Shows
Asia Pacific Defence ReporterXinjiang Media Tour - Part 1APDR was invited for a media tour to China’s Xinjiang autonomous region in September and we decided that listeners will be interested in more details than have so far been reported. This podcast is part travel log, part analysis and part personal commentary about the experience. We set the scene with some thoughts about China and the first part of the visit to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang. Part 2 next week will begin with arriving in Kashgar. Comments on our website asiapacificdefencereporter.com are welcome, as are emails to: kym.bergmann@ve...
2025-12-0422 min
Asia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 101This episode coincides with the release of the July-August edition of APDR so there will be some cross referencing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has started his 6-day visit to China which has sparked the usual conservative talking points about why he has met President Xi four times but has not yet secured an audience with US President and human wrecking ball Donald Trump. PM Albanese is wise avoiding him - any meeting runs the risk of going off the rails and becoming a forum of personal abuse. Then some details of the MEKO 200, the ship being offered for SEA 3000 by...
2025-07-1419 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 95Greetings from the northern German city of Hamburg and the beginning of a Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems media tour. They are one of two finalists for SEA 3000, the general purpose frigate project, but they are forbidden by Defence from discussing their proposal. This ridiculous level of secrecy seems to be in place purely to conceal Departmental incompetence and to cover up the growing possibility that no frigates will be built in Australia, ever.Some words about US demands that Australia increase Defence spending to as much as 5% of GDP and what looks like a major difference of...
2025-06-0216 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 94With Canberra starting to return to normal we have a bit more to discuss on the domestic front. Firstly a thank you to Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, who agreed to an interview that will be published in full in June APDR. It was a wide ranging chat and we will continue to have different views on matters such as the Defence budget and also secrecy - but it's good to be in dialogue. Also during the week, a senior TKMS delegation was in town to discuss SEA 3000 and they are promoting the MEKO 200 as a low risk solution...
2025-05-2718 min
The SENDcastWhy does the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle matter? with Sara AlstonSince the 2015 SEN Code of Practice SEN support has been based on a graduate response that includes an Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycle. Unfortunately, this cycle is becoming fragmented, with each component operating in isolation. Assessments are not being linked to children's needs or plans to support them. Plans are made but not implemented and reviews are just a recap of what a child can or cannot do. Sara Alson, SEND and Safeguarding Consultant and Trainer, joins Dale in the studio to discuss why the APDR cycle matters. Sara stresses that it is an ongoing process...
2025-05-011h 11Asia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 87We start with some words about the Avalon air show last week. The mood among Australian companies was a bit subdued because Defence expenditure is drying up – but top marks to the RAAF for engaging with the media and doing their best to be open and frank. On that note, an apology to AVM Nick Hogan for how some sections of the press (not us) misinterpreted his comments about F-35s. There is a lot of official support for Boeing Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft and hopefully it will be in series production next year. Then th...
2025-04-0219 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 86The unreliability of the US as an ally continues to be demonstrated with President Donald Trump publicly reinforcing his wish to turn Canada into the 51st State - but you won't hear that from any Australian politicians because they are too weak to speak out in defence of a Five Eyes ally. We quote at length from Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who says the US is no longer a reliable ally but instead is behaving like a "rent seeker." He warns that a political earthquake has happened and that a tsunami is coming, and we must be prepared. Thi...
2025-03-2519 min
Simply Politics, from ChinaChina’s Global Influence and North Korea’s Military Leap: A New Era of TensionsExplore China's intensified efforts to suppress pro-independence Taiwanese nationals abroad, as revealed by a Taiwanese government memo. Discover North Korea's military advancements with its first airborne early warning aircraft, hinting at collaboration with China. Plus, delve into the U.S. House's inquiry into Chinese students at American universities amid security concerns. Join us for an in-depth analysis of these unfolding geopolitical dynamics.
Sources:
https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/china-taiwan-weekly-update-march-14-2025
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2025/03/16/2003833490
https://www.pekingnology.com/p/tensions-over-taiwan
https://qa.philstar.com/world/2025/03/20/2429803/taiwans-annual-war-games-simulate-2027-china-attack
https://www.fdd.org...
2025-03-2111 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 85The shock waves from the US betrayal of Ukraine and their threats against Canada and Denmark are being felt all around the world, except in Australia where politicians and the media have their heads firmly in the sand. A notable exception was former PM Malcolm Turnbull who has tried to alert people to the danger, but instead has only been asked about the complete irrelevance of his negative comments about Donald Trump and how they might have impacted exemptions from tariffs. Our current PM and Defence Minister can only keep repeating nonsense that the US alliance is safe because there w...
2025-03-1820 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 84Due to the complete betrayal of Ukraine by the US, the security situation for the western world – including Australia – is worsening. However, you wouldn’t know that here with complete political and media indifference with people preferring to focus on the weather situation in Queensland. This is appalling parochialism and is ignoring the reality that the cherished “special relationship” with Washington is over. It’s finished. The US is no longer a reliable ally because the President is acting as if he is a Russian asset. What we are witnessing is a modern-day vers...
2025-03-1019 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 83If any further proof of the unreliability of the US was needed, it was amply demonstrated last Friday when US President Donald Trump tried to publicly humiliate his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymir Zelenskyy at a White House meeting. It was an appalling performance by the US President – and Australia has to get the message that potentially we are on our own. But have we heard that from the government? Of course not. They are still too frightened of offending Trump that all they can talk about is continuing the support for Ukraine. Since that has come up, let’s look at the fac...
2025-03-0419 min
TTS Talking Early YearsEpisode 5 | Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties with Arran SmithMark Loveday is joined by Arran Smith to discuss specific learning challenges (SPLDs) and the associated diagnostic labels, focussing on how to better support pupils.
In this episode, Arran explains how multi-sensory structured teaching supports processing information and aiding learning, as well as the importance of early diagnosis.
Practitioners can learn more about whole-brain learning and not just focussing about book work, but a broader learning delivery to support all pupils. Arran and Mark also talk about the Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycle, as well as the importance of...
