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PODCAST: LAND 129 Phase 3 and supporting sovereign UAS capabilities – Jack Kormas, managing director, Textron Systems Australia

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol
Jack Kormas

While much of the focus for sovereign industrial capabilities has been for Defence’s big-ticket items, uncrewed and autonomous systems are emerging as a key sector for continued growth.

While much of the focus for sovereign industrial capabilities has been for Defence’s big-ticket items, uncrewed and autonomous systems are emerging as a key sector for continued growth.

 

 
 

On this Defence Connect podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Jack Kormas, managing director of Textron Systems Australia, as they discuss the evolving realm of uncrewed and autonomous systems (UAS), specifically LAND 129 Phase 3.

Kormas and Tarrant discuss Textron Systems Australia’s status as a “homegrown business” stemming back to 1995 as Aerosonde and the storied history the company has of not only supporting sovereign industrial capabilities for the ADF, but also as a global leader in innovation.

The pair deep-dive into the company’s history of leading-edge UAS capabilities, which originally attracted Textron’s acquisition of Aerosonde and the opportunity it has presented to the Australian supply chain.

Finally, Kormas and Tarrant discuss the variants of the Aerosonde UAS platform, which is designed to support “small footprint” expeditionary land and sea-based operations capable of multi-role operations, key capabilities pursued by the ADF.

Enjoy the podcast,

The Defence Connect team

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: CONTESTED GROUND: The information advantage – how AI is reshaping influence, competition and power
Episode 10: PODCAST: Next-generation equipment at Land Forces 2026, with Aquaterro’s Graeme Bulte
Episode 9: SPOTLIGHT: Defence electronics supply chains, counterfeit components and shortages
Episode 8: PODCAST: AUKUS, China and Australia’s defence industrial future, with former prime minister Scott Morrison
Episode 7: CONTESTED GROUND: When AI goes rogue – the emerging threat Australia isn’t ready for
Episode 6: PODCAST: Frontier AI, cyber warfare, and defending Australia’s military networks, with Wendi Whitmore and Tom Scully
Episode 5: PODCAST: Australia’s 2026 Intergenerational Report and national security implications, with Phillip Tarrant and Robert Dougherty
Episode 4: CONTESTED GROUND: AUKUS, deterrence, and the deepening Australia–UK strategic partnership
Episode 3: SPOTLIGHT: Unlocking Australia’s Defence estate through divestment, with Stantec Australia
Episode 2: CONTESTED GROUND: Is Australia ready to secure its place in an increasingly contested space domain?