Policy, Guns & Money

Last month, Australia’s foreign and defence ministers hosted the U.S. secretaries of state and defense in Brisbane for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). Dr John Coyne and Dr Euan Graham join the podcast for Part Two of ASPI’s AUSMIN special to discuss the meeting’s outcomes with a focus on force posture cooperation, strategic geography and the importance of Northern Australia. Guests: Dr John Coyne: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne Dr Euan Graham: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/euan-graham Music: "Vintage Beat" by Ketsa, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

‘Hacking for Cash’ is a new ASPI podcast series exploring state sponsored campaigns of cyber espionage for commercial gain. Throughout the series we talk to experts who were close to the negotiations that led to a 2015 agreement between the United States and China to refrain from supporting and engaging in ‘hacking for cash’, as well as a G20 leaders’ commitment to stamp out cyber-enabled intellectual property (IP) theft. The series features conversations with cybersecurity experts on state-sponsored hackers and how they operate, and with industry leaders about risk and resilience. We also talk with IP experts about how the US and China protect trade secrets, and with national cybersecurity and counter-intelligence agencies about how companies and universities can protect their crown jewels. In this third episode of the series, Teesta Prakash, Analyst at ASPI, speaks to Dr Francis Gurry, former Director General at the World Intellectual Property Organisation. They discuss the role WIPO plays in IP protectio

In this special episode of Policy, Guns and Money’s Bigger Picture series, Alex Bristow and Jennifer Parker from ASPI’s Defence, Strategy and National Security program sit down to discuss the upcoming AUSMIN meeting in Brisbane. They discuss the significance of this year’s meeting being held against the backdrop of the largest ever iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre and explore some of the key outcomes they expect from the meeting. They also discuss the expansion of the alliance discussions to include critical and emerging technologies and climate change, as well as the role that statecraft will play in this year’s ambitious agenda. Finally, they provide insight into what topics might be discussed behind closed doors, including the need to de-escalate rising tensions around unsafe military practices in the Taiwan Strait. Stay tuned for part two of the series where we will reflect on the outcomes from the meeting and look ahead to AUSMIN 2024. Music: "Vintage Beat" by Ketsa, licensed with permission from th

‘Hacking for Cash’ is a new ASPI podcast series exploring state sponsored campaigns of cyber espionage for commercial gain. Throughout the series we talk to experts who were close to the negotiations that led to a 2015 agreement between the United States and China to refrain from supporting and engaging in ‘hacking for cash’, as well as a G20 leaders’ commitment to stamp out cyber-enabled intellectual property (IP) theft. The series features conversations with cybersecurity experts on state-sponsored hackers and how they operate, and with industry leaders about risk and resilience. We also talk with IP experts about how the US and China protect trade secrets, and with national cybersecurity and counter-intelligence agencies about how companies and universities can protect their crown jewels. In this second episode of the series, Gatra Priyandita, Analyst at ASPI, speaks to Dustin McCormack and Callie Aboaf. Both work as cybersecurity analysts with The MITRE Corporation. MITRE is a US non-for-profit research

In May, ASPI released ‘Smooth sailing? Australia, New Zealand and the United States partnering in–and with–the Pacific islands’. The report detailed how Australia, New Zealand and the United States could improve security partnerships and coordination in the region. This week, ASPI’s Bec Shrimpton speaks to report authors Joanne Wallis and Anna Powles. They discuss the key recommendations from the report, including setting up an ASEAN-style forum for Pacific island nations, as well as the need for Pacific priorities to direct the actions that partners undertake in the region. They also discuss how Australia, New Zealand and the United States have engaged with the Pacific in the past and explore opportunities to strengthen engagement. Recently, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace released the 'Indian Ocean Strategic Map', which provides a coherent, data-driven understanding of the players, security challenges, and other factors that shape the region. ASPI’s Baani Grewal speaks to Darshana M. Baruah

‘Hacking for Cash’ is a new ASPI podcast series exploring state sponsored campaigns of cyber espionage for commercial gain. Throughout the series we talk to experts who were close to the negotiations that led to a 2015 agreement between the United States and China to refrain from supporting and engaging in ‘hacking for cash’, as well as a G20 leaders’ commitment to stamp out cyber-enabled intellectual property (IP) theft. The series features conversations with cybersecurity experts on state-sponsored hackers and how they operate, and with industry leaders about risk and resilience. We also talk with IP experts about how the US and China protect trade secrets, and with national cybersecurity and counter-intelligence agencies about how companies and universities can protect their crown jewels. In the first episode of the series, Bart Hogeveen, Head of Cyber Capacity Building at ASPI, speaks to Chris Painter, the first Coordinator for Cyber Issues at the US State Department, as well as Justin Bassi, Executive

This week, it’s all about the US-Australia alliance with conversations on Australia-US special operations forces cooperation and opportunities to strengthen the alliance through enhanced mutual understanding. Bec Shrimpton speaks to Chris Maier, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict in the US Department of Defense. They discuss the origin of special operations forces, the role they play in integrated deterrence and their ability to work across multiple domains. They also discuss the history of cooperation between Australian and US special operations forces and the importance of war gaming to force design. Recently, ASPI’s US Army War College Fellow, Colonel Alan Throop, released the report ‘Impactful mateship’ which focuses on strengthening the US-Australia defence relationship at a vital time as it develops in complexity and as it builds towards the ambitions of AUKUS. Jennifer Parker speaks to Alan about his fellowship at ASPI and the report’s recommendations,

This week, the Australian Government released the Critical Minerals Strategy 2023 – 2030, which has four objectives, including building sovereign capability in critical minerals processing and creating diverse, resilient and sustainable supply chains through secure international partnerships. New ASPI analysis by the Honourable Kim Beazley and Ben Halton looks at the potential of one such partnership – AUKUS – to deliver on mineral diversification and address global supply chain vulnerabilities. The report ‘AUKUS and critical minerals’ recommends critical minerals be added into AUKUS Pillar Two, and that AUKUS countries should work with friends and allies, consistent with Pillar Two’s remit not being an exclusive arrangement, to create resilient critical mineral supply chains. Distinguished Senior ASPI Fellow Kim Beazley joins Dr John Coyne on the ASPI podcast to discuss the report’s findings. Mentioned in this episode: ‘AUKUS and critical minerals: hedging Beijing’s pervasive, clever and coordinated st

This week, ASPI’s Director of Cyber, Technology and Security Dr Alex Caples speaks to Hamish Hansford, who was recently appointed Deputy Secretary of Cyber and Infrastructure Security at the Department of Home Affairs. They discuss the links between cyber security, supply chain security and critical infrastructure, as well as the rise in ransomware attacks, including on hospitals, and lessons learned from the Colonial Pipeline attack. Alex asks Hamish about the amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act, what they mean for industry and the role that government and industry need to play in securing Australia’s critical infrastructure. Guests: Dr Alex Caples: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/alex-caples Hamish Hansford: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/our-senior-staff/hamish-hansford Music: "Just wondering" by Maarten Schellekens. Via: https://www.tribeofnoise.com/

In April this year, the Australian Government released the Defence Strategic Review which set an agenda of ambitious reform to Defence’s posture and structure. ASPI’s Jen Parker speaks to the US Studies Centre’s Professor Peter Dean, who co-authored the review. They discuss defence strategy in the maritime domain and next steps following on from the DSR, including the Surface Fleet Review, uncrewed capabilities and addressing workforce challenges. Amidst questions being raised around India’s reliability as a partner for the U.S. and Australia, Baani Grewal speaks to ASPI’s new Senior Fellow Dr Arzan Tarapore about the need to reframe the debate. They discuss the range of opportunity areas in the Australia-India relationship, how Washington views Delhi's role in the Indo-Pacific, and the benefits of clearly defined policy goals in the relationship. They also consider India’s other relationships in the region, including its relationship with China, and the significance of Prime Minister Modi’s visits to Austr

In the final episode of ASPI’s special podcast series ‘The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions’, ASPI’s David Wroe speaks to David Waterhouse, Managing Director of Hypersonix. They discuss how the company Hypersonix came about, what hypersonic technology is and how it fits into defence strategy, as well as the future of Australia’s defence industry. Guests (in order of appearance): David Wroe: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/david-wroe David Waterhouse: https://hypersonix.com/aerospace-engineering/our-team/ Music: "Nordic" by Crowander, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

In the penultimate episode of this special series, Justin Bassi speaks to Mr Kestutis Budrys, National Security Advisor to the President of Lithuania. They discuss Australia’s relationship with Lithuania, including how they’re partnering to address shared challenges to national security, and Russia’s war on Ukraine and how it has galvanised Europe. ‘The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions’ is a short podcast series that features conversations with leading government, industry and civil society voices on the sidelines of The Sydney Dialogue, a major summit on critical, emerging, cyber and space technologies hosted by ASPI on 4-5 April. Guests (in order of appearance): Justin Bassi: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/justin-bassi Kestutis Budrys: https://tsd.aspi.org.au/speakers Music: "Nordic" by Crowander, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

In the latest episode of ASPI’s special podcast series ‘The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions’, ASPI’s Director of Defence Strategy, Bec Shrimpton speaks to Misha Zelinsky, a Fulbright Scholar and national security expert. They discuss Misha’s career background and what led him to work in national security. Misha details his recent experiences reporting from Ukraine on Russia’s war, including his views on Russia’s strategy and what’s at stake for democracies globally in this conflict. Guests (in order of appearance): Bec Shrimpton: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/bec-shrimpton Misha Zelinsky: https://www.mishazelinsky.com.au/ Music: "Nordic" by Crowander, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