2025-02-2719 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 82What a week! Two major events have overturned Australia’s security outlook dramatically for the worse. The first is the US throwing Ukraine under the bus and siding with Russia. What has been done to Ukraine is an absolute disgrace and it can be done to Australia – and don’t think for a moment it couldn’t happen. The attempt to extort 50% of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals for equipment already supplied is outrageous. But our political leaders are completely mute about US conduct, so terrified of uttering a single word that might upset the Trump administration. It is moral cowardice...
2025-02-2519 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 81The instability and unpredictability of the Trump administration continues – and that should have alarm bells ringing for Australian Defence planners. The US is no longer a reliable ally as is being demonstrated by threats to take Greenland from NATO member Denmark and the unnecessary imposition of tariffs on friendly nations such as Australia. It looks like Ukraine will be thrown under a bus, which should alarm all Australians in case China’s President Xi thinks he can get away with invading Taiwan. A bit more about the completely corrosive nature of Defence secrecy and the alarming evidence that the Chief o...
2025-02-1718 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 80We start with some thoughts about the big international story of the moment, the idea from US President Donald Trump that all Palestinians be removed from Gaza so that it can be redeveloped as a luxury waterfront enclave. This does not seem a particularly good idea as President Trump has not yet explained where the 2 million Palestinians will go, or who will pay for the redevelopment. All that the mealy-mouthed Australian government will say is that it remains in favour of a Two State solution, a line echoed by the Opposition. This seems to overlook the fact that one of tho...
2025-02-1019 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 79We discuss several recent momentous events, including the inauguration of President Donald Trump. This has been followed immediately by various disruptions, such as the US slapping 25% tariffs on allies Canada and Mexico, with only 10% levied on the enemy China, which seems an odd way of going about things. Trump has also threatened to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal and turn Canada into the 51st state. These challenges to the international order have received widespread condemnation – but not from Australia because our politicians are too scared to say anything that might upset the Americans. And the government wonders why its popula...
2025-02-0319 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 78In this episode we have a look at some more details of the upgraded Mogami frigate and shed more light on how screwed up the process is for SEA 3000. It is shrouded in secrecy because Defence and the government don’t want you to know how little analysis has been done for a strategically vital multi billion dollar procurement. Why does the first ship have to be in the water in 2029? Why not 2028 – or 2030? Then Defence and the highly paid surface fleet review team don’t understand that the only ship Japan can sell to Australia is the upgraded Mogami FFM...
2025-01-1319 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 77This is a slightly delayed podcast, mainly about SEA 3000 and Japan’s offer of an upgraded Mogami class frigate. For background, here is a link to a more detailed article in APDR: https://asiapacificdefencereporter.com/mogami-frigate-fast-and-stealthy-like-a-ninja/. The frigates are very impressive with a number of advanced, stealthy features such as an integrated communications mast and a dramatic reduction in radar cross section. They have a small crew of 90 for peacetime operations based on high levels of automation and also changes to how the ship is operated – and does the RAN have the flexibility to make necessary changes in processes, particu...
2025-01-0719 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 76Before we resume discussing the US media tour, we see that Collins class submarine sustainment has been put on the government’s Projects of Concern list. ASC, the company responsible, is legally owned by the Minister for Finance, so it’s one Minister putting another on notice. When you add the review into the Australian Submarine Agency to the mix it seems there are problems with the entire submarine enterprise – but a mere two months ago the Chief of Navy criticised the media for being too negative. Next, vertical launch missile systems and the Lockheed Martin Mk 70 that holds Harpoon...
2024-12-1619 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 75This podcast is coming from the USA but let’s start with the review of the Australian Submarine Agency, which came to light last week. This will be conducted by Dennis Richardson, one of the most pro-US people in the national security domain – so don’t be expecting any changes to the objectives of AUKUS Pillar One, just some fine tuning of methods. Next is an update of the F-35 program and the Block 4 upgrade, which has been installed on Australia’s final nine aircraft and will be retrofitted to the entire fleet. Let’s compare them with the capabilities of a Virginia...
2024-12-0920 min
Asia Pacific Defence ReporterDefence Industry Chat Room - Episode 1 Navantia Australia's Technical Partner NetworkIn this initial Defence industry chat, we discuss Navantia Australia’s Technical Partner Network. As Jamie Gibbs explains, Navantia Australia is creating a network of local suppliers that will improve sovereign capability across the naval support domain. That’s a view shared by two of their partners, Rubicon Associates and Marenav, with both companies enthusiastic about the concept. As John Robertson and Adam Smith (not the famous 18th century economist) describe, this approach greatly benefits strategic self reliance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-12-0926 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 74In this episode we cover the two big Defence stories that broke last week: the emergency funding request in the US to prop up Virginia class submarine construction and secondly the Japanese government granting approval for the potential sale to Australia of Mogami class frigates. With the frigates, the Australian government, Defence and the RAN are now in serious danger of creating a false expectation that Japan is going to win this deal, no matter what. Unless this is true – in which case why bother with a competition – expectations need to be lowered because all that Tokyo is hearing is that A...
2024-12-0319 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 73The SEA 3000 General Purpose Frigate shortlist has been confirmed and unsurprisingly the leaked information is correct – it’s Germany and Japan. But obviously it couldn’t be that simple, so two designs from Thyssenkrupp will be evaluated and one from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. However, the MHI ship the Mogami FFM has not yet been built, with the first to be delivered in 2027. This would seem to indicate it is already in breach of Defence guidelines,, which are for an existing design. But it’s even worse, with Chief of Navy telling Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy that the RAN is happy to take...
2024-11-2619 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 72First some unfinished business from the Submarine Institute of Australia conference. The Chief of Navy asks why aren’t there more positive stories about Collins submarines? The reason is quite simple: because you won’t tell us anything. This goes for the other services as well – you cannot complain about lack of coverage if you deliberately suppress the release of information. That’s something that Defence Minister Richard Marles knows well. It’s the definition of hypocrisy: say you are in favour of communicating with the Australian public and then obstruct journalists from doing their job. Some words about the new Trump admin...
