Asia Pacific Defence Reporter

We have to start with the US and Israeli bombings of Iran, even though they have little direct relevance for Australia. The chances of the US achieving regime change is unlikely, no matter how many clerics are killed. Unless the US and Israel have been secretly arming rebel groups within the country, calls for protests will only lead to the deaths of even more innocent civilians. In Australia, the RN Astute class SSN, HMS Anson, arrived at HMAS Stirling for repairs. The government claims this meets a major AUKUS milestone. No it doesn't - it is proof of how desperate the UK is for our cash. Speaking of cash - Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy is in the UK to hand over $310 million to Rolls Royce for some nuclear reactor long lead time items. That money should be spent on Australian engineering companies which have the ability to manufacture the required items right here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode marks the 4th anniversary of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, which shows no sign of ending. Australia is providing some help - but not nearly enough. The international environment remains chaotic - and we pose the difficult question: if Australian governments are incapable of introducing a digital passenger arrival card, what hope is there that we will ever be able to build a nuclear-powered submarine? Donald $Trump's tariff war with the world continues and Australia has now been hit with a 15% rate, which of course will be met with earnest expressions of concern rather than a meaningful response. If you think Trump's aim of acquiring Greenland is over, think again Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we get to the Singapore air show, some more words about US isolationism and a country that seems to be fracturing. Something that Australian politicians seem to be sadly unaware of. There was pushback against the latest report from the US Congressional Research Service - a very authoritative group - that once again raised the possibility of Australia not receiving any Virginia class submarines. This was in the form of a heated response from Defence Minister Marles, that everything is perfect - but where is the evidence for that? The project will receive an injection of an additional $600 million this year, meaning that the path to reaching 2.3% of GDP will be even slower than previously believed. From the air show, some good news about the growth path for Apache helicopters and also a reminder that NH90 helicopters - the parent design of the scrapped Taipan fleet- remain in great demand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For some variety we start with a few words about China's President Xi Jinping undertaking a further purge of the military leaving him in sole command. In the short term this might make an invasion of Taiwan less likely - but in the medium term the situation could be more dangerous. In the US, chaos continues on both the foreign policy and domestic fronts. A question for Australian politicians and national security figures: if US officials, including the President, lie so blatantly to their own people, why should we believe anything that they say? When it comes to decoupling from the US, we might learn a lot more about how Canada is doing so when their Prime Minister Mark Carney visits in March. Canada is seeking to take advantage of the current self-inflicted US brain drain. Australia seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More US-caused turmoil with President Trump cancelling his takeover of Greenland because he has reached a concept of a framework deal with NATO but of course hasn't released any details. But he's replaced that with more threats at Canada, including using violent language, if they go ahead with a trade deal involving China. All the world can see what's happening - with the exception of the Australian government. Then Trump insulted all 1,200 non-US soldiers who died in Afghanistan as part of the ISAF mission claiming it was only Americans who did the fighting. This resulted in enraged pushback from people like UK PM Kier Starmer, who called Trump directly. How did our leaders react - by avoiding any direct criticism of Trump. A notable exception was senior Opposition figure Andrew Hastie who has labelled Trump's words for what they are. And a few thoughts on how Trump is gearing up for a third term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before discussing the Prime Minister's strange reluctance to call a Royal Commission into the Bondi terrorist attack we have to talk about the increasingly erratic behaviour of Donald Trump. Threats from the US to take over Greenland are increasing, with greater tariffs on European countries now also part of the mix. This is because Trump claimed the Europeans weren't doing enough to defend the island so countries have sent small military delegations there to do some research - but the US President now claims this is an escalation. Here, Defence Minister Richard Marles has responded in his usual spineless fashion refusing to comment on US behaviour saying instead he thinks NATO will remain united when all sensible analysis comes to the opposite conclusion. It's time for Australia to have an open, mature debate about the nature of the US alliance and what we expect to get out of it. The country expects leadership - and it isn't getting it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a good thing we waited a couple of weeks before commenting on the US attack on Venezuela because the entire thing is getting stranger by the day. It clearly wasn't about regime change and even the logic of seizing oil reserves is looking shaky. It might have been because Donald Trump felt his dancing style was being mocked by the former Venezuelan President. As disturbing as that is, of even more concern is the US threatening again to acquire Greenland - by force, if necessary. This is completely insane and would destroy NATO, but Trump seems to be obsessed with it. If the US continues to destroy the existing rules based order, will Australian politicians finally grow a spine or will they find ever more creative ways to grovel? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start with a few thoughts on the awful terrorist attack on members of the Jewish community holding a party on Bondi Beach. But we cannot ignore other developments and have some further thoughts about the new US National Security Strategy, which explicitly attacks Europe and gives both Russia and China a leave pass. The official policy of the US is that they will now support European far-right political parties in what is obviously interference in the internal affairs of other nations. People should be outraged - as they would be if China said they planned to do the same thing in Asia. Our politicians won't say anything because they are moral cowards. Finally - instead of buying second hand Virginia class subs from the US, let's buy 40 year old Los Angeles boats instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The adventure continues with a late arrival in Kashgar - also known as Kashi - and a crowded program of educational and cultural events. The city has a very long history and is a colourful mix of cultures and religions.Then it was a flight to Ili, the capital of the Kazakh autonomous prefecture which was different again from Urumqi and Kashgar. Treats included milk beer and a visit to the former governor's palace - a frequent residence for exiles from eastern parts of China.Then a return to Urumqi for the final part of the tour and one of the most consequential events - a visit to the Exhibition of Counterterrorism and Deradicalisation in Xinjiang. This explained why - in often gruesome detail - why security crackdowns have been necessary.The quick summary of the 8 day program - Xinjiang is friendly, interesting, and well worth a visit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a busy time internationally with the US releasing a shocking National Security Strategy document that throws Europe under a bus and favours improved relations with Russia. Australian politicians need to take note. But also some thoughts on the restructure of Defence so that acquisitions will be done by a separate agency. That's all well and good but the main improvements need to be cultural and attitudinal on the part of Defence managers. Keeping the same people and giving them new titles won't make the slightest difference. The rumours were correct and more aid will go to Ukraine - but given that the US is in the pocket of Russia a lot more will be needed. A final thought - the US is currently siding with China over their ugly war of words with Japan. Why should Australia be any different? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

APDR 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@venturamedia.netAbusive content will not be allowed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start with breaking news of a Defence restructure - though it's too early to tell if it will make a difference. Then - despite the best efforts of many - the government is refusing to close a loophole allowing Russian oil to be sold in Australia, though it is possible that a new aid package is being developed. It can't come fast enough with the US continuing to side with Russia in a plan that would end Ukraine's independence - and we go into the main motivation: greed and the chance for the Trump family and their friends to make untold billions from the situation. Finally some words about why the US is moving towards military action against Venezuela - and that's more greed at work. Australia's politicians have to realise that the US will no longer help Australia unless there's something in it for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once again, there have been shocking developments regarding US support for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. President Trump has given Ukraine an ultimatum that amounts to a surrender or lose his support. In the so-called peace proposal, Russia does not have to make any concessions. It is now obvious that President $Trump is for sale to the highest bidder - and it's time Australian policy makers realised that. The first thing we should do is to provide more aid to Ukraine because despite talking about the rules based order in the last 12 months nothing has been donated to Kiev. Some current Australian policies actually benefit Russia. Finally some words on why Mogami frigates will never be built in Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start with some more information about the major Indo-Pacific maritime conference in Sydney and the description of it by Defence Minister Richard Marles as a type of Disneyland. Unfortunately, this is emblematic of the trivialisation of Defence topics in this country and partly explains why there has never been a serious discussion about acquiring nuclear powered submarines, or many of the embarrassing details of SEA 3000. Looking internationally, the US is behaving erratically with President Donald Trump now being openly bribed. Is this how a reliable security partner behaves? On top of that, there might be a few more problems coming up for the pace of US submarine construction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Indo-Pacific Maritime Expo had quite a few submarine related news items and we look at a few of them, including about future Combat Management Systems. Unfortunately, most journalists continue to act as government stenographers and are either unable or unwilling to ask any awkward questions about AUKUS. It's not clear why when there are many issues that still need to be understood. To make sure that never happens, the government and coalition have disgracefully joined forces to block a Senate inquiry into the matter. The terms of reference are entirely reasonable and would have provided the Australian people with much needed information - but we can't have that. Some words about South Korea - and they will probably have their own nuclear-powered submarines before the first SSN-AUKUS is even launched. Finally a question - does the ADF believe in extra-judicial killings? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a big week in South Korea with the Presidents of the US and China meeting on the fringes of APEC. Another related development was the US agreeing to help South Korea develop nuclear powered submarines. The Australian reaction has been predictably snarky and ill-tempered as people to start to realise we aren't as special as we have been telling everyone we are. While it's early days, it looks like South Korea will be building new submarines for themselves, not buying second hand clunkers from the US that we have fallen for. Finally, the Trump-Xi meeting looks like it has been a major win for China. No surprise there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before discussing Korean defence industry and the huge ADEX show in Seoul, some words about the state of the US, which seems to be in a political mess. The problem with all the positive coverage of the Donald Trump - Anthony Albanese meeting a week ago is it risks blinding people to the obvious reality that the US might not be in a position to defend anyone. We could be reaching that point much sooner than anyone anticipated - and Australians have to start thinking seriously about that prospect. Thankfully for defence equipment, there are some alternatives, including from South Korean defence industry. The capabilities of the Republic of Korea are extraordinary, and the rate of growth seems to be increasing - and we have a quick look at the KF-21 supersonic jet fighter. A stealth version of it will appear soon - and it will be similar in performance to Australia's F-35s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's happened - the long awaited meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump has occurred - and the Australian reporting of it has varied from average to woeful. It could have been much worse - but it has not altered the fundamentals of AUKUS Pillar One. If the US was serious about selling second hand Virginia class submarines to us, President $TRUMP could authorise the deal now with the transfer occurring in the 2030s - but the US won't do that. The critical minerals agreement is just as unnecessary as expected. Back in Australia, there's some very good news about domestic guided weapons manufacture with a three way deal between ourselves, Lockheed Martin and the US. We also ponder why it is that Ministers tell obvious untruths and falsehoods. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The big international story is the ceasefire in Gaza - and thank goodness for that. Can US President Donald Trump claim it as a personal success? Absolutely! From what we can piece together, he was somehow able to persuade Hamas to trust Israel and at the same time finally got tough with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Let's hope the peace lasts, but with Israel's current policy settings that looks unlikely. We also preview our PM's meeting with Trump scheduled for October 20 - and let's hope there isn't any grovelling or attempts to appease the US by giving away lots of stuff. And finally a few depressing words about who really sets Australian security policy - and it's not governments or Ministers, it's a very powerful group of bureaucrats who have talked themselves into the belief that Australia cannot defend itself unaided. This has become a litmus test for admission into the group and has poisoned the minds of a number of Ministers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Better late than never, we start by looking at the Australia-PNG defence treaty, which has now been signed by the Prime Ministers of both countries. While generally a good thing, there are questions about how suitable it is for PNG's needs and whether it could act as a vehicle for a conflict with Indonesia. Then some words about US and Australian military cultures - and what will happen if they become completely incompatible. In the extraordinary meeting on September 30 with the entire US military hierarchy, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth made it clear that they only want white, male, Christian nationalists in the ranks. And some thoughts on why people in the US have suddenly started being so publicly supportive of AUKUS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week there's a lot to talk about internationally because PM Anthony Albanese has been in the US and the UK. For the latter visit, the attitude of the Australian media has been displaying cultural cringe at its worst. Please understand that Australia does not need to "shore up" AUKUS because it's the UK begging us for our dollars. The PM now has a meeting with US President Donald Trump on October 20 and who knows how that will go because if Mr Trump's rambling, incoherent speech to the United Nations was anything to go by, he appears to have lost his mind. Finally a few more brief words about Xinjiang - and anyone who wants to understand China today has to look at the last 200 years of history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast was recorded in Beijing at the end of a 12 day visit to China, the bulk of which was spent in the Xinjiang Autonomous region looking at topics such as the Belt & Road Initiative and the status of the Uighur ethnic community. But it has still been possible to keep an eye on events in Australia such as the supposed $12 billion investment in the Henderson maritime precinct and the failure to secure treaties with Vanuatu and now PNG. Plenty of egg on face for those - though the setbacks might be temporary. Also, the US seems to be descending into fascism, not that any Australian politicians care. Finally, some words about the treatment of the Uighurs. Has there been repression? Yes. But no one talks about the reasons why - dozens of extremely violent terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists during a 20 year period. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A correction to start with - Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles have a range of 3,000km, not the 1,000km mentioned in the previous podcast, giving rise to the question: if Ukraine can develop their own long-range cruise missiles, why can't Australia? Next we have the comical renaming of the US Defense Department to the War Department, as if this will do anything other than expose the Trump administration to more ridicule. Make no mistake, continuing pro-Russia actions make it abundantly clear that President Trump is not a supporter of democracies - and that could extend to Australia as the US retreats slowly into a posture of homeland defence. We look at nuclear submarine numbers in the US and UK with new analysis provided by retired submariner RADM Peter Briggs and it's not a pretty picture. If only we had stuck with France. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start with some thoughts about the still unexplained visit to Washington DC in the final week of August by Defence Minister Richard Marles. The exact circumstances of his meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remain unclear. Perhaps the visit was a substitute for the annual AUSMIN talks, which might not go ahead because of a lack of interest on the US side. The Australian government does not seem to realise that most of the world is rapidly realigning to minimise dependence on the erratic Trump administration. In our region Japan and the Republic of Korea are re-evaluating their relationship with Washington - and India has had enough and is trying to rapidly improve relations with China and possibly Russia. This means that the Quad - the security agreement between the US, Australia, Japan and India - is dead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unfortunately the prediction in the previous podcast that the Trump administration will continue down the path of being an unreliable security partner is proving to be correct. US politics is swerving in a dangerous direction of dismantling many aspects of how a government functions - a process that has historical roots. Practical manifestations are things like on the one hand approving the sale of weapons to Ukraine, but on the other hand severely limiting how they can be used. The results of the Elbridge Colby revenue into AUKUS are expected by late November - and we predict that the sale of second-hand nuclear submarines will only go ahead if Australia can meet certain conditions, such as lifting Defence spending to 3.5% of GDP. Finally some speculation about why the Mogami frigate wasn't selected for SEA 3000 two years ago since it's now apparent it was always the preferred choice of the RAN. Could it be that two years ago only the basic Mogami was under construction but by delaying the decision until now the upgraded version is under contract meaning the Navy will get a much bigger ship with twice the number of VLS cells than the ship of 2023? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- The dominant international security event was the disgraceful Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, with the US President fawning and grovelling in front of his war criminal Russian counterpart. The result was nothing positive for Ukraine - no ceasefire and no new sanctions, only talk of territory being given to Russia. It is impossible to comprehend why President Trump cannot understand that it is Russia that launched an unprovoked, illegal invasion of Ukraine. This event has profound implications for Australia, demonstrating once again that the US is no longer a reliable ally. Then a bit more about SEA 3000 and details of how Defence cooked the books, outrageously inflating the price of the TKMS bid designed to deny them a competitive advantage over MHI. Finally, some positives about RoK-Australia defence cooperation. The Koreans are very keen - so Australia now needs to seize the opportunity and make things happen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congratulations to Japan and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for their success in being selected as the supplier of General Purpose Frigates under SEA 3000. The attractive features of the Japanese ship are well known - stealth characteristics, high levels of automation, a fixed-face radar array and 32 VLS cells. However, this was followed by a deceitful background briefing by senior Australian figures that was full of provable untruths. This included information suggesting that the losing bid from German supplier TKMS was inflated by Defence using the false pretext that it came with a different set of weapons. No it did not. Without any evidence, Defence had also concluded that TKMS could not meet the schedule when there is ample evidence that they could do so without difficulty. One wonders why a competition even took place when the outcome looks predetermined. Then there's more misleading information from Defence Minister Richard Marles who continues to insist incorrectly that Australia has already reviewed the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine decision. And once again it looks like US President Donald Trump is getting ready to sell out Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We promised some analysis of the UK-Australia AUKUS submarine agreement and to describe it as a framework would be generous. It has a lot of standard legal boilerplate about tariffs and tax refunds, but the substance has many gaps. It can be cancelled with 12 months notice and seems to leave all of the power in the hands of the UK government. Next - the US seems to be becoming a less reliable ally on a daily basis. President Donald Trump is now using tariffs as a political cudgel, not just an economic one of very doubtful effectiveness. Defence talks with Australia scheduled for the next few days have been scrapped and it's unclear if the annual AUSMIN talks will go ahead as scheduled. Our government remains supremely confident that no one should worry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There has been quite a bit of news about AUKUS Pillar One based on the visit to Australia