26 May 2026

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Thank you so much, Gordon. And thank you. Lovely to be here with you to join us in this discussion on naval leadership. Now we want to look at what the current and emerging threats are, how our naval forces are responding to those threats. We want to look at the collaboration between countries in the Indo-Pacific region, and if that is reaching its full potential, and if not, what else needs to happen, and I just want to remind you, I'm sure a lot of you would be aware that last month the Australian government actually released its national defense strategy, which prioritizes enhanced undersea warfare capabilities through the Orcas nuclear powered submarine program. It also talked about speeding up the development of our maritime capabilities, and also talked about developing autonomous and uncrewed defense systems. So, I think it's really timely that we have this discussion, talking about our partnerships between our countries and how to strengthen the security in the region. So, lovely that we have such an impressive panel here, and I would like to first give each of you a couple of minutes to tell us how you assess what our biggest threats are right now. How does how different does 2026 look to previous years? And I'll start with you, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond.

VADM Mark Hammond: Thank you, Nadine. I feel like I've touched on this a little bit earlier today, but what I would say, that the biggest challenge that we are facing in the region is this transformation from a from a calm, peaceful coexistence of nations enabled by a collective desire to act in accordance with a rule-based system to one that is more disruptive, less predictable, and it's characterized by the use of use of force or the threat of the use of force to pursue statecraft. That is a significant change. What that means for an island trading nation, a population of over 27 million people, is that we have to be stronger as a nation, not just as a defense force, and we need to invest in stronger, deeper, more meaningful relationships and partnerships, because it's certainly, you know, in an uncertain world we find comfort in diplomatic outcomes, we, we we find comfort in sailing, particularly as a navy with our allies and partners, and with my colleagues on my left, Royal Australian Navy is certainly at its best when it's in company with the United States Navy and the JMSDF, both of whom are much, much, much larger than the Royal Australian Navy, just in terms of circuits combatants, the JSTF is 45 destroyers, 22 frigates, we've got three destroyers, seven frigates, just as one example, and everyone knows the light and capability of the USA, so a significant change in the operating strategic environment, more uncertainty, more complexity, and a requirement for us to be stronger as a nation, both from a sovereign perspective, but also in terms of our alliance.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: What keeps you up at night?

VADM Mark Hammond?: Thinking about what I haven't done yet. I think, for the most part, falling asleep is not a problem. It's usually the waking hours where the in an environment where there isn't enough, it seems, and feels like there isn't enough time, there aren't enough people, and there isn't enough money. My mind is always asking the question, are we optimizing the full employment of every person every second and every cent? The answer

Nadia Mitsopoulos: is probably no.

VADM Mark Hammond: The answer is, there's always more work to be done.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: What about you, Admiral Stephen Koehler? The 2026 what are the biggest concerns when it comes to national security?

Admiral Stephen Koehler: Well, thanks, Nadia. First of all, for just real quick, I want to thank you for inviting me to this panel, and I have this opportunity to sit up here with two shipmates that we spend a lot of time together working together to solve some of these challenges, and so really excited to be here, and have this opportunity to talk to you about it. You know, Mark, I think labeled it strategically pretty well. I would add a couple things here, and I would say specifically Indo-Pacific writ large, an enormous theater, as you know, you know, from the coast of California through all the way to the other side of India, and that generates an enormous challenge, writ large on scope and scale. As you know, seven of the 10 largest militaries are in this region, 60% of global GDP is in this region, 50% of the world's population is here, and so the strategic nature of this, in light of Mark Hammond's comments, I think, are vitally important, and with that comes an enormous number of threats and they can go anywhere from the military threatening pieces of adversaries as China or Russia all the way to national or you know disasters and and the ability to respond and so within that requires then the ability for our forces in this regard to respond to all of those things, and so as I look across that I'm challenged on all of those, and in the last few years we certainly know the build up of China and how that has continued to increase, and I like to say in some respects they've built a global size navy with a regional problem at the moment, and what we've seen over these past few years is a continued expansion to less of a regional problem inside the first island chain to pushing forward and being further out, and that's then affected all of us, and I think that has generated then a need and a reason to be in a position to respond, and indicative of being up here with two of my closest partners and allies is I think a realization that writ large we can't and don't want to do it alone, and there's just an enormous challenge set, and we're, we're blessed to have these like-minded allies with us, and we have an enormous challenge to go, so that's how I'd label that.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Okay, and I want to talk more in a moment about the priorities when you respond to these new threats, but Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi, what about for Japan, the concerns right now when it comes to regional security?

