Developing true sovereign capability, with shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie MP

09/13/24 • 22 min

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for defence and shadow minister for defence industry, joins hosts Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman to discuss how Australia must develop sovereign capability amid growing geopolitical uncertainty.

The trio begin the podcast discussing how Australia needs to support Defence SMEs to deliver sovereign capability amid rising political uncertainty before looking into additional uses of Australia’s special forces capabilities.
The shadow minister then discusses how decision makers must clearly articulate the grey zone and kinetic risks that Australia faces, and outlines what some of his key objectives would be in government.
The podcast wraps up discussing Ukraine’s continued fight for freedom.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

The trio begin the podcast discussing how Australia needs to support Defence SMEs to deliver sovereign capability amid rising political uncertainty before looking into additional uses of Australia’s special forces capabilities.
The shadow minister then discusses how decision makers must clearly articulate the grey zone and kinetic risks that Australia faces, and outlines what some of his key objectives would be in government.
The podcast wraps up discussing Ukraine’s continued fight for freedom.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

Previous Episode

Irregular operations in Afghanistan and grey zone warfare in the APAC region, with MAJGEN (Ret’d) Gus McLachlan

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Gus McLachlan, former Commander Forces Command, joins hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman to unpack modern asymmetrical warfare: from the Taliban in Afghanistan to Chinese Coast Guard vessels in the Philippine Sea, and even how social media is spurring political divisions.

The podcast begins by analysing what grey zone warfare looks like in the modern geopolitical environment, from resource competition to militarisation of civilian capabilities to compel an adversary beneath the threshold of armed conflict.
The trio then discuss lessons from the Taliban in Afghanistan, including the utilisation of information to seize control of the narrative.
They then examine the need to seize freedom of manoeuvre in the online domain, and the risks of forfeiting social media.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

Next Episode

The enduring opportunities of the Australia–US relationship, with former ambassador Joe Hockey

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Joe Hockey, former Australian ambassador to the United States, joins hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper to discuss the continued importance of the Australia–US relationship.

The trio begin by discussing the fallout of the latest presidential debate between contenders, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, touching on the implications for the bilateral relationship.
They also discuss the role of grey zone warfare and information warfare efforts in the upcoming election and how they may shape the outcome.
Finally, they discuss the importance of the partnership in helping Australia reindustrialise and build a truly sovereign defence industrial base, with a pathway forward to establishing an integrated Australian prime.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team