2024-11-1819 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 71Our previous analysis of the US Presidential election was wrong – and by a wide margin. Obviously there’s a huge level of anger, resentment and frustration in the American system. Donald Trump has won a bigger victory than in 2016 – and the consequences for Australia are unknown. Any Australian politician assuming it’s business as usual runs the risk of making a major mistake. What do we do if Donald Trump jacks up the cost of acquiring nuclear-powered submarines by a lot? Has anyone in Defence or the government thought through those consequences? And please don’t say it could never happen. A quick...
2024-11-1219 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 70We start with Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy at the NPC last week and lots of stuff about extra missiles for the ADF. That’s all well and good – but these things are either fully imported or, at best, manufactured under license here with a few local components. There are no longer any sovereign Australian IP in weapons – we seem to have collectively given up on the idea of designing any ourselves. The latest from the mess that is AUKUS Pillar One. Then a few words about the shock cancellation of JP9102. There goes the last chance of any form of soverei...
2024-11-0519 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 69In this episode we have some truly stunning – and worrying – information that the rate of US nuclear powered submarine construction is slowing down, not speeding up. The information is on the public record and comes from the CEO of Electric Boat, Phebe Novakovic in a briefing for shareholders. The problem is with the supply chain – companies manufacturing critical components cannot keep up with the required rate and as a consequence both the Columbia class SSBNs and Virginia SSNs will be delayed. This must be worrying news for the RAN – and it seems astounding that there has been no reporting of note in Aus...
2024-10-2918 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 68Last week saw a bit of extra good news for Ukraine with the announcement that Australia will donate 49 M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks that are being retired from service. An extra 10 Abrams will be available for spare parts, or they could be returned to a usable condition. No matter how you look at this, it’s a significant contribution because while the tanks are a bit long in the tooth they are still a formidable capability, particularly against the ageing junk that Russia is now forced to field. Also last week saw a bit of coverage of the latest US Co...
2024-10-2219 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 67We start with a Canberra bubble story – but one with national implications – the strange tale of the former Chief of Staff to Defence Minister Richard Marles. The CoS of a Minister plays a vital role in the daily running of the office and has additional important duties such as liaising with the Department, other Ministers and various stakeholders. Without a competent CoS in place an office rapidly becomes dysfunctional. Then a few more words about the unfolding disaster of SEA 3000, which is coming up for some form of short listing in November. Also we are starting to receive some information about h...
2024-10-1518 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 66There are 5 ship designers in the running for the SEA 3000 General Purpose Frigate contract – and 2 of them are from South Korea. In this episode we discuss Hanwha Ocean, based on a visit to their extremely impressive facility at Okpo near Busan on the south coast of the country. However, we could not discuss their Australian bid because the government has banned companies from speaking with the media under threat that if they do so their participation in the competition will be instantly cancelled. This is to prevent any information about how badly this project is being bungled by the RAN e...
2024-10-0818 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 65Why does the Australian government show so little enthusiasm for increasing the amount of aid going to Ukraine? Doing so is overwhelmingly popular with about 80% of Australians in favour. However, it looks like the government and our officials are doing just enough to tick a few boxes. At a minimum a single person with a lot of authority needs to be put in charge of the aid program – and they need to get moving. Then a media trip to a factory in the Queensland town of Maryborough that manufactures 155mm artillery shells – and all of them are purchased by the Germa...
2024-10-0119 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 64We return to some favourite themes: nuclear powered submarines; Taipan helicopters; and aid for Ukraine. But before that a few words about the Middle East and what looks to be a further deterioration in an already bad situation. Everyone shares blame, but it’s worth noting that major demographic changes mean that Israel is different from the country in the 1970s that many of us found inspirational. It must occur to people that there are some in Israel who don’t want peace with Hamas but will happily continue bombing Gaza until nothing remains. Equally, leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah don’t c...
2024-09-2420 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 63This is the Land Forces exhibition special feature with some random highlights from the show last week. These included an uncrewed 8-wheeled armoured ground vehicle enabled by AI and designed by BAE Systems to operate with conventional forces. Also SPEE3D, an Australian company using additive manufacturing to undertake in-field repairs. Despite international success – including sending units to Ukraine – do you think the Australian Army has bought any? A few words about Hanwha, the South Korean company that has gone from obscurity to now being the largest supplier, by dollar value, to the Army. They have announced that Sydney-based Advanced Navigat...
2024-09-1719 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 62The government and the Australian Submarine Agency are up to their usual tricks of minimising scrutiny by playing media favourites. Not only is this wrong in principle it’s a symptom of deeper problems in the ASA – and there will be a lot more coming out about that in the next few days. People who know what they are doing enjoy having their ideas challenged and it is generally the poor performers who prefer to hide. And with that in mind, our squabble with Army over the destruction of the Taipan helicopter fleet continues. Why does it matter any longer now th...
2024-09-1019 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 61Unusually, we can start with two pieces of positive news. On August 22, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced that the government will spend $850 million on a factory in Newcastle that will produce Naval Strike Missiles and Joint Strike Missiles. These come from Norwegian company Kongsberg and will drastically improve the anti-ship capabilities of the ADF. This follows a decision to also manufacture GMLRS rounds locally for Army’s HIMARS launchers. After a slow start the GWEO is developing some momentum. On the next day, Defence Minister Richard Marles opened Hanwha’s armoured vehicle centre of excellence near Avalon airport. It will b...
2024-08-2719 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 60The government has announced, in its usual over-the-top manner, reforms to the export licensing system between Australia, the US and the UK. While this is fine in principle, it is based on an absolute lie, namely that Australia exports $5 billion worth of military technology to those partner countries. This is a joke. We sell some F-35 components to the US and almost nothing to the UK. The true figure is likely to be one twentieth of the government’s claim. At the same time, former Minister for Foreign Affairs was giving a speech with the title: “AUKUS – the worst defence and fo...
2024-08-2019 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 59There’s more AUKUS stupidity to talk about, with now a secret political deal with the US and UK to be factored in. It is so secret that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese doesn’t seem to have any idea what it’s about. There’s speculation that it could compel Australia to go to war with China over Taiwan – but that issue is more nuanced than most people understand. Or could it be about the storage in Australia of high level nuclear waste from other countries – which seems irrelevant since we will be storing many hundreds of tonnes of high level waste from...
