Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
defence connect logo

Powered by MOMENTUMMEDIA

Powered by MOMENTUMMEDIA

PODCAST: Reflecting on an extensive defence career, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Bob Love CB, OBE

Bob Love, Babcock

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Bob Love, who looks back at his long and varied career with the Royal Navy.

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Bob Love, who looks back at his long and varied career with the Royal Navy.


Love explains his pivotal role as the Royal Navy’s director general (ships) as well as potential learnings for Australia’s shipbuilding sector drawing on his experience as the officer in charge of the biggest shipbuilding program in Europe since WW2 – including taking the iconic Queen Elizabeth Class carrier program through main gate.

He also discusses his career post navy working with Babcock and BMT plus what the future holds as a senior defence executive. Additionally, he shares how the UK relationship between the services and industry differs to Australia, and why he believes Australia’s defence industry has a unique advantage compared with other countries.

Having received an Order of the British Empire from the Queen for his involvement in the recovery of HMS Nottingham off the coast of Australia, Love gives the story behind it and shares his plans to turn the experience into a book upon retirement.

Enjoy the podcast,

The Defence Connect team

Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 443: PODCAST: Unpacking the history of Australia’s defence policy and posture, with Michael Pezzullo
Episode 442: PODCAST: Moving beyond the End of History
Episode 441: SPOTLIGHT: Unlocking Defence performance through infrastructure design, with HDR’s Tim Napper
Episode 440: PODCAST: US Space Force engages with Australian SMEs at AusSpace24
Episode 439: PODCAST: Australia’s growing need for a national security strategy, with Andrew Wallace MP
Episode 438: PODCAST: Delivering Black Hawk in record time and setting the record straight on Army’s Aviation evolution
Episode 437: PODCAST: Life after Parliament and the changing geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific, with Scott Morrison
Episode 436: PODCAST: Private capital key to driving SME growth, with Mark Stevens
Episode 435: PODCAST: Putting veteran families first, with the Families of Veterans Guild’s Renee Wilson
Episode 434: SPOTLIGHT: Mission engineering – a missing piece of the capability puzzle, with Downer’s Rachel Hatton and Nathan Rickard