In this episode, Grant McHerron talks with two representatives of K39 Consulting: Sarah Dean, their Managing Director, and Darren Owen, the CEO about the changes and challenges in the defence munitions landscape that has been brought upon by recent geopolitical conflicts.

We begin our discussion by exploring K39C's history along with Sarah and Darren's careers, highlighting their expertise within defence and industry. We examine major patterns observed among allies since 2022, focusing on supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by recent conflicts, which signals a need for Australia to prioritise sovereign capability development. Our discussion also addresses the challenges of industrialising munitions, including balancing domestic versus international manufacturing, and bi-lateral agreements. Steps to sustainably build this capability involve political commitment and investment into industry.

We wrap up by assessing how SMEs like K39C contribute specialised skills and agile thinking to uplift defence capability by embracing innovation and challenging the status quo of traditional partnering agreements.

Links:

K39 Consulting

Website: www.k39consulting.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/k39-consulting-pty-ltd

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Hosted by Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

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