2024-08-1219 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 58A poor start from new CDF Admiral David Johnson, who told ABC News Breakfast television that every day sees an increase in ADF capability. The opposite appears to be the case with Navy in particular going backwards, followed by the Army – and for the next 10 years the RAAF isn’t receiving anything new thanks to budget restrictions. Spotted during Exercise Talisman Sabre – Defence Minister Richard Marles riding in an Italian NH90 helicopter, which is almost identical to the 45 Australian Taipans he ordered destroyed in September last year. Might he have had the thought “how come the Italian...
2024-08-0619 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 57We have been at the Indian Ocean Defence and Security (IODS) conference in Perth – so plenty of naval things to talk about. First, ASA Head VADM Jonathon Mead refreshingly and honestly said that there were many obstacles to overcome before nuclear-powered submarines could be delivered, a nice change from the previous rhetoric that everything was fine. Speaking with well qualified industry people from the US and UK, the consensus is that Australia is already a decade behind where we need to be with factors such as training and infrastructure. Then a remarkable offer from the Korean government to deliver the fi...
2024-07-3019 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 56There are no new procurement disasters to talk about, so let’s do some big picture stuff. Why is it that two former Prime Ministers, one Labor and one Liberal – Malcolm Turnbull and Paul Keating – think that AUKUS Pillar One is a thoroughly bad idea, but Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison are uncritically boosting it? Could it be explained by the different backgrounds they all have and whether or not they are able to apply critical thinking to major projects? Successfully completing an acquisition or winning a project involves a lot more than being enthusiastic about the result. It might be the case...
2024-07-2319 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 55We have to start with some words about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and what that might mean for Australia. It almost certainly now means the re-election of someone who is profoundly pro-Russian, anti-European and with an ambivalent attitude towards the Asia-Pacific region. Australian politicians are so in thrall of the US that they constantly drone on about shared values, which are actually few and far between. The US remains our strongest security partner but we will have to do more for ourselves – after all the US previously withdrew from Asia as part of the Guam doctrine in the earl...
2024-07-1519 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 54We start with an overview of recent and ongoing Defence procurement disasters – not to bore people but as a reminder that there is something seriously wrong with how the system functions. Defence Minister Richard Marles continues to think that everything is fine when in fact it is not. Another concern is the amount of misinformation coming from Defence officials – and we aren’t talking about the occasional slip of the tongue. Testimony has been given to Senate Estimates that is just plain provably wrong on multiple topics. A few words about psychology and how it is that objectively stupid decisions such as d...
2024-07-0919 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 53Firstly another interview with Defence Minister Richard Marles, from which we learned nothing useful. More about the RAAF $10 billion error in not considering the Embraer C390 as the replacement for the C-130J fleet. As several countries have discovered, the C390 is less expensive to acquire, costs less to support – and flies faster and further with more cargo than a C-130J. We quote extensively from the publicly available Dutch evaluation of the two aircraft, which conclusively concludes that the C390 is by far the better choice. South Korea has come to exactly the same conclusion. The RAAF didn’t even bo...
2024-07-0220 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 52Greetings from Brazil, where we are checking out the Embraer KC-390 twin jet airlifter. It can carry more cargo than a C-130J a lot further and a lot faster. Yet Australia is spending almost $10 billion for 20 C-130Js without the benefit of any sort of competitive evaluation. But it’s actually far worse than that because we are getting fewer C-130Js for more money than originally indicated – a major scandal that has been sitting in plain sight for more than a year and which has received no scrutiny at all. Two of the toughest, most objective, evaluators of military...
2024-06-2419 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 51Before we say some more about the General Purpose Frigate debacle let’s unpack the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine debacle and the revelation in Senate Estimates hearings that we are making two almost identical $4.7 billion payments to US and UK companies without a refund clause. Mind you that information had to be dragged out of ASA Head, VADM Jonathon Mead, who refused to answer several questions about a refund or clawback clause. Clearly there isn’t one. Imagine if it were revealed that the government had given $9.4 billion to a company to build a hospital without any conditions and no refu...
2024-06-1119 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 50Episode 50 but there’s no time for self-congratulations because there’s more Defence incompetence to talk about – and top of the list is the General Purpose Frigate. In this country we are told nothing, but speaking in the UK the Head of RAN Capability explained that, yes, we will be purchasing an existing design with no changes whatsoever. None. However, this new design is also expected to comply with Australian regulations and be compatible with existing Australian and allied combat systems. In other words, this is impossible. You cannot have a ship built for another navy and for it to also b...
2024-06-0320 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 49In this episode we have a bit more to say about the ridiculous levels of secrecy surrounding military projects in this country. In comparison, the US tries to be helpful, as evidenced by a couple of recent visits, including by Lieutenant General Steven Sklenka from the Marine Corps. Also a look at the recently passed Securing Australia’s Military Secrets (SAMS) legislation, which is obviously written by lawyers who don’t know what they are doing. No wonder so few people want to join the ADF. And another Kingo Hotel Friday lunchtime rumour: the project to equip Australia’s armoured v...
2024-05-2720 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 48Last week saw the release of the Federal Budget, the Defence component of which has not received a lot of media attention, probably because the Integrated Investment Plan was released a fortnight earlier. But there were some gems, such as the data that the spend for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines will total $13.6 billion over the next four years. That’s before a single submarine is delivered. It is likely to include a gift of about $8 billion to US and UK industries. There’s also the curious case of SEA 3000, the General Purpose Frigate project, which isn’t even mentioned. Speaking of which, the...
2024-05-2120 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 47We start with a retrospective chat about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the USSR and the corrosive effects of secrecy and cover ups. Australia is thankfully not like the Soviet Union – far from it – but the government management of information about Defence and national security is becoming increasingly paranoid, self-destructive and harmful. It is now routine for all media requests to be totally ignored by the Department and for Ministers to propagate an entirely false picture of the status of the ADF – and in particular ignore the consequences of trying to acquire nuclear-powered submarin...
