Episodes
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Show Notes: Episode 23: AUKUS and Australian Shipbuilding
In this first episode of 2025, Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) reflect on key issues and trends that shaped the domain in the past week. The series, which launched in April, has become a platform for thoughtful discussions on maritime strategy, security, and capability.
Episode Highlights:
Welcome & Season 2 Kick-Off
Quick recap of the Christmas/New Year period.
What's been happening in te region?
1. AUKUS Under the Trump Administration: US Defense reaffirmation of the trilateral pact, comments by Senator Rubio supporting deeper technology and defence ties.
2. South China Sea Tensions: Philippines offering to withdraw the US missile system if China stops aggressive actions. Possible second legal case against Beijing for environmental damage.
3. Sri Lanka & CMF: Sri Lankan Navy takes command of a multinational maritime training task force (CTF 154).
4. Exercise La Pérouse 25: French Carrier Strike Group (led by FS Charles de Gaulle) engaging multiple regional navies, including Australia’s HMAS Hobart.
What's going on with capability?
5. Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan: Vision for constructing/upgrading 79 vessels over 30 years, aiming for a more lethal, capable Royal Australian Navy.
6. Arafura Class OPVs: First vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, delivered for testing. Program challenges and shifts in patrol capabilities.
7. SEA 3000/General Purpose Frigate: Japan’s upgraded Mogami-class frigate vs. MEKO 200 options. Japanese Defence officials offering priority delivery to Australia.
Thanks for listening! Be sure to like and subscribe for more maritime insights and stay tuned for the next episode. -
Launch of 'Time for a Coastguard' Panel Discussion
This panel discussion, chaired by Andrew Tillett (Australian Financial Review), explores Jennifer Parker's new paper, 'Time for a Coastguard', published by the Australian Naval Institute. The paper argues for a dedicated Australian coastguard to address maritime security, law enforcement, and regional challenges.
🎙️ Panelists:
Jennifer Parker – Author of 'Time for a Coastguard'
Professor Bec Strating – Director, La Trobe Asia
RADM (Retd) Lee Goddard – Former Commander, Australia’s Maritime Border Command
📚 Read the publication here: https://navalinstitute.com.au/time-for-an-australian-coast-guard/ -
Episodes manquant?
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Show Notes: Episode 22: Royal Australian Navy fires Tomahawk and a round up of the week in maritime security
In this final episode of 2024, Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) wrap up the year in maritime affairs, reflecting on key issues and trends that shaped the domain. The series, which launched in April, has become a platform for thoughtful discussions on maritime strategy, security, and capability.
Episode Highlights
Topic 1: What’s Happening in the Region?
1. Scarborough Shoal Incident (Dec 4):
o Escalating tensions in the South China Sea as Chinese Coast Guard vessels confront Philippine patrols.
o Diplomatic protests from the Philippines signal a continued pushback against Beijing’s aggressive actions.
o More details.
2. Russian Submarine in the South China Sea:
o A Russian Kilo-class submarine, Ufa, transits near Philippine waters.
o Read more.
3. US, Japan, and Philippine Joint Patrols:
o Allied forces conduct coordinated patrols to assert freedom of navigation near Scarborough Shoal.
4. Taiwan Strait Tensions:
o Increased Chinese naval and air force activity in response to political developments in Taiwan.
Topic 2: Capability Updates
• Tomahawk Milestone:
o Australia successfully test-fires its first Tomahawk missile, signalling a leap in long-range strike capability.
o Details.
• Missile Manufacturing in Australia:
o Construction begins on a new cruise missile plant in Newcastle, boosting domestic production capacity.
• Land-Based Maritime Strike:
o The Australian Army progresses plans for coastal defence capabilities, with HIMARS and NSM under consideration.
Did You Know?
• This week’s segment explores definitions of long-range strike.
