In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Robert Dougherty is joined by Dr Levi West, an Australian National University Research Fellow (radicalisation, extremism, terrorism) and former director of terrorism studies at the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security.

The pair take an in-depth look at the national security and counterterrorism aspects of the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney.

The terrorist attack targeted Jewish members of the public attending a Hanukkah (Jewish festival of lights) event on Sydney's Bondi Beach. Fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl, two rabbis and a Holocaust survivor, were killed in the attack. Two police officers were shot and injured.

The two Islamic State-aligned gunmen were identified by NSW Police as father and son, Sajid Akram, 50 (deceased), and Naveed Akram, 24 (critically injured).

The pair discuss a range of topics, including:

• An initial in-depth assessment of the attack, the police and public response.
• The actions and bravery of fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, who disarmed one of the gunmen and seized his weapon before laying down the gun during the incident.
• A reactive federal and state government pledge to tighten firearms legislation in the wake of the incident.
• Media reports that both terrorists travelled to the Philippines prior to the incident, possibly to undertake firearms training or engage in a final period of recreation.
• How the shooting relates to anti-Jewish incidents occurring in Australia since the October 7 attacks in Israel during 2023.
• What happens next for Australia, analysis of the incident, psychological impact, possible changes in government policy and the likelihood of reprisals or imitative violence.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Andy Keough, managing director at Saab Australia, and Dean Rosenfield, CEO of Nova Systems.

The conversation focuses on the collaboration between Saab and Nova Systems in the multi-domain command, control, communications and computers (C4) area, emphasising the need for sovereign capabilities in Australia due to rapidly changing technology and geopolitical challenges.

Both companies have a long history of working together, with Saab focusing on command and control systems and Nova Systems on operational test and evaluation and systems engineering.

The discussion covers the importance of systems integration, test and evaluation, and digital engineering in the increasingly software-based system-of-systems environment, highlighting the role of investing in people and embracing technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Key challenges for the defence industry include security concerns with new technologies like AI and the need for commercial frameworks that support innovation, experimentation and a higher acceptance of risk from Defence.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

In this solemn episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper discuss the immediate aftermath of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

The trio discuss the terrorist shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, Sydney, which resulted in at least 15 deaths and over 40 injuries. They also tackle the implications of the targeted anti-Semitic attack on Australia's intelligence and law enforcement community.

The conversation then shifts to the beginning of the broader national conversations that will now be taking place in Canberra and capital cities around the nation, as the nation and Sydney grieve the loss of national innocence.

We would also like to pass on our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the tragic events yesterday.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team