2024-05-1419 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 46An industry source has described the General Purpose Frigate project as a “goat rodeo”, but before we get to that a few words about the cancellation of SEA 1905. This was the latest RAN effort to improve mine warfare capabilities – and after 5 years of effort on the part of three bidders has been abruptly cancelled. No reason has been given but it looks to be because Australia will soon transfer $4.7 billion to profitable US submarine construction companies. However, mine warfare is a vital capability, particularly if you hope to operate nuclear-powered submarines. A few words about the IIP – and the big takeaway is...
2024-05-0719 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 45First some good news – an extra $100 million of military aid for Ukraine. It’s not enough and Australia could be doing a lot more, but at least it’s a move in the right direction. Next – the unfolding disaster of the General Purpose Frigate project. Some acquisitions are doomed from the very beginning and this is one of them. Firstly, the highly paid independent reviewers of the RAN future surface fleet couldn’t even get it right about how many designs from Korea are available. Secondly, the Minimum Viable Capability philosophy might force the RAN to buy ships that are incompatible w...
2024-04-3018 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 44The National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Plan have been released, but in the short term this does nothing for Australia’s military capabilities – the serious funding increase is later in the decade. It also ignores the effect of inflation. The accompanying speech of Defence Minister Richard Marles at the National Press Club revealed a hilarious level of stupidity within the Defence establishment. The apparent logic of reducing the number of planned Infantry Fighting Vehicles from 450 to 129 is that our two Canberra class LHDs can only carry about 50 IFVs at a time – so why do we need more than that? Amazingly...
2024-04-2320 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 43First we noticed a small piece of good news that a Wollongong-based steel manufacturer has landed a contract with a US submarine builder, but it’s likely to be very small. Which prompts the question: where is the $30 billion going that Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says will be spent in Australia for AUKUS Pillar 1 – and it doesn’t take much to figure out that at least the first $10 billion is going on digging ditches and filling them with concrete. Not a lot of value adding there. The Defence budget, when used properly, can be a powerful tool for investin...
2024-04-1519 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 42This episode is recorded in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It’s a good opportunity to talk submarines and surface ships because of what is happening here. The occasion was an invitation to attend a signing ceremony for the contractual handover of the ROKS Shin Chae-ho an SSK of about the same displacement as the Collins class. However, this submarine is far more modern, with a Vertical Launch System and Air independent Propulsion, meaning it can stay fully submerged and completely silent for up to three weeks. This SSK is the 21st in a series of 27 South Korean conven...
2024-04-0820 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 41This episode focuses entirely on AUKUS, which is totally dominating the national security debate at the moment – and that’s not necessarily a good thing with everything else being ignored. First we had the news from the US that they will only build a single Virginia class submarine in 2025, which looks like a deceleration in their effort to reach a rate of 2.33 per year needed to have excess platforms to then sell to Australia. But for our government, it’s business as usual with the line that they are very confident that everything is going to plan. What is that confidence...
2024-03-2518 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 40We start with an unusual news item from Qatar: that country operates the NH90/Taipan family of helicopters – and they have an availability rate of 80%! But our Army – and the government – have been telling everyone that the main problem with Taipans was their lack of availability. Could it be that someone hasn’t been telling the truth? Also, we noticed an abandoned ex-Australian Special Forces vehicle in Ukraine and we wonder why some of these have been donated rather than being dismantled for spare parts and buried. By now it is too late for any of the Taipans to be reassembled...
2024-03-1220 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 39We start with the revelation that it’s not the Department or Ministers to blame for the lack of information about Defence going to Australian industry and the media – it’s our own security services! I know because Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says so. Speaking of security services and the annual assessment provided by ASIO head Mike Burgess – what a circus. The claim that an Australian politician was a traitor has sent shock waves throughout the country. Why was the person not arrested and charged with espionage? Mr Burgess hides behind not wanting to reveal operational details – but no one is as...
2024-03-0520 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 38Just back from the Singapore air show, we have a few thoughts about the structure of defence industries – but the main topic is the government’s response to the review of the RAN surface fleet. There are some worthwhile developments, but how long will all of this take?What we are witnessing is 20 years of very poor planning because the Hobart class should have been in continuous production in 3-ship batches with new technology insertion. Luerssen have been shafted because they simply produced the Arafura class in a configuration specified by the RAN. The cover up rega...
2024-02-2721 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 37By popular demand, it’s time for more dirt on Taipan helicopters, but before that there’s some breaking news about AUKUS. In the US, supplemental funding that was going to help lift the rate of submarine production has fallen foul of Trump-worshipping Republicans in Congress. The omnibus legislation was mainly about securing the southern border but also contained military aid for Ukraine and Israel – plus about another $3.3 billion for submarine stuff. So while Australia remains on the hook for a contribution of $4.6 billion – which neither the government nor the RAN can justify – the Americans refuse to spend their own money t...
2024-02-1920 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 36Firstly, let’s have a look at the delayed F-35 program – an issue that has received very little coverage in Australia. The government promised that all 72 jets would be in country by the end of 2023. Well they aren’t, and no one is sure when the final nine will be delivered. Defence isn’t saying anything and the only comment from the government is it makes no difference whatsoever – in which case why not sell the last nine and stick with the 63 that we have? Also some snarky comments about the relationship Defence Minister Richard Marles has with the Department...
2024-02-1219 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 35In this episode we do some more digging into the extraordinary story of the destruction of the Taipan helicopter fleet when Ukraine desperately needs them. Why is the government so completely tone deaf? What do they hope to gain by turning down the request from Kyiv? Also visual evidence shows that many of them remain in good condition despite the government’s hints to the contrary. Defence’s own portfolio budget statements (PBS) for the current financial year say that a facility exists at Townsville airport for the storage of Taipans. Why isn’t it being used? Who keeps on making...
2024-02-0621 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 34In this episode we have more detail on the scrapping of Taipan helicopters – noting that Ministers Marles and Conroy appear to have gone into witness protection – showing that they were not nearly as expensive to keep as Army has been complaining. I hoped to question the Prime Minister asking if Germany can donate six very old Sea Kings to Ukraine, why on earth can we not send 45 modern very capable Taipans to a country fighting for its survival? What sort of government do we have? The politicians can keep running away from this but they cannot hide forever. And what a...
