US and Australian defence, policy, and politics with Professor Peter J Dean

In this episode of the Defence Connect podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Professor Peter J Dean, PhD SFHEA, foreign policy and defence director at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney.

Professor Dean was previously first chair of defence studies at the University of Western Australia and the inaugural director of the UWA Defence and Security Institute. He has also authored books and articles on the US-Australian alliance, Australian defence policy, and military operations.

The pair discuss the changing geopolitical relationships in the Indo-Pacific, including outcomes from the recent AUSMIN 2023 meetings between the US and Australia.

They then discuss America’s search for an effective defence partner in the Indo-Pacific, and whether Australia fits the criteria.

They also discuss the AUKUS defence agreement, the release of a recent defence paper by Russian and Chinese research institutes against AUKUS, and the USS North Carolina submarine visiting Perth, Western Australia. They then discuss the LAND 400 Phase 3 decision announcing that Hanwha Defense Australia has been successful in its bid to provide the Australian Army with a fleet of 129 infantry fighting vehicles. Finally, the pair take a quick look into the chaotic crystal ball of US politics and discuss the impacts a US election next year will have on the dynamic between the US and Australia.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team