SPOTLIGHT: Mission engineering – a missing piece of the capability puzzle, with Downer’s Rachel Hatton and Nathan Rickard

Have you picked up on the rising swell of interest in mission engineering? In this episode, Rachel Hatton, Downer Professional Services’ Head of Mission Engineering, and Nathan Rickard, Technical Director, join Liam Garman to help demystify mission engineering, explaining why it has become a hot topic and what industry need to know.

Have you picked up on the rising swell of interest in mission engineering? In this episode, Rachel Hatton, Downer Professional Services’ Head of Mission Engineering, and Nathan Rickard, Technical Director, join Liam Garman to help demystify mission engineering, explaining why it has become a hot topic and what industry need to know.

  • The trio begin the podcast unpacking how making projects and platforms “king” in the capability life cycle has resulted in a force that isn’t fit for purpose in the new strategic context, suggesting a paradigm shift that prioritises evidence-based decision making and a ‘top-down’ approach.
  • Hatton and Rickard explain the what, how and why of mission engineering, and its critical role in delivering capability at speed and on budget while ensuring that Defence is building the right things to enable key mission outcomes.
  • The team talk about mission engineering’s evolution within the U.S. Department of Defence, and wraps up with an analysis of how mission engineering will be pivotal to delivering the strategic imperatives outlined in the Defence Strategic Review.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 526: PODCAST: Getting our naval force structure right, with Jennifer Parker
Episode 525: CONTESTED GROUND: The expanding world of state-sponsored cyber warfare
Episode 524: SPOTLIGHT: Training – key to the National Defence Strategy, with CAE’s James Digges
Episode 523: PODCAST: Unpacking the impacts of a disruptive new US Defense secretary
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

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