SPOTLIGHT: Driving forward Australia’s maritime capability, with Sir Nick Hine

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, Sir Nick Hine, Babcock’s managing director AUKUS and international and the United Kingdom’s former Second Sea Lord, joins host Liam Garman to examine Babcock’s Arrowhead frigate – and how the Arrowhead, the base design of the UK’s Type 31 frigate, addresses a range of issues facing today’s navies.

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, Sir Nick Hine, Babcock’s managing director AUKUS and international and the United Kingdom’s former Second Sea Lord, joins host Liam Garman to examine Babcock’s Arrowhead frigate – and how the Arrowhead, the base design of the UK’s Type 31 frigate, addresses a range of issues facing today’s navies.

  • The podcast begins unpacking how Babcock is actively supporting the AUKUS agenda, before detailing the myriad of problems facing Australian and allied navies including the price and availability of platforms.
  • Sir Nick then details how the Arrowhead offers a lower cost, quicker to build and reduced crewed solution that relies on modularity.
  • The pair wrap up the podcast discussing how the company is collaborating with navies across the world including Poland and Indonesia, and how the capability can be adapted to their unique needs without risking requirement creep.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Team

Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 522: PODCAST: Threats, theatre and tariffs in Trump’s world, with the Defence Connect team
Episode 521: CONTESTED GROUND: Regaining the qualitative advantage
Episode 520: CONTESTED GROUND: What’s in store for 2025? Part 2
Episode 519: PODCAST: Boosting women’s involvement in defence industry, with Rachel Falzon, Women in Defence Association
Episode 518: SPOTLIGHT: Delivering a sovereign small arms and load carriage capability, with Aquaterro’s Graeme Bulte
Episode 517: PODCAST: Royal Australian Navy minehunters’ new purpose after service, with Frank van der Linde
Episode 516: CONTESTED GROUND: What’s in store for 2025?
Episode 515: PODCAST: Building a robust, fit for purpose ADF, with Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh MP
Episode 514: CONTESTED GROUND: What Trump’s Panama Canal comments mean for maritime law
Episode 513: SPOTLIGHT: How AIR 6500 will defend Australia’s shores, with Lockheed Martin Australia’s Liam Catterson

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