PODCAST: Defence industrial investment, Ghost Bat upgrades and Indonesia’s Gaza deployment

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Stephen Kuper is joined by Robert Dougherty and Bethany Alvaro to unpack major developments in defence innovation, autonomous air combat and shifting alliance dynamics.

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Stephen Kuper is joined by Robert Dougherty and Bethany Alvaro to unpack major developments in defence innovation, autonomous air combat and shifting alliance dynamics.

The discussion begins with the federal government’s proposed $500 million co-investment fund aimed at accelerating defence technologies, including artificial intelligence, cyber security, autonomous systems, electronic warfare and quantum capabilities.

Attention then turns to the US Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, where Shield AI will integrate its Hivemind autonomy software into Anduril Industries’ Fury aircraft.

 
 

Regionally, the team assesses Indonesia’s plan to contribute troops to a Gaza stabilisation force under diplomatic efforts led by President Donald Trump, and what it could mean for Australia’s own policy settings.

They also discuss confirmation that Papua New Guinea military personnel will receive Australian Combat Assault Rifles made by Thales Australia.

The episode concludes with analysis of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Munich Security Conference speech on allied burden-sharing, before finishing on a lighter note with new military working dog facilities at RAAF Base Tindal.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: THE PROGRESS REPORT: Direct hit over Baghdad – the pilot who outflew a surface-to-air missile
Episode 10: SPOTLIGHT: Subs may be the centrepiece – but infrastructure, workforce and sovereign capability will decide the outcome, with Stantec Australia’s Chris Waywell, Rob Sansbury and Robert Fogel
Episode 9: CONTESTED GROUND: Apathy, complacency and the ‘Lucky Country’, Australia’s predicament is entirely self-inflicted, with Ben Dullroy
Episode 8: SPECIAL EDITION PODCAST: 125 years of the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army
Episode 7: CONTESTED GROUND: Australian resilience during a crisis and sovereign industrial capability
Episode 6: CONTESTED GROUND: From Tehran to Sydney – why war could reshape Australian property
Episode 5: SPOTLIGHT: Inside Australia’s AUKUS industrial transformation, with Honeywell Aerospace Australia senior director Lee Davis
Episode 4: CONTESTED GROUND: War without borders – the disinformation threat arriving in Australia
Episode 3: THE PROGRESS REPORT: The mission to make military children visible
Episode 2: PODCAST: Righting the ship, balancing the force, with Senator James Paterson, shadow minister for defence