In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Liam Garman is joined by Simon Olsen, chief executive officer and co-founder of Arkeus autonomous optical systems, to discuss the changing world of drone warfare and what Australia is trying to achieve in the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) strategic space.

Olsen, the commercial-savvy CEO of Arkeus, has more than a decade of experience working with autonomous optical systems and the overall defence industry.

Drawing on experience working with the Australian Defence Force, US branches and other international militaries, Olsen starts the podcast with the origins of weaponised drones from their use of optical cameras in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The pair examine the strengths and weaknesses of UAV systems, as well as their use in denied environments and electronic warfare-impacted areas.

Exploring the cost-to-benefit ratio of current drones in Ukraine, Garman and Olsen discuss drones using off-the-shelf technology and their persistent use in military operations.

Olsen shares his experience of working with front-line personnel and its impact on successive contracts with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.

Finally, Olsen reveals the company’s goals for the future, AUKUS and his thoughts on upcoming events shaping the overall defence industry in Australia.

Enjoy the episode,
The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft are joined by Australian Aviation’s Jake Nelson to talk about the Qantas data breach before our usual suspects talk up the latest AI news, followed by some alarming local hacks.

• AI is the topic for Hollingworth and Croft as the pair start with a chat about News Corp’s new drive to integrate AI into journalists’ workflows and the media giant’s decision to train AI on the content produced by its writers. Plus, US Senator Bernie Sanders has a fantastic idea about what to do with all the time saved by AI – give it back to the workers!
• The pair then discuss a pair of successful investigations that have led to the hackers being arrested – one in France that appears to have put the final nail into BreachForums’ coffin as both ShinyHunters and IntelBroker are now behind bars, and another here in Australia, as the infamous Western Sydney University hacker was revealed to be an ex-student. Now arrested herself, she started out looking to cheat the university’s parking fees, but quickly went straight to the dark side.
• Hollingworth and Croft finish up with some updates on the Australian government’s social media age assurance trials and whether or not YouTube should be part of the ban, and return to an old friend, War Thunder, as another angry gamer has posted restricted material to prove a point.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Michael Shoebridge, Strategic Analysis Australia director, to unpack the debate about Australia’s level of defence spending and a host of other topics.

The pair discuss a range of issues, including:

• Responding to calls for Australia to shake off the “shackles” of the Australia–US alliance to pursue a truly “independent” foreign and defence policy and posture.
• The costs and challenges associated with pursuing such a doctrine, particularly when the government is already balking at lifting spending beyond 2 per cent.
• The ongoing challenges facing the Australian Defence Force and its capacity to acquire the minimum level of capability required to defend the nation.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Team