Links and Resources
• Jen’s recent publications:
o Time for an Australian Coastguard (https://navalinstitute.com.au/time-for-an-australian-coast-guard/)
o Export Control Shifts: Unlocking the Potential of AUKUS Collaboration (https://www.ecag.com.au/ecagnavigatordec2024)
o China's Push for Closer Defence Ties Is Unrealistic Without Behaviour Change (https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/no-ambassador-we-are-not-ready-to-get-tight-with-china-on-defence-20241121-p5ksl3)
• Missile range classification:
o https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/worldwide-ballistic-missile-inventories#:~:text=Medium%2Drange%20ballistic%20missiles%2C%20traveling,traveling%20more%20than%205%2C500%20kilometers.
Join us in 2025 as we continue to explore the ever-changing world of maritime strategy and security! -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Baltic Cable Incident & Uncrewed Capabilities in the Indo-Pacific
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Australian Coastguard
• Baltic submarine cable incidents
• Uncrewed vessels in the Indo-Pacific
• Task Force-Ayungin and US support for the Philippines
• Royal Navy cuts
• SEA3000 Down-select and Army Landing Craft Heavy
• Did You Know: Subsea cables
Time for an Australian Coast Guard - https://navalinstitute.com.au/time-for-an-australian-coast-guard/ -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: From the Red Sea, to the South China Sea & of course, SEA 3000
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Houthi attack on US Navy ships
• Recent developments in the South China Sea
• SEA 3000
• Decommissioning of HMAS Gascoyne
• 110th anniversary of the Sydney - Emden battle -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Exercise Autonomous Warrior & Natuna Sea
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• PLAN Carrier Exercises
• Exercise Autonomous Warrior
• Chinese Coastguard in Natuna Sea
• Philippines’ Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept
• Fire at BAE Systems Shipyard
• Orca & Evolved Cape Class
• Did you know – Tange Reforms -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Joint Sword 2024B, AUKUS and the Henderson Defence Precinct
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Exercise Joint Sword 2024B
• AUKUS Updates
• Iran hosts IMEX 24
• Henderson Defence Precinct
• US Navy reloading VLS at sea -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Sinking of HMNZS Manawanui and Red Sea Attacks
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Sinking of HMNZS Manawanui Attacks in the Black Sea
• Exercise Malabar
• Houthi Attacks in Red Sea
• Tensions in the South China Sea
• Philippines USV unit
• Did you know – Five Power Defence Arrangement -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: 30 Sep Taiwan Strait Transits and PLA ICBM Launches
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Taiwan Strait Transits and Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities
• Exercise Kakadu
• Rumours of a PLA-N submarine sinking
• US CNO Navigation Plan
https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Chief-of-Naval-Operations/CNO-NAVPLAN-2024/
• AUKUS Defence Minister update
https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/statements/2024-09-26/aukus-defence-ministers-meeting-communique
• USNS Bighorn grounding
• Hanwha takeover of AUSTAL finally put to bed -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Exercise Kakadu and the Strategic Fleet
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Exercise Kakadu
• Attacks in the Black Sea
• HMAS Sydney in Operation ARGOS
• US-China Military Talks
• JMSDF Aircraft Carriers
• The Strategic Fleet Tender
• NUSHIP Arafura trials
Links Mentioned:
• Army’s continual adaptation mindset https://www.theaustralian.com.au/special-reports/armys-continual-adaptation-mindset/news-story/308f27ac141cb05909b498192320ae51
• The Australian centenary history of defence: Vol 6 Australian defence : sources and statistics, ed. Joan Beaumont with Vijaya Joshi https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/757262 -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Australia to take command of CTF 153 & incidents at Sabina Shoal
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
- Australia to take Command of CTF 153, Combined Maritime Forces
- Tensions flare at Sabina Shoal: Philippines - China
- Australia to produce Naval Strike Missile
- AUKUS Submarine maintenance in Western Australia
- Did you know: The Combined Maritime Forces -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: HMAS Sydney SM6 Firing & Australia and Indonesia Defence Agreements
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
- Chins PLAAF aircraft launches flares in the vicinity of a Philippines aircraft at Scarborough Shoal
- HMAS Sydney fires SM6 in Hawaii
- The AUKUS Treaty: A Major Milestone
- Investing in the Ghost Shark industrial base
- Delivering the Evolved Cape Class Patrol Boat -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: South China Sea, Indian Ocean and everywhere in between.
