Adapting Army Podcast – Brought to you by Land Capability Division

The 'Adapting Army' podcast invites visionary leaders from Army, Defence, industry, and academia to share their stories and insights to explore how Army can adapt through people, partnerships, and innovation. Join us as we examine how Army can drive change, harness disruptive technology, and take advantage of the exciting possibilities that will shape our preparedness and capabilities to meet the challenges ahead.

Episodes

Adapting Army – What does successful failure look like in an adapting Army? COL Robin Smith

Episode 1 of the ‘Adapting Army’ podcast features Colonel Robin Smith, who is leading Army's exploration of emerging and disruptive technologies. As a young 18-year-old, Robin joined the British Army in 1987 as an electrical technician. After 30-years of service, Robin transferred to the Australian Army into Future Land Warfare branch where he wrote Army's first strategy on robotic and autonomous systems, known as the RAS Strategy. The Strategy was published in 2018 and supported the formation of an exploration and implementation office within the Australian Army. Five years on, Robin and his team have supported a number of projects across robotics and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, alternative power and energy, quantum technology and innovation culture.

Adapting Army – How will artificial intelligence change our approach to conflict? LTCOL Adam Hepworth & Emily Hughes

Episode 2 of Adapting Army feature Director of Phantom Works Global Boeing, Emily Hughes, who leads a dedicated team specialising in mission systems, advanced simulation, modelling and analytics. This episode also features LTCOL Adam Hepworth, Australian Army's lead on artificial intelligence. Adam's portfolio includes human-cognitive augmentation, autonomous systems, AI-enabled decision making, and human-machine teaming and swarming. During our conversation we explore how AI is redefining the role of soldiers in combat, a few current AI use-cases, and look to the future, imagining the art of the possible.

Adapting Army – Why is change hard? COL Jennifer Harris & Dr Rebecca Jackson

Episode 3 of the Adapting Army podcast features Colonel Jennifer Harris, who is regarded as one of Army’s agents of change. Jen has led a diverse career and is currently working in Army’s Land Capability Division, and has held previous roles in the total workforce system, as well as a project management position at Questacon. One common thread between these roles is the demand for change.

We are also joined by Dr Bec Jackson. In her work as a psychologist and leadership development practitioner, Bec has successfully coached hundreds of leaders in the military, government, and public space to enhance and develop their capacity, commitment, and character to lead their teams and organisations into the future.

The conversation delves into the challenges of change, sharing insights of what good leadership looks like, whether change management is really that important, and how optimism may be more valuable to an organisation than we realise.

Adapting Army – How could Army gain and maintain a quantum advantage? LTCOL Marcus Doherty, Prof Brant Gibson & Dr Richard Taylor

Episode 4 of the Adapting Army podcast features three of Australia’s leading quantum technologists – Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Doherty, Professor Brant Gibson and Dr Richard Taylor.

Marcus leads Army’s exploration of quantum technology, is an esteemed senior fellow at the Australian National University and is the co-founder of Quantum Brilliance... as well as being an Army officer. Marcus has brought a huge depth of knowledge to Army and pioneered the Quantum Technology Challenge and Quantum Next Generation Challenge series, supporting partnerships between sovereign quantum technologists and Army.

Professor Brant Gibson is currently in the joint roles of Assistant Associate Dean (Physics, RMIT University), Deputy Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics and Deputy Director of the Sir Lawrence Wackett Centre for Defence at RMIT University.

Dr Richard Taylor is an Assistant Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics within the Queensland University of Technology. His research is focused on Applied Superconductivity in the fields of power, communications and instrumentation.

During the conversation, we explore how Army and academia are collaborating to give Army the edge it needs in the critically important field of quantum technology.

Adapting Army – What is Army's approach to innovation? WO Kim Felmingham, NSC, OAM & Jasmine Kastaniotis

Episode 5 of the Adapting Army podcast features Army’s highest-ranking soldier, Army Regimental Sergeant-Major, Warrant Officer Kim Felmingham who has long championed the importance of an innovation culture among Army. We are also joined by Jasmine Kastaniotis from the Army Makerspace program. Jasmine is leading Army’s uptake of learning-by-doing and educating using innovative approaches, creative thinking, and agile methodologies.

During the conversation, the pair discuss what innovation means to Army, uncover what stifles innovation, and explore the creative approaches and concepts emerging from Army MakerSpace.