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi: Thank you. Good afternoon, I'm Vice Admiral Kunimi, Vice Chair of Staff, Japan Maritime Self Defense Post. I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to take part in this conference when neighborhood leaders and maritime security experts from around the world have gathered. It is also an honor to speak on this panel on behalf of my chief of staff, JSCF. Today, I would like to talk about the current threat perception surrounding students and international cooperation, to address these challenges. As many of you are, as many of you are aware, approximately 80% of global trade, and in the case of Japan, about 99% on maritime transport, a safe and stable sea lane, therefore, therefore constitute the very foundation of economic activity, as well as economic security. However, in recent years, rising geopolitical tensions and gray zone situation have made risks surrounding ceiling more complex and increasingly visible. To tackle these challenges, a more practical and effective approach of international cooperation beyond traditional framework are indispensable. A key enabler of this is international defense equipment cooperation, in which Japan is also advancing concrete initiatives. In March, Japan and Australia concluded the contract, a complex on the front of the upgraded Mogami class with our ally, the United States. We are promoting a cooperation to strengthen standoff defense capability. The acquisition of Tomahawk slight capability symbolizes that Japan-US interoperability has entered the new stage. Just last month, Japan revised guidelines for three principles on defense equipment technology. This is expected to further facilitate international cooperation between Japan and its allies and partners, having common platform not only significantly enhance inter availability and interchangeability, but also sterling defense industrial supply chain through industrial cooperation, including shipbuilding and maintenance. No single nation can ensure sea land security alone. It is precisely for this reason that cooperation among allies and partners is indispensable in slowing using both deterrence and response capabilities. International Defense Agreement cooperation constitute one concrete and effective pillar of such effort. All countries represented on this panel, maritime nations with a shared recognition of the strategic importance of Syrian, connecting the Pacific and Indian portions. I would like to reiterate that it is essential that we leverage defense equipment cooperation as a starting point to further enhance interoperability and interchangeability, and thereby achieve seamless operations and improve the responsiveness at the same time. It is equally important to expand this effort into training and personal exchanges, so as to effectively respond to this, indeed uncertain security environment. The steady accumulation of such effort will contribute to regional stability and to the realization of free and open seas. I look forward to engaging in constructive and appropriate discussion today. Thank you.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Thank you. Well, let's just talk more about the response, and please jump in at any moment, at any point. How do you prioritize your response to these new threats, and does it mean it is a greater role now for the

VADM Mark Hammond: Firstly, I I've got a very clear direction, and some of my colleagues are a little bit envious of the where I sit with the Navy Service Chief, because the Defence Strategic Review and the National Defence Strategies that have now followed have given us a crystal clear prioritisation framework from the Australian government, and going through those terms, every feels like every 12 months, at least every two years, for the National Defence Strategy, we've got a very clear sense of what's important, what aligns with government prioritization to bring to life the focus. So, in terms of prioritisation, that's pretty clear for us in the Royal Australian Navy. It's itranslated from a shape to respond to a diplomacy deterrence and defense framework. It's diplomacy and deterrence first, ready to defend always. And then, in terms of hardware, we've been directed to double the size of the surface combatant force to transform the crewed undersea warfare capability from a conventional submarine force to a nuclear powered, conventionally armed submarine force paired with un-crewed systems. The Arafura program, so I feel like I've got absolute role of clarity in terms of delivering a program that is aligned to government-directed intent, which is a response to the change in the strategic environments requested.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Does that mean we've been underprepared in recent years?

VADM Mark Hammond: I think what the strategic review recognised was that Australia's planning principles for so long drew comfort from this thing called strategic warning time, that if something went bad, we would have time to build the navy that we would need. The reality is, ship building in World War Two, you could build a destroyer in about six months, you could build a submarine in 12 weeks. You can't build modern crewed complex platforms at that speed anymore. There's a recognition now that when things go wrong, you go with what you've got the opportunity space that has arisen in that time is an unapproved system that can be developed and delivered quickly at that scale, and that's what we're doing now. It's very much a two-speed economy. How quickly can you build those unapproved systems? Well, the Ghost Shark factory in Sydney can produce dozens per year, that gives me a different challenge. I get through testing and evaluation at speed on a scale that our navy hasn't had to do for something that is the size of a shipping container, and making sure you don't compromise on quality of capability, correct? But we also get a slightly different risk at the time. We don't get people inside the thing, so that's one less thing I have to worry about. I just have to make sure that it's safe to operate in the maritime domain, where our other mariners are working, in particular civilians.

