and the merits of the phased approach to the introduction of AUKUS submarines.

Guests (in order of appearance):
- David Wroe: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/david-wroe
- Bec Shrimpton: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/bec-shrimpton
- Dr Malcolm Davis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/malcolm-davis

Music: "Just Wondering" by Maarten Schellekens, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

This week, Brendan Nicholson talks to a stellar panel of guests about the future of peacekeeping and women, peace and security.

We have United Nations Military Advisor General Birame Diop, the highest-ranking military officer in the UN’s peace-keeping operations

Former Force Commander of UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Australian Major-General Cheryl Pearce and Australia’s Defence Attache to the United Nations, Group Captain Jarrod Pendlebury.

The panel discusses the evolving challenges to peacekeeping operations, including cyber threats, misinformation and disinformation, and how the UN is adapting to the changing threat landscape. They also talk about progress on the women, peace and security agenda, the particular skills that women bring to peacekeeping operations and the critical role women can play in peace negotiations.

Guests (in order of appearance):
- General Birame Diop. https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/profiles/general-birame-diop
- Major-General Cheryl Pearce. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Pearce
- Group Captain Jarrod Pendlebury. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrod-pendlebury-1532ab160/

Image: via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brigadier_General_Vivek_Tyagi_interacting_with_Nepalese_female_peacekeepers_during_his_visit_to_Beni.jpg

Music: "Long Walk" by Ketsa, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

Governments and industry are constantly innovating in the space sector, but as space becomes increasingly contested and congested, there is a need to ensure the space domain is secure – something that will be central to discussions at ASPI’s Sydney Dialogue on 4-5 April. Bec Shrimpton speaks to HEO Robotics’ Dr Will Crowe about the opportunities in space and the potential for Australia in the global space economy.

How is climate change affecting food security in Australia and across the globe? Dr Robert Glasser speaks to ANU’s Robyn Alders about food security – what it is, why it matters and how Australia can work with international partners towards achieving global food security.

Guests (in order of appearance):
Bec Shrimpton: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/bec-shrimpton
Dr Will Crowe: https://www.heo-robotics.com/about-us
Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser
Dr Robyn Alders: https://researchprofiles.anu.edu.au/en/persons/robyn-alders

Music: "Just Wondering" by Maarten Schellekens, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

One year on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, David Wroe asks Paul Dibb, Emeritus Professor of strategic studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, how Russia’s war in Ukraine will play out in the coming months. They discuss Putin’s calculations and the durability of support from the West, as well as the implications of Russia’s suspension of the New START Treaty and the Russia-China relationship.

Dr Alex Bristow speaks to Walter Russell Mead, Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute and James Clarke Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and Humanities at Bard College, about the US approach to foreign policy. They discuss where Australia sits on the list of US priorities, US thinking around Russia’s war on Ukraine and global support for Ukraine.

Guests (in order of appearance):
David Wroe: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/david-wroe
Paul Dibb: https://researchprofiles.anu.edu.au/en/persons/paul-dibb
Alex Bristow: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/dr-alex-bristow
Walter Russell Mead: https://www.hudson.org/experts/1038-walter-russell-mead

Image: "Ukraine War" via PublicDomainPictures.net
Music: Music: "Just Wondering" by Maarten Schellekens, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

Baani Grewal speaks to Ashok Malik, Partner and Chair of the India Practice at The Asia Group and ASPI Visiting Fellow. They discuss India’s foreign policy under Modi, including its relationships with the West, and China and Russia; and developments in the Australia-India relationship, including why it’s significant that the Raisina Dialogue is coming to Sydney.

The information domain is critical in warfare, and given the rapid developments of technology, it is increasingly weaponised by adversaries. Dr Jake Wallis asks Janis Sarts, Director of the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, how NATO and like-minded countries such as Australia are faring in combating disinformation, and whether there is a model for deterrence in the information domain.

Bec Shrimpton speaks to Netherlands Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Marcel de Vink about geopolitics and Australia-Netherlands collaboration. Bec asks the Vice Minister about the global implications of Russia’s war on Ukraine, NATO’s approach to international security and the need to develop social resilience.

Guests (in order of appearance):
Baani Grewal: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/baani-grewal
Ashok Malik: https://theasiagroup.com/team/ashok-malik/
Dr Jake Wallis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/jacob-wallis
Janis Sarts: https://stratcomcoe.org/employees
Bec Shrimpton: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/bec-shrimpton
Marcel de Vink

Music: "Phychic" by Ketsa, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk