Defence & Security Podcast Network

How close can a modern reproduction come to the legendary Supermarine Spitfire from World War II? And what does preserving and flying these aircraft reveal about aviation engineering, military history and innovation?

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Keith Russell, owner and pilot of the Whitsunday Spitfire, a 90 per cent scale reproduction of the iconic World War II Mk26B Spitfire aircraft.
Formerly known as the Port Hedland Spitfire and White Gum Spitfire, Russell's aircraft recently appeared at Warbirds Over Scone 2026 in NSW and Warbirds Over Wānaka in New Zealand.
Russell is also the former owner of Golden Eagle Airlines, a regional airline previously operating out of Derby, Western Australia, and has spent decades immersed in aviation operations and historic aircraft.
Drawing on his experiences flying both reproduction and original wartime Spitfires, including a two-seat Spitfire flight at Duxford in 2005, Russell discusses the engineering, handling and passion behind operating one of the world's most recognisable fighter aircraft.
The podcast conversation includes the following topics:
How the reproduction Spitfire compares to original wartime aircraft in handling, flight dynamics and pilot experience.
The engineering evolution of the aircraft, including modern modifications, experimental aviation regulations and replica aircraft manufacturing.
The strong international warbird community and the passion driving private ownership of historic military aircraft.
Operational realities of flying tailwheel aircraft, aerobatics and maintaining aviation discipline and safety.
Paint schemes, restoration authenticity and the challenges of balancing historical accuracy with personal customisation.
The role of innovation in aviation, from handcrafted aircraft design through to CNC manufacturing and experimental engineering.
Finally, the discussion explores the nature of warfare with older aircraft making a return to defeat drones and autonomous systems during the conflict in Ukraine.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

Qualys ANZ managing director Sam Salehi joins the Cyber Uncut podcast to expose the expanding AI attack surface, the governance gaps exposing organisations, and why boards must translate cyber risk into dollars to take it seriously.

This week on the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman speaks with Qualys ANZ managing director Sam Salehi about the rapidly evolving "AI attack surface" – from shadow AI usage and prompt injection risks to data leakage and model vulnerabilities – and why a lack of visibility is leaving businesses exposed before they even realise it.
Salehi outlines the core problem facing security leaders: organisations often don't know what AI tools are already in use, let alone how to secure them. The conversation explores how fragmented tooling, poor asset inventory, and missing business context are undermining risk management efforts, while boards continue to push AI adoption for efficiency gains. Salehi argues that leaders are flying blind, prioritising the wrong threats while leaving critical exposures unaddressed.
From data minimisation and API security to continuous monitoring and the rise of the "risk operations centre", Salehi emphasises the need for a unified, risk-based approach. His bottom line is blunt: in an environment where exploitation timelines are shrinking to hours, the only metric that matters is how quickly organisations can detect and close exposure – before attackers do.
Enjoy,
The Cyber Uncut team

Questions remain around sovereign manufacturing. Can Australia continue scaling its land and cyber capabilities while balancing industrial capacity and long-term strategic priorities?
In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Stephen Kuper, Robert Dougherty and Bethany Alvaro discuss a significant week across Australia's defence landscape, in particular the $750 million investment to expand the Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle fleet (PMV).
The discussion explores the platform's operational performance, lessons learnt from deployment in Ukraine, and emerging considerations around counter-drone technologies, including the potential integration of directed-energy systems.
The team also assesses news about the broader land capability developments, including a $2.3 billion push to enhance the Army's long-range strike capacity through systems such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
Attention then turns to domestic industrial capacity, with a closer look at Australia's ability to manufacture key components locally, such as vehicle engines.
On leadership, the team discusses the appointment of a new defence secretary, marking a historic milestone and signalling a potential shift towards stronger alignment between defence strategy and domestic industry policy.
Rounding out the episode, the panel dives into emerging cyber defence priorities, including proposals for a national cyber reserve force.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

How is Australia building a specialised space workforce while balancing sovereign capability, allied integration and the operational demands of a contested domain?

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Commander of Australian Space Command, Major General Gregory Novak AM, to discuss the rapid evolution of the space domain and its growing importance to national security.
MAJGEN Novak outlines the role of Space Command as a force generation organisation responsible for raising, training and sustaining Australia's space capability.
The discussion explores direct entry pathways and creation of dedicated space workforce streams, including space operations officers and specialists as well as how these roles will build deep technical mastery while maintaining integration across land, sea, air and cyber domains.
The episode also examines how Australia is prioritising key mission areas such as satellite communications, space domain awareness and missile warning while balancing sovereign capability development with allied and commercial partnerships.
The podcast conversation includes the following topics:
Introduction of direct entry recruitment pathways for space operations roles.
Development of a specialised Australian Defence Force space workforce and career progression model.
Key priority mission sets, including satellite communications, space domain awareness and missile warning.
Balancing sovereign capability with allied, partner and commercial integration.
The role of space in enabling joint force operations and national resilience.
Growth of Australia's domestic space industry and opportunities in launch capability.
Challenges of operating in a contested and congested space environment.
The importance of public awareness and understanding of space's role in everyday life.
Finally, the discussion reflects on the future of the space domain, the need for speed in capability development, and the importance of nurturing the next generation of space professionals.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

The release and messaging surrounding the 2026 National Defence Strategy and 2026 Integrated Investment Program is just the latest salvo in the government's effort to direct the national conversation about our national security.
With the government emphasising major increases in Defence spending over the next decade, the government is hoping that the headline figures and a lack of public understanding of Defence spending will be enough to convince the nation we're doing enough to protect our interests.
Hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper deep dive into the current battle for control of the narrative and the unfolding strategies being leveraged to target various Australian demographics, with specific examples in the economic domain as Australians face increasing inflation and fuel insecurity despite what they're being told.
The trio also unpack the latest announcements around the winds of change sweeping through the Department of Defence, with the recent appointments to chief of Defence, chief of Army and the appointment of the new secretary of Defence designed to emphasise the government's priority areas: national resilience and sovereignty.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team