Defence & Security Podcast Network

How do you build an inclusive, adaptable and capable Australian Defence Force through leadership, lifelong learning and the experiences that shape military careers?

Royal Australian Navy Commander Melanie Lennard shares her journey from studying sports science at university to a 17-year career in the Royal Australian Navy, including operational deployments to South Sudan and the leadership lessons that have shaped her professional development.

In this episode of The Progress Report, former news editor Steve Kuper sits down with CMDR Lennard to discuss her experiences as a female naval officer and how the Navy has evolved to create greater opportunities for women across the ADF.

The pair also explore the role of formal and informal mentoring in developing the next generation of military leaders, the importance of continuous professional development, and how learning from colleagues, operational experiences and international partners can shape leadership approaches.

Beyond leadership and diversity, CMDR Lennard reflects on her deployments to South Sudan in support of a United Nations mission, the challenges of working alongside more than 60 nations, and the perspective these experiences provide on Australia's security, freedoms and way of life.

The conversation also examines the opportunities emerging from Navy's modernisation, the potential for career changes and further study while serving, and the importance of sharing positive stories about the people serving in the ADF.

The Progress Report. New voices. Real stories. Big shifts.

Enjoy the podcast, The Progress Report team

NIOA Group is expanding its role in Australia's munitions manufacturing sector amid growing global demand, supply chain constraints and the need to strengthen domestic defence industrial capability.

Speaking with Defence Connect news editor Robert Dougherty at Land Forces 2026, NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa discusses the company's growing role as a prime contractor, its partnerships with the Australian government and international industry, and efforts to expand domestic production of artillery ammunition, explosives and other munitions.

The conversation also explores global ammunition shortages, the strategic and economic benefits of sovereign manufacturing, proximity-fused warheads for counter-drone systems, and the challenges of establishing a sustainable Australian munitions industrial base.

Nioa also shares his views on future small arms requirements for the Australian Defence Force and the potential timeline for replacing the F88 Austeyr service rifle.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Electro Optic Systems is showcasing a range of counter-uncrewed aerial systems technology and a new EOS Interceptor at Land Forces 2026 in Perth.

Speaking with Defence Connect, EOS executive vice president Lee Kormany discusses several of the company's latest announcements, counter-drone treads internationally, domestic manufacturing and the increasing global shortages in proximity fuse ammunition used against drones.

The conversation also explores EOS' focus on remote weapon systems and how the company continues to expand its presence across Australia and international markets.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Information has always shaped power and influence – but in the age of artificial intelligence, the speed, scale and sophistication with which narratives can be created and deployed has changed dramatically.

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson explore how the tradecraft of information warfare is increasingly intersecting with the commercial world, and why influence, narrative and information advantages are becoming critical strategic capabilities for modern businesses.

They unpack the parallels – and important differences – between military information operations and commercial competition, from shaping perceptions and gaining decision superiority to defending against misinformation and responding to crises at speed.

With AI now enabling highly targeted content to be created in hours rather than weeks, Tarrant and Thompson examine what this means for business leaders, why communications can no longer be left solely to marketing teams, and why organisations need the people, systems and strategy to compete in an information environment moving faster than ever before.

SIG Sauer's newly unveiled P385 pistol makes its international debut at Land Forces 2026 in Perth, with Australian defence company Aquaterro showcasing the new weapon alongside the M8 carbine. Speaking with Defence Connect, Aquaterro founder and managing director Graeme Bulte discusses the P385's capabilities, its compatibility with the existing P320 magazine and what the new pistol could mean for Australian defence and law enforcement users.

The conversation also explores Australia's growing SIG Sauer ecosystem, including the Australian Defence Force's F9 P320 sidearm and Aquaterro's recently signed Defence contract covering the supply, support and sustainment of SIG technologies.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Team

How are global electronics shortages, AI-driven demand and counterfeit components reshaping Australia's defence supply chain Speaking with Defence Connect Spotlight news editor Robert Dougherty, Astute Group marketing director Mark Shanley, IntelliDesign head of business development Frank Harrington and Moog Australia director of industry development Neil Fitzpatrick discuss the challenges facing defence manufacturers as component shortages, price volatility and extended lead times continue to disrupt critical programs.

The panel examines how AI-fuelled demand for high-bandwidth memory and other semiconductor components is placing unprecedented pressure on global supply chains, driving higher prices and longer procurement timelines.

The conversation explores the growing threat of counterfeit electronic components entering defence supply chains, highlighting the importance of rigorous testing, traceability, quality assurance and international standards to protect mission-critical systems.

