AUKUS expansion, artillery manufacturing and Australia's regional defence role

As AUKUS implementation accelerates, questions remain around Australia's role in the Indo-Pacific and how the nation should balance capability development with regional strategic priorities. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Stephen Kuper, Robert Dougherty and Bethany Alvaro discuss a busy week across Australia's defence landscape, including the establishment of a new US Navy support activity in Perth to support personnel involved in Submarine Rotational Force-West under AUKUS. The discussion explores the significance of the new naval support activity and what it means for the growing American military and defence industry presence in Western Australia. The team also assesses $72 million of investment in a new large-calibre artillery forging facility in Queensland and the importance of expanding domestic ammunition production capacity. Attention then turns to the delivery and testing of the AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer and the increasing importance of mobile artillery systems. On defence exports, the team discusses Thales' accelerated delivery of Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to the Netherlands and considers the future evolution of the iconic Australian platform. Rounding out the episode, the panel dives into Australia's ongoing support for Ukraine through Operation Kudu and the debate surrounding Australia's role in maintaining security and stability across the Indo-Pacific. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team