At the start of July, the federal government announced a $270 billion commitment to defence spending for the coming decade, and a new holistic strategy for dealing with an increasingly uncertain world in the Indo-Pacific.
In this exclusive interview, the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, AO, DSC, gives host Phil Tarrant the inside story on how his team is rethinking what a modern air force should look like – and how it can better collaborate with other elements of the ADF and government to drive change.
AIRMSHL Hupfeld lifts the lid on working with artificial intelligence on the Loyal Wingman platform, “robust” conversations with his counterparts in the Navy and Army on an integrated military, the drive towards a fifth-gen fighting force and how the lesson from COVID-19 must be to shore up global supply chains.
He also talks candidly about his love of flying, his journey into the top job in the RAAF, and how he can’t wait to get out in his Airtourer and P-51 Mustang in the near future.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team
Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:
Episode 217: INSIGHT: Maximising local industry content and our advantages in the Indo-Pacific – Matt Keogh, shadow minister for defence industry
Episode 215: INSIGHT: Capability development, interoperability and the US-Australia relationship – Mark Weinrich, US Marine Attaché, US embassy, Canberra
Episode 214: PODCAST: Maintaining agility through COVID-19 – Grant Sanderson, Electro Optic Systems
Episode 213: INSIGHT: Lessons on national security from a career in diplomacy – Dave Sharma MP
Episode 212: PODCAST: From micro-business to leading distributor - Graeme Bulte, Aquaterro
Episode 211: PODCAST: Supporting Australia’s veterans and service personnel - Jason Scanes, Forsaken Fighters
Episode 210: PODCAST: Bolstering domestic capabilities in the wake of coronavirus – Robert Nioa, NIOA
Episode 209: PODCAST: Providing an agile workforce to the defence industry – Drew Horsell, Horsell, and Jon Westerland, KBR
Episode 208: INSIGHT: COVID-19 implications on national sovereignty - the Hon. David Fawcett
Episode 207: PODCAST: Collaboration between scientists, industry and government – Tanya Monro, Defence Science and Technology