of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier and a couple of Ministers. Apparently there's going to be a 50-year treaty about the AUKUS submarine between our two countries, with the document soon to be tabled in Parliament. This is probably because we can't get a treaty with the US, so let's have one with the UK instead - but it's strategic nonsense and all of the talk of industrial cooperation are just empty words. We buy a lot from the UK and in return they buy nothing from us. Turning to the US, in testimony to the Senate, incoming Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Daryl Caudle has expressed doubts about the ability of industry to produce enough Virginia class submarines for their own needs, let alone Australia's. This information will of course be ignored by our government because it doesn't suit their warped view of reality. And SEA 3000 is reaching a crucial point with the possibility of a winner being selected in the next few days. Assuming that the competition is genuine, it's not helpful that plenty of Australian commentators are telling Japan that they have it in the bag. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Details have come in about the latest US military aid package for Ukraine and it looks to be a disappointment. President Donald Trump has given Russia 50 days to start peace negotiations but that coincides with the start of the Autumn rains when ground campaigning grinds - or bogs - to a halt. Also for the weapons part of the equation - nothing is being given to Ukraine, all of the systems are being sold at normal commercial rates to NATO allies, who will in turn transfer them. In the last few days both PM Anthony Albanese and Richard Marles have said that for Australia what counts is not what we are spending on Defence but rather the capability being acquired. This is exactly the point - the ADF is going backwards. Sacking a few senior military and civilian figures, which is in the pipeline, won't help. Let's do something useful such as acquiring South Korea's equivalent of Patriot - the KM-SAM - and building it in Australia. That would make an important practical difference, but for it to happen needs a major change of mindset within Defence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This 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 Germany's TKMS. It looks like a good low risk strategy based around the Saab 9LV combat management system. Additionally, some - but not all - of the claimed advantages of Japan's upgraded Mogami frigate don't stand up to scrutiny. Also, what on earth is going on with the Henderson maritime precinct in WA and some strange recent comments from Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy. Finally with Patriot missiles in high global demand, let's work with the South Koreans to build the medium range surface-to-air missiles they have developed in Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the centenary podcast we have chosen a theme - Ukraine. The ongoing fightback against the Russian invasion is relevant to Australia in several ways, including the reliability of the US as an ally and also for the future direction of military technology. The US has again suspended some military aid, and how Vladimir Putin must be rejoicing. The bureaucrat responsible is also the one currently reviewing AUKUS and he may well figure out a way to extract even more cash from gullible Australian politicians and Defence figures. As we have previously tried explaining, the entire procurement structure could be improved overnight and at zero cost by making the system far more transparent and we have drafted a memo for Richard Marles so he doesn't have to do it himself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities continue to dominate defence coverage - and in terms of Washington politics everyone has to agree with Donald Trump that they were obliterated. In a future joint operation, Australia would be expected to sing from the same song sheet. Let's not forget that he is continuing to support Russia - and that could have major implications for Australia. But the main theme is the TKMS bid for SEA 3000, the details of which have not come from the company because they would be in breach of Defence NDAs and people would be jailed as a consequence. However, there's enough information around to believe they will offer a low risk solution based on the Saab 9LV CMS and a number of sensors well known to the RAN. At the same time it is possible that Japan has been misled, or at least misdirected - by the insistence of Defence and the government that speed to capability is ahead of everything else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even on the very rustic Greek island of Zakynthos, it was impossible to remain isolated from world events such as the airstrikes by Israel and the US on Iran.While much of the commentary has split along the usual lines of conservatives around the world standing with the US, it is far from clear how close Iran was to producing a nuclear weapon - Israel has been calling wolf on this for the last 20 years.What was the motivation of President Donald Trump? Apparently he was encouraged by the positive Fox News coverage of Israel's earlier strikes.As for Australia, there's a very important issue in all of this that no one wants to talk about, namely why are we still blindly following an increasingly erratic Washington administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We bring you a special edition podcast from the Greek island of Zakinthos to discuss the current US administration's review of AUKUS. It's rather ominously worded to see if it fits President Donald Trump's “America First” agenda. Why do we always need to find out about these things from the Americans? Why can't our own Defence Minister Richard Marles ever come clean about things such as how much we are giving to the US, and why they want us to lift Defence expenditure to 3.5% of GDP? As for the review itself, why would the US want to end the deal when there are still billions more dollars to be extracted from Australian taxpayers and gullible politicians? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the previous podcast, many people might have been hoping for a description of the TKMS bid for SEA 3000. Sorry to disappoint, but the rules imposed by Defence block that, and we have figured out who is to blame. It's the probity lawyers - what a surprise. The media visit to Germany focused entirely on the parent yard build of the first three ships, and there is no doubt that TKMS and partner companies will be able to do that without working up a sweat. Then, some personal thoughts on strategic partnerships. Many people believe the relationship with Japan is so important that the Mogami should be automatically selected. But does it make sense to base partnerships on the purchase of equipment? Wouldn't it be better for that to be the domain of treaties and security guarantees? And shouldn't buying stuff work both ways if it's so important? Also, Ukraine is using drones to revolutionise warfare. We told you so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings 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 opinion between the PM and Defence Minister as to whether or not we give in to that pressure.Then some details of an article in June APDR that AUKUS Pillar One has very little chance of success written by Dr Hans Ohff, Managing Director of the Australian Submarine Corporation during the critical years of the Collins program. Unlike politicians and bureaucrats he actually knows how difficult it is to successfully deliver submarines - and Australia is falling well short. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With 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 for Australia. On the international scene, tariff stupidity continues with Donald Trump threatening Europe with 50% on June 1 and the US company Apple with 25% if they continue making iPhones offshore. If Australian politicians want to get into the game of appeasing Trump, maybe we should offer to build a mega yacht for him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start with a clarification from the previous episode that Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has retained responsibility for capability delivery, even though those words have been removed from his title. And then a lot more about the unreliability of the US as an ally - a reality so obvious that everyone can see it, except for Australian politicians. The update of the list now includes the US coming to some sort of deal with the Houthis - ignoring everyone else - as well as having direct talks with Hamas and Iran. Israel wasn't even included on Trump's itinerary for his Middle East trip, possibly because they don't have any gold and marble palaces stuffed full of grovelling courtiers.Then let's at least have a laugh about Qatar's bribe of a luxury 747. No one in their right mind would accept it on cost grounds alone. Let's see what happens when the US demands Australia increase Defence spending to 3% of GDP. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a new Federal government ministry - and it's very much like the old one. Richard Marles retains Defence and Pat Conroy Defence Industry, though with the 'capability delivery" element seemingly removed. This was preceded by Richard Marles using his factional muscle to get rid of two highly competent Ministers in the form of Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic. Let's backtrack a bit and review the only national security topic in the entire election campaign - whether Russia had requested a permanent military base on Indonesian soil. This cannot be ruled out because of the often opaque nature of Indonesian politics. Then President Trump's failed trade war against China - though people shouldn't be celebrating just yet. Another feature of the new US administration is that it's making it clear it's available to the highest bidder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The election result is a surprisingly strong win for Labor, but it's important to understand the basis for that. Yes, the Coalition ran a poor campaign and the ALP a good one - but the real reason for a reversal in poll numbers during the last 4 months is because of the Trump Effect, similar to what has occurred in Canada. It's important not to lose sight of the big picture - Trump's tariff war risks destroying the global economy and Australia will not be insulated from the consequences. Let's go down memory lane with what happened in this region last time the US did this in 1930 with the Smoot Hawley tariffs. Most people know what happened in Europe with the rise of the Nazis in Germany. Less well known is the effect on Japan, which was also devastated by the tariffs and used their colony of Korea to seize all of Manchuria in 1931, the precursor to the full blown invasion of China 6 years later. The new Australian government should be doing its best to deter the actions of the Trump administration not aid and abet them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Federal election 2025 special podcast starts with the shocking news that the government is offering nothing new on the Defence and national security front - and the opposition isn't much better. For Australians interested in topics other than the most dull, mundane, routine "news" they will have to go elsewhere than the election campaign and the woeful performance of much of the media. The US is radically transforming in front of our eyes, realigning with Russia and other authoritarian regimes. President Donald Trump's trade war is in the process of wrecking the US economy - and unless he changes direction, within a few weeks 500,000 jobs will be lost in California alone. This is a rapidly sinking ship - but you won't hear a word of that from the major Australian political parties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Economic turmoil continues in the US with almost daily shifts in the tariff war being conducted against everyone except Russia. The self-destructive economic behaviour of the Trump administration is likely to drive countries in our region much closer to China - something that will have major implications for Australian security. Not that you will hear a word about that from any of our head in the sand politicians. Then some words about the movie The Downfall and the ability of some politicians to live in a fantasy world, ignoring all of the evidence in front of them. The Australian people are being told two big lies: that the US relationship is as rock solid as ever and that massive increases to our Defence budget are underway. Neither is true. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We record this episode with a sense of impending doom now that we know what Trump administration Liberation Day looks like – and it's bad. The US is voluntarily withdrawing from world leadership, and it would not be a surprise if NATO, the IMF and the WTO are next. Not that you will hear a peep from our politicians or most of the media, who simply cannot imagine anything other than a comfortable world led by Washington. If anything, our national security apparatus is even worse, saying we should not offer moral support to Canada or Denmark – or anyone else – because “it's got nothing to do with us”. What an utterly disgraceful attitude – and it explains the poor quality of so much recent decision making. Then some powerful words from Canadian Prime Minister Steven Carney warning that the world has changed forever. If only our politicians could show a similar level of leadership. It's time to start diversifying sources of military supply right now – more local production and strengthen relationships not only with Europe but also South Korea, Japan and Singapore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We 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 there was a very important AUKUS seminar on March 31 organised by Malcolm Turnbull – and the overwhelming consensus of participants is that Australia will not receive nuclear powered submarines from the US or the UK. To make the situation worse, there is no plan B. We say: invest in underwater drones – an area where Australia has a lot of capability. Finally on US threats to take over Greenland by force. The last time we checked, Denmark – which is responsible for Greenland - is part of NATO and therefore the island is already well protected by the alliance, of which the US is an important part (for the moment). The only person currently threatening Greenland is President Donald Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 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. This message has been heard in Europe and throughout the Indo-Pacific, just not by Australia. Some words about Canada purchasing Australia's JORN system - possibly as part of a move to decouple from the US. Regarding AUKUS Pillar one, we have some new jargon from Defence Minister Richard Marles: it's apparently a "treaty level agreement" - except there's no such thing. Either you have a treaty, or you do not. Clearly, there is no AUKUS treaty - just empty words and promises from an ally who demonstrably can no longer be trusted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 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 was bipartisan support in Congress for AUKUS legislation. Well, APDR has read the legislation and all that it does is set up the bank account for Australian cash to be deposited - for the US Secretary of Defence to spend on whatever he damn well pleases. When it comes to making ourselves less dependent on the US, we should immediately take up an offer from South Korea to jointly develop a next generation Army C2 system. Why aren't Defence officials on their way to Seoul right now? Finally, it looks like the Collins Life of Type Extension (LOTE) program is another disaster - and the consequence is that in the 2030s Australia will have no submarines at all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Due 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 version of the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, which divided Eastern Europe up between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union – except this time it's Russia and the US deciding the future of Ukraine and other countries. It's disgusting – and now Canada is also receiving treatment from the US that their Prime Minister believes is part of an attempt to turn it into the 51st US state. This isn't a joke, and Australians need to wake up. Our government needs to overcome its terror of upsetting the US and show some backbone on behalf of our friends and allies. We have leverage and should not be afraid to use it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If 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 facts, which show that despite having the world's 10th or 11th largest economy we are a pathetic 33 on the list of international donors. So how about the Prime Minister stop beating his chest and actually increase the level of support to something more meaningful. If people are agitated about Chinese warships conducting live fire drills in this area just imagine when the Russian Pacific Fleet starts doing the same thing, with the USN nowhere in sight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What 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 at its worst. We are on our own – and the UK has pulled the plug on AUKUS. To add to that we have had Chinese warships operating in the Tasman Sea as a blatant show of force. It was inevitable that this would happen at some point. Australian Defence planners need to stop obsessing with the South China Sea and worry about places much closer to home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 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 of Army can be overruled by a 20-something staffer in a Ministerial office. Finally, some thoughts on technologies – and we should be investing heavily in home-grown drones. We don't need to import a single one – there's plenty of talent here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.