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Indian Ocean Defence Symposium 2024.
• Philippines - China Second Thomas Shoal agreement.
• China's research ships in the Indian Ocean.
• Should Australia do more in the Red Sea?
• Army landing craft capability acceleration.
• RIMPAC SINKEX
& much more. -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: China-Philippines Agreement & Recoverable UUVs
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• China-Philippines Agreement
• China-Russia Naval Exercises
• Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea
• Deploying Recoverable UUVs.
• Naval Strike Missile
• Decommissioning of Hydrographic Survey -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Pitch Black, SEA 3000 & Canadian submarines
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Richard's new AUKUS Article
• ITS Cavour at Exercise Pitch Black
• Japanese destroyer in Chinese Territorial waters
• SEA 3000 - What do we know?
• New Canadian submarines
Links:
Control of the sea is worth gambling on AUKUS - Richard Dunley
https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/control-of-the-sea-is-worth-gambling-on-aukus-20240708-p5jrtg
Project Sea 3000: What we know - Ben Felton
https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/project-sea-3000-what-we-know -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: RIMPAC and AUKUS articles
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• RIMPAC & Australian commitment to the exercise
• Chinese Philippines Dialogue
• AUKUS articles in the Australian Finanical Review
• US Submarine Tender and Dragonfire Directed Energy Weapons
• Did you know? Australian Aircraft Carrier Acquisition
The ABC Fact Check article mentioned in the podcast can be found here - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-26/fact-check-richard-marles-oldest-surface-fleet-wwii/104023268 -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: 21 June China's new coastguard regulation & Australian Replenishment ships
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• New publications from Richard and Jen:
AUKUS Optimal Pathway: Optimal Pathway: the best option left - Richard Dunley
https://www.ussc.edu.au/is-australias-aukus-submarine-pathway-really-optimal
Small Mobile Pieces of National Sovereignty?—Uncrewed Vessels, Naval Diplomacy, and the Challenge of Signaling - Richard Dunley
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol77/iss1/4/
Time to promote a woman as deputy chief of Navy - Jennifer Parker
https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/time-to-promote-a-woman-as-deputy-chief-of-navy-20240620-p5jnae
• China's new Coastguard regulation
Reading links:
The South China Sea Dog That Hasn’T Barked … Yet - Zack Cooper and Greg Poling
https://warontherocks.com/2024/06/the-south-china-sea-dog-that-hasnt-barked-yet/
• Chinese interception of resupply at Second Thomas Shoal - Continued escalation
• Defects on Australian replenishment vessels -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Shangri-La Dialogue and AUKUS submarines
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Shangri-La Dialogue
• Chinese interception of resupply at Second Thomas Shoal
• Update from VADM Jonathon Mead about AUKUS Pillar 1
• Collins Class LOTE
• Did you know? Australian Army Watercraft -
Maritime Matters Episode Title: Exercise Joint Sword 2024A
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• Exercise Joint Sword 2024A, China’s exercises off the coast of Taiwan
• South Australia’s deal with Huntington Ingalls Industries
• Decommissioning of HMAS Anzac & HMAS Huon
• Collins Class LOTE
• Did you know? Taiwan Median Line & ADIZ -
Date: 10 May 2024
Maritime Matters Episode Title: China's PLAAF unsafe and unprofessional behaviour and the week that was
In this episode of Maritime Matters Jennifer Parker (https://www.jennifer-parker.com.au/) and Richard Dunley (https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/richard...) discuss the week that was in Maritime Matters, including:
• China's PLAAF aircraft's unprofessional and unsafe behaviour towards a Australian Navy helicopter in the Yellow Sea
• Exercise Balikatan completes
• ASC workers strike in South Australia
• China's new UUV
• Ukrainian USVs with Surface to Air Missiles
• Did you know? Australia's Operation Argos - Montre plus
