{"podcast":{"title":"Asia Pacific Defence Reporter","slug":"asia-pacific-defence-reporter-6383527","podcast_index_feed_id":6383527,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6461aa4dcd2b40001119e5eb","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/asia-pacific-defence-reporter","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6461aa4dcd2b40001119e5eb/1684198081627-7712deed25df6e09bfce1eb0c3174cad.jpeg","author":"Marilyn Butler","episode_count":148,"summary":"These podcasts are a way of shedding a bit more light on Defence decisions – particularly acquisitions – because the system has become secretive and taxpayers have a right to know what’s going on. But it’s even worse than that with Defence sometimes putting out information that is misleading and in some cases plain wrong. We discuss the Defence Strategic Review and debunk the claims that it is some sort of radical and positive move. No it is not. We also have a few words about the outrageous decision to purchase the SURTASS towed array sonar via FMS and preview the ANAO report into the Hunter class frigate program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T12:20:58.950355+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/asia-pacific-defence-reporter-6383527"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 137","slug":"episode-137","published_at":"2026-05-05T00:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/asia-pacific-defence-reporter-6383527/episode-137","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/asia-pacific-defence-reporter-6383527","url":"https://asiapacificdefencereporter.com","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6461aa4dcd2b40001119e5eb/e/69f830d61bc494509e40e8fe/media.mp3","summary":"The stalemate in the Middle East continues with neither the US or Iran backing down. US President Donald Trump continues to do the bidding of Russia by withdrawing some troops from Germany.  On the local scene, Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson addressed the National Press Club and outlined a vision noticeably different from the government's - particularly regarding the US alliance. He stated the obvious that under Trump the US is no longer the reliable, predictable ally it once was.  He remains enthusiastic about the purchase of nuclear-powered submarines but is less certain about their delivery schedule. He said that AUKUS Pillar One needs to be examined in detail and if it looks like the schedule is slipping, Australia should consider alternatives such as the purchase of B-21 long range bombers. We conclude with some wise words from former foreign minister Gareth Evans and DFAT head Peter Varghese. Both believe Australia could be doing a lot more to strengthen our security without being totally dependent on the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"The stalemate in the Middle East continues with neither the US or Iran backing down. US President Donald Trump continues to do the bidding of Russia by wi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1175,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/asia-pacific-defence-reporter-6383527/episodes/episode-137/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/asia-pacific-defence-reporter-6383527/episode-137.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}