2024-01-2920 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 33Some very disturbing new information has come to light regarding the fiasco of retiring and burying the Taipan helicopter fleet. Senator David Fawcett (Lib / SA) has confirmed to me that he briefed the government in mid-October that Ukraine was interested in acquiring them. He was in a NATO meeting October 7-12 and met a number of Ukrainian military figures who stated their interest in Taipan, especially for MEDEVAC. It is unconscionable that the government then went ahead with the secret scheme to trash them. And let’s talk cost of living pressures. Getting rid of Taipans and unnecessarily replacing them...
2024-01-2219 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 32In this episode we continue with the sorry tale of burying Taipan helicopters rather than donating them to Ukraine. This really is a disgrace and has the potential to cost Defence Minister Richard Marles his job because new information is that the Government was made aware in November of Ukraine’s interest, a full month earlier than previously reported. Mind you, that depends on the Opposition doing their job – namely, holding the Government to account. Ukraine wants to use the Taipans for casualty evacuation – and their use would save the lives of thousands of young men and women. What sort of G...
2024-01-1520 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 31Happy New Year! While Australia was enjoying a peaceful Christmas, Ukraine was not – so why is our Army in the process of destroying 45 perfectly good Taipan helicopters rather than donating them? Ukraine made the request in mid-December and it looks like the government is pretending it hasn’t happened. It seems extraordinary that highly capable military helicopters worth $900 million – that the ADF has declared it no longer wants – are being disassembled as a prelude to being buried in landfill. Who is running Australia – the elected Government or the Defence Department? This is a scandal in the...
2024-01-0819 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 30Legislation has now passed the US Congress putting in place a framework for AUKUS Pillar One. Does this mean that Australia will be acquiring second hand Virginia class submarines? No, it does not. In fact some of the wording is so vague that a future US President could cancel the deal on a personal whim. Secondly, the industrial mobilisation problems are vast – and thirdly if anyone says AUKUS is safe from political changes because of bipartisan support in the US then they must be on drugs. Currently, US military aid to both Israel and Ukraine is being held hostage to dem...
2023-12-1820 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 29Just for a change, we start with some positive developments, including a bilateral security treaty with PNG. Another positive item is a contract with Bisalloy to start qualifying steel for Australian built nuclear powered submarines. That looks to be 15 years earlier than necessary and might have more to do with US reporting requirements rather than Australian needs. Speaking of which, one of the main AUKUS boosters in Congress is Joe Courtney. He seems like a very nice reasonable person – but his Congressional district includes the Electric Boat submarine yard in Groton. It is owned by General Dynamics, which also happens to be...
2023-12-1123 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 28It’s been a busy week in Canberra for the media – first, we had a National Press Club address by Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy. This was followed by businessman Robert Nioa launching a report titled: “ Developing Australia’s Defence Industrial Base” which details eight recommendations to the Department of Defence and the Australian Government about how to grow sovereign capabilities. The chances of it being accepted are not good because the Government – and Defence – believe they are doing a wonderful job and aren’t interested in any views to the contrary. Then we have another FMS purchase worth $3 billion for nuclear-powe...
2023-12-0420 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 27Continuing extraordinary revelations from the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit into the Hunter class frigate program. Secretary of the Department of Defence, Greg Moriarty, accepts that the selected design was immature – and that he was misled by his own people about details of the evaluation. Next let’s visualise what $1 billion looks like when stacked in $100 notes – it’s about an 18 cubic metre block. Now imagine multiples of that being soaked with petrol and set on fire. Figuratively, that’s what Defence is doing with the unnecessary replacement of Taipan helicopters with Blackhawks. We provide a few more relevant...
2023-11-2722 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 26Just for a change we start with a preview of a positive article in the next edition of APDR, a chat with Glenn Keyes the co-founder of Aspen Medical. Then an extraordinary development in better understanding the selection of the Type 26 frigate for the Hunter class program – a Defence review that is scathing of the Department’s own processes. This has been submitted to the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit which, in turn, has been investigating an ANAO report into the 2018 selection process and details – among many other problems – missing crucial records. Call in the police! If it’s good enough...
2023-11-2020 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 25We finally had the chance to ask Defence Minister Richard Marles some questions about the proposed purchase of second-hand Virginia class submarines. The answers are not very encouraging – details are still being worked through and apparently everyone is enthusiastic. Meanwhile we learn much more from open sources in the US, such as the importance to them of the costly and risky disposal of those submarines in Australia, by Australians. There is no logic to this and no rationale has been supplied – we are just told it is part and parcel of the deal. Why? The US hasn’t transfe...
2023-11-1321 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 24Fresh from a holiday in Korea there was an infuriating delay in Sydney getting off the aircraft – which is not unconnected with why Defence is a mess. Then one of the most extraordinary stories about the selective use of information and how it is that we are paying the US not $3 billion to join AUKUS – but in fact $4.7 billion. This huge difference has come about because Australian decision makers have been deceptive about which currency this payment will be made in. It turns out that it won’t be in Australian dollars but instead in US bills, leading to a necessa...
2023-11-0622 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 23Special bonus holiday podcast from Korea – and it’s free.Firstly, just a bit of tidying up around the ADEX show. Then a quick word about the situation following the Hamas October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. Following that, a contrast between two approaches to developing a submarine-building ecosystem. Australia and South Korea both started down the same path in the mid-1980s – and very importantly, with similar Defence budgets. Korea now has 22 submarines of three different generations – with the latest arguably the most advanced in the world. Australia has six ageing Collins class – so which country has go...
2023-10-3021 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 22Greetings from Seoul, the capital of South Korea. We are covering the ADEX defence equipment show that includes a huge amount of high technology gear – some of it like the Redback IFV and Huntsman SPH already known to Australians. The company Hanwha Ocean have reaffirmed their interest in supplying Australia with an air-independent conventional submarine that has lithium ion batteries, a fuel cell and vertical launch missile system. Larger than Collins, it can remain submerged and totally undetectable for more than 20 days in a row. We explain how this all came about through the Korean economic miracle that started in t...
