SPOTLIGHT: Crewed, uncrewed, mass and increasing contemporary maritime combat capabilities, with Kevin ‘Q’ Quarderer of Leidos Australia and MAJGEN (Ret’d) Mick Ryan

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine’s masterful use of autonomous and uncrewed systems have demonstrated the need for a structural rethink about how Australia and its partners build and deliver contemporary naval power.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine’s masterful use of autonomous and uncrewed systems have demonstrated the need for a structural rethink about how Australia and its partners build and deliver contemporary naval power.

Iran and Ukraine have successfully demonstrated, to varying degrees, the shift currently transforming contemporary naval warfare, raising questions about the future of modern naval power.

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight series, host Steve Kuper is joined by Leidos Australia’s Kevin “Q” Quarderer and Major General (Ret’d) Mick Ryan as they deep dive into the fallout of the conflict in the Middle East and the lessons Australia can learn from the conflict.

 
 

The trio unpack the successful USV raids conducted by Ukraine against the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the importance of investing in these emerging capabilities as a powerful, adaptable and attritable force multiplier that can be delivered at speed and scale.

They also discuss the evolution of contemporary naval force design and the hybridisation of crewed and uncrewed forces as a means of offsetting adversarial advantages, including how nuclear-powered submarines, partnering with the autonomous and uncrewed systems, will shape the future of the Australian Navy.

Finally, they interrogate the shortfalls to date and Australia’s policy towards the acceptance, fielding and training with uncrewed and autonomous systems and moving away from a risk-averse approach to changing with the times and why that needs to change.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Spotlight team

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: PODCAST: Fleet readiness, future warfare and Australia’s naval strategy, with Commodore Antony Pisani
Episode 10: THE PROGRESS REPORT: Direct hit over Baghdad – the pilot who outflew a surface-to-air missile
Episode 9: SPOTLIGHT: Subs may be the centrepiece – but infrastructure, workforce and sovereign capability will decide the outcome, with Stantec’s Chris Waywell, Rob Sansbury and Robert Fogel
Episode 8: CONTESTED GROUND: Apathy, complacency and the ‘Lucky Country’, Australia’s predicament is entirely self-inflicted, with Ben Dullroy
Episode 7: SPECIAL EDITION PODCAST: 125 years of the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army
Episode 6: CONTESTED GROUND: Australian resilience during a crisis and sovereign industrial capability
Episode 5: CONTESTED GROUND: From Tehran to Sydney – why war could reshape Australian property
Episode 4: SPOTLIGHT: Inside Australia’s AUKUS industrial transformation, with Honeywell Aerospace Australia senior director Lee Davis
Episode 3: CONTESTED GROUND: War without borders – the disinformation threat arriving in Australia
Episode 2: THE PROGRESS REPORT: The mission to make military children visible