Admiral Stephen Koehler: Yeah, I mean, I think that comment that you made, Mark, on Ghost Shark is valid on the UAS side or UXS side, and in that light to the point of not being afraid to fail technologically, and to move that forward quickly, you have to have that mindset, which I think you do, and I think that's really important, not even to get to your point that you made, or the question you asked about, you know, how do you prepare, how do you respond to these things? I take it as a couple things very clearly from the Pacific Fleet. We're blessed to have a fleet that is a fairly large size. The problem set is we have a very large space for which I'm responsible, and so there is a couple things. The first is constantly working to build combat readiness at all times, and that's with people, that's with equipment, and that's within the innovation to further that equipment. The second is is to employ those units in an effort for deterrence, which ultimately is what we all in the military, and I think writ large across the globe, are looking for. You know, in the end, our duty is to deter, to avoid conflict, and utilize all levels of power to each country's certain interest and stay away from that, and so the ability to employ that force in an effort for deterrence, of course, is constantly then against building combat power and generating it. So then we rely on a couple of things. The third is our allies and partners, which are so very, very important in this region. As mentioned, I don't think we can, nor do we want, do this alone. And then, finally, as I work through my challenges in the Pacific Fleet, is to continue to build posture forward, and I say forward from the coast of California to the far end of the area of responsibility that I, that I have is a 30 day sale, and so if you read Mark's point, if you're, if you're talking about being in position to respond, the ability to have any sort of posture capability forward, whether it be our basis in agreements that we have in Japan, whether it be the AUKUS agreement here that enables some opportunity in the Indian Ocean, here those are the things that we work on, so we have opportunity to prepare.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Can you just quickly run us through the numbers? How big is your fleet? 

Admiral Stephen Koehler: yeah, so it's 60% of the Navy resides in the Pacific Fleet, and so if you look specifically on the number of destroyers, for instance, it's to the order of 35 to 40. From an aircraft carrier perspective, I have six of those that are assigned to the Pacific Fleet, and so, so writ large, it's a fairly large fleet. It has, as I mentioned, if the China currently has a global size navy and a regional problem, I have a global size navy and a global problem, and so hence it reduces a little bit of the, you know, ships per square inch that you can, that you can put somewhere.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: What about Japan?

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi: I would like to speak in Japanese.

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: Thank you. We recognize that the characteristics of the recent security environment lies in the diversification of threats and accelerating pace of change, specifically in addition to the increasing military activities of North Korean states, the rise in gray zone situations, and growing importance of information domain rapid expansion, the threat posed by and the practicality of uncre passage, which can be seen in Ukraine and in the Middle East, has created an increasingly complex and challenging operational environment

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi: security course,

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: so this requires not only for us to build our capabilities of units and also systems, but it also requires us to make faster decision making and flexible responses, which are sustainable

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: In order to realize that the JMSDF is advancing transition toward an operational posture that emphasizes speed, sustainability, and flexibility while undertaking comprehensive efforts across the areas of organization, command and control information and equipment

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: in order to optimize command and control. In March this year, we have really stood up the fleet surface fleet, which consolidates management of destroyers, mine warfare units, and other surface forces under a single command, which has enabled the surface forces to respond rapidly and sustainably to diverse threats.

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: in addition to strengthen information warfare capability capabilities, we have stood up the Information Warfare Command, which integrates information operations and which includes the cognitive domain through this adversary being made to build a system that can disrupt adversary decision making while enabling our own rapid decision making

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: with regard to uncleared acids, we are going to introduce them with speed, expanding their practicality effectiveness with focus on how we can optimize using both crude assets with crude assets, so this school we are hoping to enhance both operational efficiency and sustainability, so these are some of the efforts that we are making to respond to the evolving threat and to ensure that we are agile and sustainable capabilities.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Okay. Thank you. So, just on collaboration, I've got some great questions actually coming through, and I'll get to them in a moment. On Slido, so if you want to use Slido and ask a question, please do. Historically, naval courses tend to work, seem to be better at collaborating, and historically you're very good at that, but I just wonder, given the security issues that you talk about and the changing requirements, are there gaps in in this partnership in your what needs to be better coordinated and at greater scale? Are there opportunities to improve