In 2022, then U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, despite threats of retaliation from Beijing over the visit. Dr Samantha Hoffman speaks to Nadège Rolland about Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, Beijing’s propaganda, and its effectiveness. While climate change is primarily viewed as an environmental challenge, Australia, like many other countries, is increasingly focused on the implications of climate change for Australia’s national security. Dr Robert Glasser speaks to Dr Tobias Ide about climate and Australia’s national security and how climate hazards can lead to conflict. This week was budget week in Canberra, and to break down the Defence budget, Bec Shrimpton speaks to David Uren. They discuss defence projects and the usefulness, or otherwise, of measuring defence spending by GDP. Guests (in order of appearance): Dr Samantha Hoffman: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/samantha-hoffman Nadège Rolland: https://www.nbr.org/people/nadege-rolland/ Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bi

In this episode of ‘The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions’, Dr Alex Caples, Director of Cyber, Technology and Security at ASPI speaks to Dr Dirk Hager, Head of Operational Cyber Security at Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security. They discuss cyber security and critical infrastructure, emerging cyber security threats, including the increasing threat of ransomware, and the challenge governments face in regulating technology, given the rapid pace at which it is developing. Guests (in order of appearance): Dr Alex Caples: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/alex-caples Dr Dirk Hager Music: "Eclipse-6" by Michikawa. Via: www.tribeofnoise.com/

In this episode of ASPI's special podcast series, The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, John Leslie, Director of Trade and Investment and Lead for Space & Defence at Austrade speaks to Heather Richman, Entrepreneur in Residence at BMNT, and Linda Lourie, Senior Advisor with WestExec Advisors. They discuss all things defence innovation, investment and security. The conversation covers the different approaches of government and industry to innovation, how the government can support innovation and the role of industry in security innovation. Guests (in order of appearance): John Leslie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-leslie/ Heather Richman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherjrichman Linda Lourie: https://www.westexec.com/linda-lourie/ Music: "Eclipse-6" by Michikawa. Via: www.tribeofnoise.com/

On 24 April, the Albanese Government released an unclassified version of the Defence Strategic Review. The roadmap for the ADF over the next decade has been generally well-received, albeit with questions about some of the specifics. The Review advocates the need for Australia to do more of the regional security heavy lifting, while also deepening our key partnerships. To unpack this seminal document, David Wroe speaks to Bec Shrimpton, ASPI’s Director of Defence Strategy and National Security, and Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst in Defence Strategy and National Security. Guests (in order of appearance): David Wroe: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/david-wroe Bec Shrimpton: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/bec-shrimpton Dr Malcolm Davis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/malcolm-davis Music: "Just Wondering" by Maarten Schellekens, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk Image: Defence Strategic Review cover - c/ Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence.

Earlier this month, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute hosted The Sydney Dialogue, a global summit on critical, emerging, cyber and space technologies. Senior government, industry and civil society leaders from across the globe joined us in Sydney for discussions on policy solutions to the biggest challenges we are facing. On the event’s sidelines, we spoke to a number of special guests on topics ranging from Ukraine, international security, critical tech, cyber and defence capabilities, all with the common focus on closer international collaboration. These conversations are featured in ASPI’s special podcast series ‘The Sydney Dialogue Summit Session's. In this episode, Justin Bassi speaks with Ylli Bajraktari, President and CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project. They discuss the impacts of technology on strategic competition and how democracies can remain secure in the AI age. Guests: Ylli Bajraktari: https://www.scsp.ai/ylli-bajraktari/ Justin Bassi: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/justin-

In this episode, Justin Bassi speaks to Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Robert Mardini. They discuss the importance of neutrality to the ICRC’s work, how the development of technology is impacting conflict and the challenges international humanitarian actors face in getting access to affected populations. Dr Alex Bristow speaks to Vice Admiral Louise Dedichen, Norwegian Military Representative to NATO. They discuss opportunities for progress in the global Women, Peace and Security agenda, NATO’s online presence and how they are combating disinformation and NATO’s views on Russia’s war on Ukraine. Guests (in order of appearance): Justin Bassi: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/justin-bassi Robert Mardini: https://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-directorate Dr Alex Bristow: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/dr-alex-bristow VADM Louise Dedichen: https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2021/1/pdf/210128-cv-nor-milrep-dedichen.pdf Music: "Just Wondering" by Maarten Schell

Earlier this month, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute hosted The Sydney Dialogue, a global summit on critical, emerging, cyber and space technologies. Senior government, industry and civil society leaders from across the globe joined us in Sydney for discussions on policy solutions to the biggest challenges we are facing. On the event’s sidelines, we spoke to a number of special guests on topics ranging from Ukraine, international security, critical tech, cyber and defence capabilities, all with the common focus on closer international collaboration. These conversations are featured in ASPI’s special podcast series ‘The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions’. In this episode, Dr Jake Wallis speaks to Ambassador Baiba Braže, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy. The conversation covers the role of NATO, the role critical technologies will play in strategic competition and the tools and tactics that are being used by autocratic governments to challenge the existing rules-based order. Gue