PODCAST: How geopolitics must influence Australia’s force posture, with Mike Pezzullo

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Mike Pezzullo, principal author of the 2009 Defence White Paper and former secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, joins host Steve Kuper to unpack how the Australian Defence Force can meet the demands of the nation’s uncertain security environment.

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Mike Pezzullo, principal author of the 2009 Defence White Paper and former secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, joins host Steve Kuper to unpack how the Australian Defence Force can meet the demands of the nation’s uncertain security environment.

  • The pair begin the podcast looking at the alternative global order, including an emerging Eurasian bloc which is seeing North Korean troops deployed in Russia and BRICS’ alternative financial system.
  • They then examine geopolitical fractures between BRICS members and whether China is in an economic position to become a global hegemon.
  • Pezzullo then analyses how Australia’s force structure is designed to overcome low-level threats, and why the country needs a new base level of Defence spending.
  • Kuper and Pezzullo wrap up discussing efficiencies in domestic manufacturing and how technology can expedite the production of large-scale naval assets.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: SPOTLIGHT: Defence electronics supply chains, counterfeit components and shortages
Episode 10: PODCAST: AUKUS, China and Australia’s defence industrial future, with former prime minister Scott Morrison
Episode 9: CONTESTED GROUND: When AI goes rogue – the emerging threat Australia isn’t ready for
Episode 8: PODCAST: Frontier AI, cyber warfare, and defending Australia’s military networks, with Wendi Whitmore and Tom Scully
Episode 7: PODCAST: Australia’s 2026 Intergenerational Report and national security implications, with Phillip Tarrant and Robert Dougherty
Episode 6: CONTESTED GROUND: AUKUS, deterrence, and the deepening Australia–UK strategic partnership
Episode 5: SPOTLIGHT: Unlocking Australia’s Defence estate through divestment, with Stantec Australia
Episode 4: CONTESTED GROUND: Is Australia ready to secure its place in an increasingly contested space domain?
Episode 3: THE PROGRESS REPORT: Building the future – Viviene Beins on aerospace engineering, women, and Australia’s defence industry
Episode 2: PODCAST: Australian defence industry faces a changing strategic landscape, with Phillip Tarrant and Robert Dougherty