2023-10-2322 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 21The dominant security issue in the western world is the attack by Hamas terrorists on southern Israel on October 7. Emotions are still exceptionally raw and there are limits to analysis at this point in an ongoing crisis. More than 2,000 innocent lives have already been lost – some in ways that bring back memories of the worst days of Islamic State. The response needs to be in a way that minimises further loss of civilian life, though the signs are not good. Was it an intelligence failure? It’s too early to tell – perhaps it was but tragically sometimes politicians have a tendency...
2023-10-1621 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 20Retiring the Taipan helicopters in 2025 was always a very bad idea – and now the decision never to return them to service is completely irrational. In making the announcement Defence Minister Richard Marles said this would cause a major capability gap – so why do it? The lack of interest in trying to understand the availability problem is stunning – and it’s an example of how poor decision-making has become when it relates to Defence. More than 500 of these helicopters are in service around the world. Italy has about 120 and has deployed them successfully to Afghanistan. At the other end of the scale, New...
2023-10-0924 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 19Canberra has been abuzz with the Pezzullo Affair, but it might not be of interest more broadly – so let’s examine why it matters. It goes to the heart of how Australia is run and how the cult of secrecy – particularly surrounding anything to do with Defence and national security - is having such a corrosive effect. Also, why hasn’t our embassy in Kiev reopened? It matters because that is an international embarrassment. Finally, just in the last few days there’s further clear evidence of China’s regional ambitions. In response we are doing…..nothing. However, there are a few simple res...
2023-10-0221 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 18We can go slightly further than last time and say it is the intention of the ADF never to fly Taipan helicopters again – they will sit on the ground until they are disposed of. Who is taking these decisions when the helicopters are fine to fly and we have potentially a horror bushfire season to come? Is anyone in charge? Speaking of which, why is the Government’s response to the RAN surface ship review pushed out until early next year? It can’t be that difficult. Also it seems that the second hand Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines we might receive wi...
2023-09-2518 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 17We start off with a positive story about Australian defence technology making a difference in Ukraine – including a drone attack on a Russian Air Force Base using a product from a Melbourne company. But there’s more – Canberra-based EOS is also supplying short range air defence systems using 30mm Bushmaster cannons that will be extremely effective against airborne targets and which can be used in a land attack role as well. Cheap, rugged and deadly – so why isn’t the ADF investing in these sorts of anti-drone technologies? And a new source of information about the Hunter class frigate program in th...
2023-09-1822 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 16The culture of secrecy is starting to crack with the Senate ordering Defence to release VIP flight details. Next, the main Australian supporters of nuclear powered submarines – the Prime Minister and his Deputy – could both lose their jobs, and that’s not a joke. In the US, legislation necessary for the sale of submarines is stuck in the Senate for the good reason that US needs come first. Next, some analysis of the recent 60 Minutes segment about the Virginia class – and while not bad it still left out very significant matters, such as why were are getting second hand platforms...
2023-09-1121 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 15What is the minimum number of nuclear-powered submarines you need for a viable capability? At the moment all 6 UK SSNs are tied up at Faslane. The outcome of AIR 6500 Phase 1 has been decided – and Lockheed Marin are the worthy winner. However, this seems contrary to the DSR recommendation in favour of an off-the-shelf solution, so what else will be ignored? Is MQ-28A Ghost Bat under threat? Then the story of how big, brave RAAF officers at a basic flying training school in Tamworth locked their doors and hid under their desks rather than speak with three visiting Australian journalists. By comp...
2023-09-0423 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 14We start by looking at some recent missile purchase announcements – but wait; haven’t we heard all of this before? Next, to the ALP conference and the implied insult that anyone who questions AUKUS is unpatriotic. We dig into the chant that building nuclear powered submarines will mean 20,000 highly paid union jobs – but in which century? It was always the case that the Collins class would be replaced by more submarines involving well paid union jobs, just a matter of what those jobs would be and when they will become available. Finally we look at the cult-like thinking that is now dee...
2023-08-2823 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 13By the standards of Defence a $1.8 million 12-month contract with Deloitte is just a blip but it’s illustrative of money being sprayed around. We also have a quick look at AIR 6500 – and maybe what the DSR had in mind was something completely different from what I originally thought. Maybe the hint they are giving is to look at expanding LAND 19 Phase 7 and adding on the David’s Sling missile from Israel. We have a look at some false claims and exaggerations from Defence and ask can’t we do better when it comes to the local m...
2023-08-2121 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterInterview with Prof Tanya MonroA key figure in Australia’s military landscape is Professor Tanya Monro, the Head of the Defence Science and Technology Group. We sought her views about the importance of National Science Week and why Defence is keen to attract the best and brightest young minds to its ranks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2023-08-1610 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 12In this episode, we look at some of the politics around Defence – and especially the AUKUS part of it. In Australia we have effectively two part-time Ministers responsible for a massive and troubled portfolio and it raises questions about whether the government has the appetite for, or the ability to carry out, reforms and improvements. Even if the nuclear-powered task force has a plan to acquire second-hand Virginia class submarines that doesn’t guarantee success – history is full of failed military plans. Unfortunately, AUKUS is developing a cult-like atmosphere where only believers in the plan are included in discussions, which is...
2023-08-1424 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 11In this episode we have a quick look at the perils of helicopter operations, particularly at low level and at night. Then there was the next round of AUSMIN talks and the usual Australian forelock tugging. If the US was really our friend they would offer several things: new Virginia class submarines instead of used; a refund of our $3 billion subsidy to their shipbuilding sector; and an agreement to take submarines back for disposal at the end of their lives. We also have a look at the future of SEA 1100 and the suggestion from prime contractor Luerssen to transition fr...
2023-08-0721 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 10Some breaking news: a decision on Land 400 Phase 3 is imminent. Then we look at the Nuclear-powered submarine taskforce and the role of ex-Human Services departmental head Kathryn Campbell. We offer some guidance to the Prime Minister: review all of the advice that has come from that task force very, very carefully. Either you are being misled – or if you know the full facts then the Australian people are being misled, you can’t have it both ways. And a quick look at the situation in the US with the Virginia class submarine program. It’s turning into a maintenance nightmare w...
