Defence & Security Podcast Network

How is Lockheed Martin supporting Australia's Black Hawk fleet, strengthening sovereign sustainment and preparing the platform for future modernisation?

Speaking with Defence Connect news editor Robert Dougherty at Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition 2026, Lockheed Martin Australia UH-60M sustainment program manager Rodahn Gibbon and Lockheed Martin US UH-60 Black Hawk Strategy senior manager Bobby J Adkins II discuss the program's priorities, including supply chain development, workforce investment and long-term capability growth.
The conversation explores the development of Australia's sovereign maintenance network, opportunities for local small and medium-sized enterprises, and apprenticeship and traineeship programs to build a sustainable workforce.
Gibbon and Adkins also discuss Black Hawk modernisation, including engine and cockpit upgrades, launched effects and the unmanned U-Hawk configuration, alongside opportunities to position Australia as a regional sustainment hub.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

How can Australian defence industry businesses strengthen security, achieve Defence Industry Security Program membership and position themselves to win more defence contracts?
Speaking with Defence Connect Spotlight host Phil Tarrant at Land Forces 2026 in Perth, De Stefano & Co CEO and managing director Emilio De Stefano discusses the growing importance of security compliance across Australia's defence industry, particularly for SMEs seeking to enter or expand within the sector.
The conversation explores DISP's four security domains, the importance of embedding security into organisational culture, and the challenges of managing cyber vulnerabilities, physical security and insider threats.
De Stefano also discusses DISP application delays, practical pathways to compliance and the additional requirements facing Australian businesses pursuing AUKUS opportunities, including alignment with international frameworks such as the US Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
Looking ahead, he explains how proportionate security roadmaps and independent advice can help businesses strengthen resilience, build trust with prime contractors and secure future defence industry opportunities.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Spotlight team

From AI-driven workloads and bank job cuts to attackers exploiting vulnerabilities at machine speed, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft unpack a turbulent week in cyber security – including Australia's latest threat statistics and proposals to protect artists from AI-generated imitations.
The Finance Sector Union says AI adoption is increasing workloads and stress, while job security falls amid thousands of bank cuts. Meanwhile, Arctic Wolf reports that AI autonomously resolves 60 per cent of security investigations, although human analysts remain involved in almost all cases – highlighting the importance of oversight as automation expands.
PHP vulnerabilities have been added to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue, with AI helping attackers exploit longstanding flaws. The latest Australian Signals Directorate cyber threat report also points to rising data breach notifications, while four Australian organisations were hit by Qilin ransomware in just four days.
There were positive developments, too. Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Deadly Coders are helping 5,000 First Nations students build AI and digital skills, while UNSW academics have proposed a Copyright Plus framework that would give artists greater control and potential remuneration when their work is used to train AI.
Enjoy,
The Cyber Uncut team

How is AtkinsRéalis supporting Australia's AUKUS submarine enterprise, addressing critical workforce shortages and translating global expertise into sovereign defence capability?
Speaking with Defence Connect news editor Robert Dougherty at Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition 2026, AtkinsRéalis defence market director David Eyles discusses the company's priorities for Australia's defence industry, including nuclear submarine infrastructure, workforce development and support for the Australian Defence Force.
The conversation explores the challenges of accelerating AUKUS delivery, securing the specialist skills required for the nuclear-powered submarine enterprise and addressing bottlenecks associated with overseas security clearance recognition, visa requirements and workforce mobility.
Eyles also discusses the importance of collaboration between government, industry, universities and TAFE providers in developing a sustainable sovereign workforce, alongside the role of state governments in strengthening defence industry investment and supporting national security priorities.
He shares his views on emerging opportunities across defence infrastructure and the guided weapons enterprise, building partnerships with government and industry, and leveraging global expertise to deliver locally tailored solutions for Australia's evolving defence requirements.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

From AI-driven bank job cuts and online radicalisation to critical PHP vulnerabilities and ransomware gangs using AI to analyse stolen data, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft unpack a week where artificial intelligence is reshaping both business and cyber crime.
AI is transforming banking, but the benefits come with a human cost. On this week's Cyber Uncut, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft examine Commonwealth Bank's rise to become Asia-Pacific's leading AI bank, alongside mounting job cuts across the sector. With banks struggling to guarantee job security and AI operating costs climbing, could some businesses soon find it cheaper to hire people than run the technology?
The cyber threat landscape is getting uglier, too. Two critical remote code execution vulnerabilities in PHP have put potentially millions of websites at risk, with outdated systems particularly exposed and AI accelerating the development of working exploits. The pair also examine how ransomware gangs are using AI to analyse stolen files and build more targeted extortion campaigns, while warning that online networks and AI-generated propaganda are contributing to radicalisation and real-world harm.
There are signs of progress amid the gloom. Westpac New Zealand is seeing growing adoption of open banking, giving customers more control over secure data sharing and payments. The hosts also explore the growing backlash against data centre developments, why community consultation matters, and Gartner's predictions for 2027 – including the decidedly cyberpunk prospect of "wetware-as-a-service", using biological systems for computing.
Tune in for the stories shaping the intersection of AI, business, and cyber security.
Enjoy,
The Cyber Uncut team