Contested Ground

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, interviewer Defence Connect senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. Morrison, non-executive vice chairman of American Global Strategies, has recently announced a new role as chairman of Space Centre Australia, a planned spaceport in far north Queensland. He has also recently concluded a lecture at the Yomiuri International Economic Society in Tokyo in September. The pair discuss: The Australian government’s priorities for space and support of domestic space industry. The sudden blooming of interest in space innovation and its increasingly contested environment between international players. The AUKUS and QUAD alliances in regard to the Indo-Pacific. The upcoming US presidential election on 5 November and forecasts for Australian policy under a Republican or Democratic victory. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, co-host Liam Garman is joined by Steve Kuper, senior analyst and government relations manager at Defence Connect, to unpack deepening social tensions in the United States ahead of the US election. The pair begin the podcast discussing whether modern journalism, with a focus on opinion over reporting, has worsened the political divide in the US. Kuper and Garman then discuss Russian interference during the 2016 election and give insight into the Senate’s findings on how protest movements were exploited to achieve Russia’s political objectives. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by Dr David Kilcullen, former diplomat and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency senior research scientist, to discuss the moving evolution of conflict, tactics and military technology. The trio begin by discussing elements of complex warfare, how predictions change over time and the differences in warfare over the last 25 years. They also discuss the tactics and technologies of past and current conflicts, including those in use in Europe and the Middle East. Finally, they discuss the nature of resilience, innovation and technological expertise in current soldiery within defence forces and greater society. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and how state actors disrupt their non-state adversaries. The podcast begins with an analysis into the fragility of supply chains, examining the pager attack, and how adversaries can conduct espionage through acquisition. They then discuss strategies at disrupting non-state adversaries, including whether a decapitation strategy would work for Hezbollah in spite of its failure to disrupt irregular forces elsewhere. The podcast also examines the division that this represents in Australia, with announcements that the Australian Federal Police will go after those waving Hezbollah flags. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team