This episode collects a number of interviews recorded at the Singapore Airshow 2026 during February. The episode starts with Dan McQuestin, Business Development Director at Bell, who discusses their 429 and 505 aircraft, virtual reality in their simulators, and the 505's ability to fly with or without augmentation to cover basic through to advanced training. We also talk about their involvement with military training, including the US Army's Flight School Next program, South Korea's military, and others, plus the recently released request from the ADF for a service to augment maintaining pilot currency.

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Next up is Greg Elliott, Senior Manager Military Sales & Strategy, IndoPac at Bell, who steps us through his career from flying A-4 Skyhawks with the RNZAF to being an Air Commodore with the RAAF and how he transitioned to Bell and rotorcraft. We review the MV-75 tilt rotor aircraft, previously known as the V-280 Valor, which is the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) for the US military and will replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. The conversation also touches upon design features, key capabilities and the accelerated delivery the US military have asked for.

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Moving to space and data intelligence, Dr Abhay Mittal, founder and CEO of Aetosky, talks to us about his company's use of AI to process geospatial data and intelligence information to generate location intelligence, facilitating dynamic updates and historical views of given locations. He also notes that their systems can be cloud based or on stand-alone systems to address data sovereignty, along with their recent arrangement with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to provide and scale storage and computing power for their clients. We wrap up by discussing Aetosky's interest in the Australian market.

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Wrapping up the episode is James “McGoo” McGovern (former F-15E pilot) and David Bradshaw (Royal Air Force veteran) who review their careers to date and working at Top Aces. The conversation delves into Top Aces' role in providing adversary air training services globally, including their flagship F-16 capabilities. We discuss how Top Aces collaborates with partners like the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and German Luftwaffe, focusing on replicating credible threats affordably to train military pilots effectively. Their proprietary Advanced Aggressor Mission System enables this flexible training approach across various aircraft platforms.

Links:

Bell 429, 505 and MV-75

www.bellflight.com/products/bell-429

www.bellflight.com/products/bell-505

www.bellflight.com/products/bell-mv-75

Aetosky

www.aetosky.com

Top Aces

topaces.com

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The ADM Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Australian Defence Magazine, a Yaffa Media title (www.australiandefence.com.au).

The views of the people appearing on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Australian Defence Magazine, the Department of Defence or the guests' employer.

If you wish to use any of this podcast's audio, please contact Australian Defence Magazine via their website www.australiandefence.com.au or email them via defmag@yaffa.com.au to get involved.

ADM Podcasts are a blend of public interest journalism and sponsored content with a focus on the Defence community. Conversations with leaders and thinkers from a range of backgrounds including academia, Defence, industry, and associations. ADM Podcasts aims to educate, explain and explore some of the bigger issues around Defence.

For sponsored content opportunities, please contact ADM Associate Publisher Kylie Leonard and/or National Sales Manager Michael Flanagan.

Hosted by Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

Australian Defence Magazine - © 2026

Ewen Levick and Nigel Pittaway discuss the Hunter Class Frigate Program, with build of the first three ships well under way and more information being supplied about the ship design and the program itself.

After discussing the current status, we consider the ship's design which is based on the UK's Type 26 Frigate, itself a replacement for their Type 23, noting the complexity of the design, its need to run as quietly as possible, and the differences Australia has introduced to the baseline. We also note that while Norway is buying the identical ship to the UK's design, the Canadians have also elected to modify the design for their River Class Frigates.

We also address the issues raised in the mainstream media regarding the Hunter being overweight, over budget and late. While the Australian changes have added 500 tonnes to the design and increased the beam, the 2% performance impact against the Type 26 is considered within margins, especially given the increased capability it will have given the CEA radar and Aegis installation. It is acknowledged that the original budget of $35bn has increased to $44bn, however this appears to cover infrastructure build at Osborne in addition to the ship build itself. BAE Systems state that their $11.9bn contract for the first three ships is very close to their original estimate supplied to the government.

The original schedule from 2019 has been delayed by 18 months due to COVID, the Type 26 design not being as mature as epxected, and delays from Australian design changes. The rebaselined schedule is currently being followed and the first ship is expected to be delivered in 2031. We wrap by noting the Australian industry that's already involved in the Hunter program and the opportunities for exports into the Global Combat Ship program which covers all four countries that will operate the Type 26.

Links:

Not just about building ships – Hunter Class Frigate Program

www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/not-just-about-building-ships-hunter-class-frigate-program

BAE Systems graduates first Hunter Class Frigate Program cohort

www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/bae-systems-graduates-first-hunter-class-frigate-program-cohort

A quiet Hunter - Navy's Future Frigate

www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/sea/a-quiet-hunter-navy-s-future-frigate

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The ADM Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Australian Defence Magazine, a Yaffa Media title (www.australiandefence.com.au).

The views of the people appearing on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Australian Defence Magazine, the Department of Defence or the guests' employer.

If you wish to use any of this podcast's audio, please contact Australian Defence Magazine via their website www.australiandefence.com.au or email them via defmag@yaffa.com.au to get involved.

ADM Podcasts are a blend of public interest journalism and sponsored content with a focus on the Defence community. Conversations with leaders and thinkers from a range of backgrounds including academia, Defence, industry, and associations. ADM Podcasts aims to educate, explain and explore some of the bigger issues around Defence.

For sponsored content opportunities, please contact ADM Associate Publisher Kylie Leonard and/or National Sales Manager Michael Flanagan.

Hosted by Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

Australian Defence Magazine - © 2026

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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The ADM Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of Australian Defence Magazine, a Yaffa Media title (www.australiandefence.com.au).

The views of the people appearing on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Australian Defence Magazine, the Department of Defence or the guests' employer.

If you wish to use any of this podcast's audio, please contact Australian Defence Magazine via their website www.australiandefence.com.au or email them via defmag@yaffa.com.au to get involved.

ADM Podcasts are a blend of public interest journalism and sponsored content with a focus on the Defence community. Conversations with leaders and thinkers from a range of backgrounds including academia, Defence, industry, and associations. ADM Podcasts aims to educate, explain and explore some of the bigger issues around Defence.

For sponsored content opportunities, please contact ADM Associate Publisher Kylie Leonard and/or National Sales Manager Michael Flanagan.

Hosted by Grant McHerron

Producer: Steve Visscher

Australian Defence Magazine - © 2026