Admiral Stephen Koehler: there, so let me get to that in a second, but there's some really great things to talk about that Kunimisan certainly mentioned, and Mark mentioned in his earlier comments, and I think it's really important to your, to your comment that you said is that navies are normally very good at working together. I would say you're looking at three navies here that are extraordinarily good at working together and have looked at this sort of common threat writ large in the region and have now adapted the ability to further that, and whether that be interaction of weapon systems, and you can talk about T-Man, that Abu Kanibi talked about in going with Chokai, or firing that off of one of Mark's ships all the way to SM six, and all these things that we've done in the past, which are then things that all three of our nannies do together, you know, and that I don't think should be undersold. That's really important, writ large, to have those things have bring us very even closer together. So, gaps, I would say the one that everybody brings up, and it's true, is continued information sharing without any lapse. Usually, what happens is when crisis really comes to form, you have this opportunity to share because of necessity, and what I would say, as we are in a level of pre-crisis, or not in any hopeful shooting war here in the Indo-Pacific, the complexity of warfare these days requires us to rehearse at a level that is indicative of how we will fight, which means that the gap that I think we need to close more and more is information sharing amongst like-minded partners, I think it comes - my personal opinion is it comes specifically out of risk to each sovereign country's information, and then specifically, usually generates into a policy for which the operators here don't have control over.

VADM Mark Hammond: First to your first point, we operate in the international domain by design. Our warships enjoy sovereign immediately, they are akin to floating agencies or high conditions of the high seas. So we have inherited from hundreds of years of naval tradition aid deployments and rights. So we are used to working together under the same set of rules in international waters, visiting international ports of the world, and we've grown together. So when we talk about allies and partners, I mean, I go to Cobola. Last time I was in Coalesce, Navy Steve's house, which saved the Australian taxpayer a little bit of money. We do our best

VADM Mark Hammond: work, and there is every Naval officer in this room has stories like that, so we have international by design, and we operate vessels with a genuine national mission to support the diplomatic effort of our respective governments, and we're pretty good at that. The information sharing at the speed or elements is the big thing, particularly from war fighting, and even as we, we work with with our great friends in Japan on the Garmin program, their consent is known, their communications equipment is by design for Japanese military user, so we need to make sure that that the communications equipment that we install in the Australian upgraded Mega Army class frigates is able to talk with JMSDF at the speed of relevance, as well as the United States Navy, and all of our other allies and partners, and that is the biggest challenge. I wish it could, I wish I had a panel in all of my communication centers that said press this button to talk to this navy or press all these buttons at the same time to work in this task. It would make JJ's job that much easier if we had this this automatic connectivity. Well, I'm not even sure that the US Atlantic fleet and the Pacific Fleet are on the same group. He's giving me grief. No, I think we're in a, we're in the same spot.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Does Japan share this belief?

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: Regarding cooperation with allied environments, first foreign ladies and maritime forces to operate seamlessly, I think the foundation of it is trust, and on top of those relations, there needs to be shared understanding on procedures, and if that is met, we can improve our interoperability

,Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: and as a means to build such relations, JMSDF, we not only take part in exercises around Japan, but we also routinely deploy our vessels to the Indo-Pacific region to expand and increase opportunities to collaborate with our ally and partners. This has really enabled us to deepen coordinate cooperation grounded in practical operations ranging from tactical to operational levels, while also promoting development of an effective cooperative framework through equipment cooperation and personal exchanges.

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: This is an example as recent case as part of the 2026 deployment training to Australia. Our JSTF Mogami class, JS Kumano, took part in the Royal Australian Navy hosted on Kakadu and Aztecs, and from the departure from Japan to even today, there are Royal Australian Navy Sea Riders onboard JS Camano throughout the entire deployment, and through the interaction among the crew, I think they have gained a much better understanding of the ship's operations, and of course they've built trust

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi: among the crew. It is kind of cool, like if you kind of your chicken, think I need more going control that is the next on your be across the junior style fields, no on digital but Does she get more tears to tomorrow? Who know the group? No capital continue to see a separate lesson today. in

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: addition, during last year's deployment of the UK carrier strike group across tech operations involving with UK and US F 35 the aircraft was conducted aboard JMS Kumano, which demonstrated cooperative high level of coordination based on common procedures and actual operations, and also, as Admiral Keller mentioned, for the acquisition of Tomahawk strike capability capabilities on Jace Chokai. This was really made possible with substantial support from the US Navy, which really is a concrete example of equipmen cooperation.

