Welcome to season two of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In episode two of season two, hosts Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, Co-founder and Director of Strategy, Council on Geostrategy, and Paul Mason, journalist and author, are joined by Nathan Mathiot, Head of Policy, ADS Group.

Viktorija, Paul, and Nathan explore the implications of the Industrial Strategy and the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy on the defence and deterrence capability of the UK.

Find Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.

Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage is a podcast presented by the Council on Geostrategy in partnership with trade association ADS Group, and sponsored by industry powerhouse BAE Systems.

This podcast explores the key themes in British defence in the context of an increasingly contested international security environment. It will consider how the UK can shape the international agenda, focusing on how technology, innovation, skills, and defence strategies help to advance Britain’s interests, as well as those of its key allies and partners.

Find season 1 of Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage here.

In July 2024, NATO members and partners came together in Washington DC to reaffirm its support for Ukraine and the importance of the alliance in the face of growing aggression. Joined by David Quarrey CMG, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to NATO, and Sir Stuart Atha, Head of the UK delegation to the NATO Industry Advisory Group, we discuss their experiences at the recent summit and the challenges that lie ahead for the alliance.

Every two years, advanced manufacturing industries are invited to Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre for the Airshow. Joined by Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS Group and Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, we explore how Farnborough International Airshow brings together these industries, convening the conversations that matter. We investigate how far the Airshow, now on the 75th edition, has come and what it means for the future of these industries.

Cyber threats come in different forms, from low-level threats such as website defacement, to high-level threats to critical national infrastructure and military technologies. Joined by Adrian Nish, Head of Cyber Portfolio at BAE Digital Intelligence, and Alistair Leuchars, Head of Cyber and Digital Engagement at ADS Group, we discuss the cyber threats facing the United Kingdom in 2024, where they come from, and how to address them.

In this episode, we discuss the long-term implications of the AUKUS security partnership for the national security and defence industrial base of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Joined by The Hon. Stephen Smith, Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Jeff Lewis, Vice President of Defence, ADS Group, we explore what AUKUS is, the impact it has on the three member nations, and what it could mean for the future.

Over the last two decades, nations have needed to counter a dramatic increase in the number and types of threats to their national defence and security. Joined by Rob Merryweather of BAE Systems, James Gavin of Defence Equipment & Support and Robert Fox of the Evening Standard, we explore how disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence and new quantum-based technologies can add to these challenges, but can also offer significant opportunities to improve defence and security capability.

With a general election expected sometime in 2024, we consider what the key policy priorities are for the defence of the United Kingdom and Britain’s defence industry. Joined by Sir Michael Fallon, former Secretary of State for Defence, and Samira Braund, Defence Director at ADS Group, we consider what more Britain could be doing to invest in the domestic defence industry and the importance of international collaboration to secure the UK’s advantage.

Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of NATO, we reflect on the role that the UK has played in the organisation and what this means in the current threat environment. Joined by Lord Robertson, former Secretary General of NATO, and AVM Fin Monahan, Director of DCDC, the independent think tank of the Ministry of Defence, we consider the main challenges facing NATO and how Britain can shape the future of the alliance.