Defence industrial investment, Ghost Bat upgrades and Indonesia's Gaza deployment
Podcast: Defence & Security Podcast NetworkPublished On: Thu Feb 19 2026
Description: In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Stephen Kuper is joined by Robert Dougherty and Bethany Alvaro to unpack major developments in defence innovation, autonomous air combat and shifting alliance dynamics. The discussion begins with the federal government's proposed $500 million co-investment fund aimed at accelerating defence technologies, including artificial intelligence, cyber security, autonomous systems, electronic warfare and quantum capabilities. Attention then turns to the US Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, where Shield AI will integrate its Hivemind autonomy software into Anduril Industries' Fury aircraft. Regionally, the team assesses Indonesia's plan to contribute troops to a Gaza stabilisation force under diplomatic efforts led by President Donald Trump, and what it could mean for Australia's own policy settings. They also discuss confirmation that Papua New Guinea military personnel will receive Australian Combat Assault Rifles made by Thales Australia. The episode concludes with analysis of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Munich Security Conference speech on allied burden-sharing, before finishing on a lighter note with new military working dog facilities at RAAF Base Tindal. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team
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