2023-07-2427 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 9We start with some corrections and clarifications and then look at the Robodebt Royal Commission and ask: are there implications for Defence? There may well be. The Royal Commission exposed many examples of misleading advice being provided to government – and then politicians being complicit in going along with a scheme that was illegal. Defence has not been sending out debt notices to poor people, but it has been pushing multi-billion dollar acquisitions for which there has been almost no public discussion about how and why such large amounts are being spent. We run through some projects that appear...
2023-07-1720 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 8When does clever marketing cross over into something more nasty – namely the selective or misleading use of information? When you are the UK trying to sell a warship to Australia, that’s when. We detail some of the shenanigans behind that one and ask how is it possible to fool of the experts in the RAN and Defence. Next is the failure to transfer Hawkei vehicles to Ukraine – and the reasons given to the Australian public for the lack of action do not stand up to scrutiny. Finally when we said the situation with the SURTASS purchase could not be any worse...
2023-07-1021 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 7More information has come to light on two topics of great interest: nuclear-powered submarines and the very strange purchase of SURTASS.In linked decisions of enormous consequence – taken with zero public debate or discussion – we are apparently buying two second-hand Virginia class submarines and, if that isn’t bad enough, are disposing of them in Australia. Decommissioning a nuclear submarine is very expensive, highly dangerous and complex. Australia will have to start building a massive facility soon, which will need to be guarded for decades to come. On SURTASS, this is looking worse by the day. Defence says it h...
2023-07-0319 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 6Some more information has come from the US about the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine acquisition – and it’s no wonder the information is being suppressed in Australia. We will receive nothing tangible for the $3 billion we are donating to the US – it will just add to the profitability of companies that are already doing very well. Who in Defence and government agrees to these things? What is the possible justification? And sorry – we will only receive second-hand Virginia class submarines when the construction of new ones exceeds the needs of the USN, which will take a while. After that, we sta...
2023-06-2618 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 5Enough about the budget and DSR already! Now it’s time to have a look at AUKUS and acquiring nuclear-powered submarines – and it should surprise no one to learn that we are not being told the full story; not even close. Also a conversation with a retired USN Admiral so that people can understand what the Americans really think about Australia – and a warning, it’s not flattering. Finally and briefly, we look at an earlier FMS rip-off of Australia: the C27J purchase. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform
2023-06-1918 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 4In this episode: It’s worse than we thought. The government has confirmed that Defence expenditure will decline for the next two to three years – and there’s a lot of cutting and reprioritising to come. We also discuss the perverse financial incentive for the Department to balance its books by purchasing as much as possible from overseas rather than using Australian suppliers. We conclude with a summary of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and the openness of many other countries when it comes to discussing national security. The current Australian obsession with secrecy is damaging the national i...
2023-06-1220 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 3Looming Defence Budget disaster – in this episode, we look at the analysis of the recent Defence Budget by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), which it calls “The Big Squeeze”. The numbers don’t lie and for the next two to three years Defence will actually lose money – and the situation is even worse than it looks because of inflation. This will almost certainly see a further reduction in Australian industry content – completely the opposite of what the Federal government is telling us. We have a bit more to say on the ridiculous FMS purchase of SURTASS – and just for a bi...
2023-06-0518 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 2In this episode we continue to look at the Defence Strategic Review, which is not at all the radical policy shift that many of its boosters claim. On the contrary, in many cases Australia is simply catching up with the rest of the world – for example with the belated planned acquisition of rocket artillery. Also the DSR authors seem to lack an understanding of how the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system actually works. Australia might want to receive more U.S. systems and get them faster, but several production lines are already at maxim...
2023-05-2918 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterEpisode 1Defence is one of the most consequential activities for any government. Securing the future of the nation and the lives of its citizens is about as important as it gets. To that end, Australia spends about $50 billion per year on the Australian Defence Force which is about 2% of GDP. Despite that, it doesn’t get as much in depth coverage as it should and taxpayers are left largely in the dark about where their money is going and how well it is being spent. There is no reason for this veil of secrecy and APDR seeks better inform people about...
2023-05-2218 minAsia Pacific Defence ReporterTrailerWe are producing these podcasts as a way of shedding a bit more light on Defence decisions – particularly acquisitions – because the system has become secretive and taxpayers have a right to know what’s going on. But it’s even worse than that with Defence sometimes putting out information that is misleading and in some cases plain wrong. We discuss the Defence Strategic Review and debunk the claims that it is some sort of radical and positive move. No it is not. We also have a few words about the outrageous decision to purchase the SURTASS towed array sonar via FMS an...
2023-05-1800 min
L+L: Laboratorio LegalL+L: Laboratorio Legal III T - 016 – "Peligros y Riesgos en Restaurantes”.En este episodio conversamos con Ing. Cesar Moreno Rojo, Especialista en Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo, Doctor en Ingeniería Agroindustrial, Miembro APDR, APEHO, SOPERGO, SOCHERGO, ABERGO. Con certificado de competencias en PRL. Ergonomo calificado por SOCHERGO; acerca de la importancia de la implementación de sistemas de gestión de SST en restaurantes.
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Seguridad, Salud y mucho +HSE InfluencersHace unos días mi amigo Pablo Pinto me contacto presentándome este interesante proyecto que organizan la APDR de Perú y AEPSAL de España.HSE INFLUENCERS es El Primer Ranking de Líderes de HSE de habla hispana y está compuesto por profesionales de distintas áreas de gestión de HSE quienes, con sus conocimientos y experiencia, influencian y enriquecen la labor de muchos profesionales.Visítalos por https://hseinfluencers.org/
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A Tribo Radio#RadioTribo: A auga, un ben indispénsabelNeste programa da TRIBO RADIO participan activistas do movemento ecoloxista galego coas que falamos da contaminación das augas, da emerxencia climática e das secas. Coñecemos alternativas eficientes adaptadas á realidade galega, preguntámonos por que é importante que os ríos flúan libremente e como reducir o noso consumo de auga.
Contamos con Verónica Torrijos, bióloga e activista de ADEGA; Alba Pazos, activista do colectivo Auga Limpa Xa; Manuel García, labrego e membro de MEL (Movemento Ecoloxista da Limia); Pablo Gómez, biólogo e membro da Plataforma pola Recuperación do Sar; Antón Masa, Presidente...
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