The guests also discuss how collaboration between primes, SMEs and trusted distribution partners can reduce supply chain risk while maintaining capability.

Looking ahead, Shanley, Harrington and Fitzpatrick discuss strengthening Australia's sovereign defence industry through greater supply chain resilience, improved counterfeit awareness, export readiness and closer alignment with international defence procurement standards to support AUKUS and future global defence opportunities.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Spotlight team

Cyber Uncut returns with an AI hacking incident at Medicare, ransomware drama, banking breaches, and the surprisingly serious security lessons from getting AI "drunk".

Would you let an AI agent apply for a loan on your behalf?

New research suggests 59 per cent of Australians would – but Cyber Daily's David Hollingworth and Banking Daily's Daniel Croft aren't convinced. The pair break down the growing willingness to hand AI sensitive financial data and decision-making authority, and why giving an agent autonomy creates a very different risk profile from simply asking ChatGPT to find you the best deal.

The conversation then turns to the OpenAI agent that accessed the Australian government's Medicare statistics service, the fallout from the incident, and what happens when AI systems pursue goals with loose guardrails. From ShinyHunters' extraordinary clash with the FBI to Revolut's accidental disclosure of customer data, Hollingworth and Croft examine how AI-enabled threats and old-fashioned social engineering are converging – while ransomware groups continue to target organisations holding highly sensitive data.

And then things get weird. Researchers at UNSW have demonstrated how prompting or fine-tuning AI to behave as though it were intoxicated can weaken its safeguards and make it more willing to overshare. Beneath the laughs is a serious warning: protections that work under normal conditions may not hold when an AI is pursuing a goal, adapting its behaviour, or encountering obstacles. Tune in for the latest Cyber Uncut conversation between David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

Australia's strategic environment is changing rapidly, but defence procurement and industry must move faster to keep pace. Speaking with Defence Connect news editor Robert Dougherty, former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison discusses the five-year evolution of AUKUS, Australia's defence industrial base, China's economic and strategic influence, critical minerals and the need to accelerate defence procurement.

Morrison argues that AUKUS is already delivering tangible benefits, with US submarines operating from Australia and investment progressing at Henderson to support US, UK and Australian submarine operations.

The pair also discuss US submarine production constraints and Australia's plans to develop a tier-one domestic defence prime.

Morrison highlights that Australia should maintain trade with China where appropriate while strengthening economic and strategic resilience through closer cooperation with aligned countries.

The conversation turns to critical minerals, with Morrison arguing China's use of supply-chain leverage is accelerating investment in alternative sources. Australia, he says, has an important role as an extractor, while processing capabilities can be distributed across allied countries, including the US, Japan and South Korea.

Looking towards the next decade, Morrison calls for faster defence decision making and procurement because systems designed for the post-Cold War environment are no longer suited to today's strategic conditions.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Artificial intelligence promises to transform productivity, business and government – but what happens when the technology starts making decisions its human operators never intended? In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant is joined by Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson to examine the rapidly emerging security risks surrounding AI, from autonomous agents exploiting vulnerabilities to the growing challenge of keeping increasingly powerful systems inside appropriate guardrails.

With businesses racing to deploy AI and governments grappling with how – or whether – to regulate it, Tarrant and Thompson explore whether Australia is moving fast enough to understand the threat, protect critical systems and ensure the technology designed to make us more productive doesn't become a new contested ground itself.

HPE's Matt Hanmer says organisations must break down the traditional divide between network and security teams as AI accelerates attacks and infrastructure becomes increasingly distributed. Organisations need to bring network and security operations together to keep pace with increasingly distributed infrastructure and faster-moving cyber threats, according to HPE APJ regional director Matt Hanmer.

Speaking on the Cyber Uncut podcast, Hanmer said the traditional separation between teams is becoming unworkable as organisations connect more people, locations and applications while facing pressure to do more with less. Treating the network as a security sensor can help organisations detect threats while reducing duplicated tools, costs and operational complexity.

AI is adding urgency to the shift, with attackers increasingly automating activity that once took months and compressing parts of the attack lifecycle into hours or minutes, Hanmer said. Defenders need to automate repetitive security operations while keeping humans responsible for oversight and intervention. Rather than keeping people "in the loop" for every decision, Hanmer advocates putting humans "on the loop" – setting rules and parameters for automated systems while ensuring security teams can intervene when necessary.

Hanmer will discuss HPE's approach further at HPE Networking Day in Sydney on 7 October, where attendees can see its networking roadmap, demonstrations, and meet its global leadership team.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team