In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the latest news and events contributing to national security in Australia.

They begin the podcast discussing Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, including how important these kinds of joint military training activities are for the interoperability between Western nations and the certainty of covert surveillance being carried out by adversaries.

The pair then discuss the recent visit to the People’s Republic of China by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the geopolitical tightrope he must be walking between trading with the PRC and the AUKUS military commitments with the United States.

They wrap up the podcast discussing the recent and very public Qantas hack, as well as the potential flow-on impacts of the cyber security breach.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Miles Chambers, senior vice president of international business development at EDGE Group, to discuss how the United Arab Emirates established and manages its own defence prime to work collaboratively with government, provide leadership in industry and coordinate defence exports.

Chambers, with more than two decades of experience in the defence sector, leads EDGE Group’s international growth strategy, overseeing export sales and global partnerships.

He holds a bachelor of commerce degree in information systems and a bachelor of commerce (honours) degree in information systems from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

The pair discuss a range of issues, including:

• EDGE Group’s recent achievements in defence projects since it’s establishment in 2019 and the acquisition of Estonian robotics company Milrem Robotics and Swedish VTOL company Anavia.
• How the company effectively coordinates its separate branches and more than 35 entities across the differing environments of land, sea, air, space and cyber.
• The increasing focus on the importance of domestic manufacturing ability in the UAE, compared to traditional acquisition of externally produced international defence technology and vehicles.
• Initiatives to help UAE citizens enter or work in the defence industry, as a foundation principle of the company.
• EDGE Group’s market-leading strategy in prioritising domestic research and manufacturing of drones, artificial intelligence and uncrewed robotic systems.
• Corporate strategy and defence priority projects into the future, such as uncrewed aircraft and automation.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Team

What do a high school teacher, a psychologist, and a mother of two have in common with a space tech founder? In this episode of The Progress Report, Defence Connect’s Tash Taylor sits down with Sheila Maria Gough Kenyon – co-founder of Starbound Space Solutions and national committee member of the Australian Space Diversity Alliance – to explore what it really looks like to carve out a career in the space sector on your own terms.

From juggling PhDs and newborns to co-building a company with a mission to rewire how we see knowledge, Sheila shares the power of late diagnosis, leading as a neurodivergent woman, and why inclusion isn’t just about talk – it’s about tangible, structural change. Together, Tash and Sheila dive deep into the invisible barriers many face in defence-adjacent industries, the realities of masking, and how true progress lies in designing for everyone – not just the usual suspects.

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

Enjoy the podcast,
The Progress Report team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman is joined by Mike Franklin, Australian cyber security lead at Protecht, to discuss the current cyber security landscape, the importance of top-down cyber security culture, and the impact of AI on cyber security.

• Garman and Franklin begin with a discussion on the current cyber security landscape, such as the importance of risk management and the evolving techniques used by malicious actors.
• The pair also discuss the importance of differentiating IT risk, such as product availability and other operational issues, and cyber risk.
• Franklin then highlights the importance of understanding and prioritising an organisation’s critical assets and the need for a strong top-down cyber security culture.
• Finally, Franklin discusses the impact of AI on cyber security and how the role of the technology is quickly evolving from both a defence and an offence perspective.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson explore Australia’s readiness to meet its military needs and examine the country’s role amid a rapidly changing global landscape.

They kick things off with a discussion on Commonwealth funding, before exploring the AUKUS agreement and whether its long-term success is at risk, especially in the context of political volatility in the US.

Turning their attention to the Middle East, they unpack recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel’s evolving strategy, and what it all means for Western unity.

The episode wraps up with a reflection on Australia’s waning strategic influence and how generational change in Washington could challenge the long-standing Australia–US alliance.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Liam Garman is joined by Simon Olsen, chief executive officer and co-founder of Arkeus autonomous optical systems, to discuss the changing world of drone warfare and what Australia is trying to achieve in the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) strategic space.

Olsen, the commercial-savvy CEO of Arkeus, has more than a decade of experience working with autonomous optical systems and the overall defence industry.

Drawing on experience working with the Australian Defence Force, US branches and other international militaries, Olsen starts the podcast with the origins of weaponised drones from their use of optical cameras in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The pair examine the strengths and weaknesses of UAV systems, as well as their use in denied environments and electronic warfare-impacted areas.

Exploring the cost-to-benefit ratio of current drones in Ukraine, Garman and Olsen discuss drones using off-the-shelf technology and their persistent use in military operations.

Olsen shares his experience of working with front-line personnel and its impact on successive contracts with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.

Finally, Olsen reveals the company’s goals for the future, AUKUS and his thoughts on upcoming events shaping the overall defence industry in Australia.

Enjoy the episode,
The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft are joined by Australian Aviation’s Jake Nelson to talk about the Qantas data breach before our usual suspects talk up the latest AI news, followed by some alarming local hacks.

• AI is the topic for Hollingworth and Croft as the pair start with a chat about News Corp’s new drive to integrate AI into journalists’ workflows and the media giant’s decision to train AI on the content produced by its writers. Plus, US Senator Bernie Sanders has a fantastic idea about what to do with all the time saved by AI – give it back to the workers!
• The pair then discuss a pair of successful investigations that have led to the hackers being arrested – one in France that appears to have put the final nail into BreachForums’ coffin as both ShinyHunters and IntelBroker are now behind bars, and another here in Australia, as the infamous Western Sydney University hacker was revealed to be an ex-student. Now arrested herself, she started out looking to cheat the university’s parking fees, but quickly went straight to the dark side.
• Hollingworth and Croft finish up with some updates on the Australian government’s social media age assurance trials and whether or not YouTube should be part of the ban, and return to an old friend, War Thunder, as another angry gamer has posted restricted material to prove a point.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Michael Shoebridge, Strategic Analysis Australia director, to unpack the debate about Australia’s level of defence spending and a host of other topics.

The pair discuss a range of issues, including:

• Responding to calls for Australia to shake off the “shackles” of the Australia–US alliance to pursue a truly “independent” foreign and defence policy and posture.
• The costs and challenges associated with pursuing such a doctrine, particularly when the government is already balking at lifting spending beyond 2 per cent.
• The ongoing challenges facing the Australian Defence Force and its capacity to acquire the minimum level of capability required to defend the nation.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Team