New Zealand Defence Force Chief Air Marshal Tony Davies resigns citing past inappropriate relationship
The Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, Air Marshal Tony Davies, has resigned today for personal reasons, citing an undisclose...
New manufacturing facility breaks ground to accelerate Virginia Class submarine production
Australian representatives have attended a breaking ground ceremony for a new US manufacturing facility in Mississippi expected to...
Veterans urge Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to intervene and save Victoria Barracks
Opinion: Veterans from across Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s home state are calling on him to personally intervene and stop t...
PODCAST: Aerospace engineering, UAVs and Australia’s next generation of defence talent, with RMIT University’s Marcus Serong
How are university engineering programs and hands-on aircraft design competitions helping develop the next generation of aerospace...

INSIGHT: Celebrating female participation in the Navy — Rear Admiral Katherine Richards, head of Navy engineering

Geopolitics & Policy
|
By: Robyn Tongol
Katherine Richards

In this episode of the Defence Insight Podcast, Rear Admiral Katherine Richards, head of Navy engineering, joins host Phil Tarrant to recognise the contributions of women in Defence in celebration of International Women’s Day.

In this episode of the Defence Insight Podcast, Rear Admiral Katherine Richards, head of Navy engineering, joins host Phil Tarrant to recognise the contributions of women in Defence in celebration of International Women’s Day.

 


RADM Richards discusses her career journey, noting the shift in attitudes towards female participation in the Royal Australian Navy.

The 30-year veteran goes on to explain how female contributions to the warfighting effort have evolved, now playing a “central” role in achieving Australia’s defence and national security objectives.

RADM Richards warns against complacency, noting the importance of ongoing work to entrench new norms in the culture of the Royal Australian Navy.

The Rear Admiral concludes by discussing her role as head of Navy engineering, and her contribution to supporting Defence’s strategic objectives.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Defence Connect a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Defence Connect as a preferred news source.

Tags:

Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: PODCAST: Aerospace engineering, UAVs and Australia’s next generation of defence talent, with RMIT University’s Marcus Serong
Episode 10: PODCAST: Counter-drone systems, manufacturing and Australia’s defence industry priorities, with Northrop Grumman Australia’s Robert Denney
Episode 9: SPOTLIGHT: Australia’s loitering munitions, sovereign manufacturing and the future of drone warfare, with Innovaero’s Gregory Tunny
Episode 8: PODCAST: Contested logistics and Australia’s defence industry priorities at Land Forces 2026, with Amentum Australia’s Kim Katheklakis
Episode 7: PODCAST: Containerised solutions and human-in-the-loop systems at Land Forces 2026, with IAI’s Maxim Zemer
Episode 6: SPOTLIGHT: Lockheed Martin Australia’s priorities, leadership and life after service, with Jeremy King
Episode 5: THE PROGRESS REPORT: Leadership, mentorship and life at sea – Commander Melanie Lennard on 17 years in the Royal Australian Navy
Episode 4: PODCAST: Australia’s munitions manufacturing push at Land Forces 2026, with NIOA Group’s Robert Nioa
Episode 3: PODCAST: EOS showcases new interceptor and layered drone defence at Land Forces 2026, with Lee Kormany
Episode 2: CONTESTED GROUND: The information advantage – how AI is reshaping influence, competition and power