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: So it really comes down to practice and repeated practice of these operational training and equipment operation and personnel exchanges that really builds our interoperable interoperability among our allies and partners.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: I just want to take a couple of good questions. Thank you. From the floor, one member of our audience would like to know if you would welcome an orcas-like agreement between Australia, the US, and Japan.

VADM Mark Hammond: I'll dive in, and I kind of feel like we're on that pathway in many respects. The thing I like about the one of the key things I like about the McGami program is that interoperability and interchangeability between navies is enabled by common systems, so we enjoy that now. Submarine forces with the US Navy has started about 2527 years ago with a submarine command force collaboration 25 years ago with combat system collaboration, so you go, if you look at a comms class combat system and you look at a Virginia class submarine combat system, they're virtually the same, and that means that we can put our people on board web submarines and vice versa, and it seems like we can train together and do our commanding officers course. We now have the Aegis combat system on board our destroyers, and again our surface warfare communities are coming closer and closer together. It is inevitable that our navy will become closer with the JMSDF through operating the same ship, and with the acquisition of the tolerable capability for JWSDF. There is a natural collaboration moment already here with us that we are discussing around targeting systems, tolerable weapons entitlement, et cetera. So, in that context, there is an operational imperative and opportunity that we're already consuming.

Admiral Stephen Koehler: I think I couldn't say it any better. I mean, I think we're the interoperability that the three of us have just talked about continues to improve, it continues to get more lethal, and so I think we're on that path already.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Could Japan built on the Magani program, expand it and further strengthen the partnership with Australia

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: The upgraded Mogami class, which is a current development and production with Australia. This is for Japan, or cooperation with Australia, who really shares common values and has strategic interests and shares strategic interests in this region, so not only does it, in terms of the entire Indo-Pacific region, that it contributes to Japan's security as well, and to have a common equipment with Australia. It allows further cooperation in sustainment and maintenance. So this allows us to further deepen our cooperation in terms of logistics as well.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: WA has long been regarded as a bit of an outpost when it comes to national defence. The Navy keeps a few submarines here, we look after them, that obviously changes considerably now with orcas. How strategic would wa be in the defense of our country?

VADM Mark Hammond: I challenge you first statement as an outpost. Look, I think Western Australia has been central to defence planning for decades, and if you go back to World War Two, Fremantle was the launch pad for more than 300 US submarine force combat patrols into the Indo-Pacific. It was the sustainment hub for US, UK, and Dutch submarines operating from Australia in very, very simple terms. Surf West Phase One was here in the 1940s and it played a key role in seeing the conditions that led to a successful outcome for Australia and our allies of the World War Two. So, I don't see it as an outpost, although I have lived in Rockingham and old Warmburg as a junior officer. Spent a lot of my time over here. It is different to Neutral Bay, where the submarine forces were based when I joined it, but it enjoys a number of different strengths, and I certainly know that when the chief of the JMSDF visited Stirling for the first time two years ago, and he saw the standard of living in the accommodation and the wildlife base, this is not an outpost, this is the promised land in many respects. So I think it is of significant strategic value. It will only increase our power at sea, is derived from strength at home. Our sailors derive strength from knowing that their families are well supported and well looked after in the communities, and they are here in Western Australia, and our ships are more lethal and more reliable when defense industry is strong and working in partnership with us, so I see those that the number of neighbor families living here will only increase, the number of contractors and industry partners working on our defense capability will only increase, so therefore one plus one equals at least three in the future

Nadia Mitsopoulos: about the Henderson precinct, how big a strategic asset will that be?

Admiral Stephen Koehler: Hearing, I'm sorry, I missed the first part in

Nadia Mitsopoulos: precinct, how big a strategic asset will that be?

Admiral Stephen Koehler: So, so, as Mark said, right, that's pretty good, if you say it was SRF phase one, you know, the there was a reason we operated as as allies in World War Two out of here, and it was a strategic spot for which we could project power, and the opportunity that AUKUS presents us here to one completely interoperate with the Royal Australian Australian Navy submarine force and take advantage of the undersea dominance and advantage that we have over adversaries. I think it is extremely important. As you know, we're full steam ahead on that, and we're ready to go. Part of that is we look to one Sterling, who you know, I was here two years ago, I had the opportunity to see where Sterling was, and it was again not an outpost then. If you come to it today, two years later, it is a beehive of activity that continues to get better and bigger, and in an opportunity to support submarines in the future, and if you look at Henderson, which I went to two years ago, and saw the opportunity that is there, it is an enormous capability that has that has this ability to change this part of the globe from industrial capability, the ability to repair submarines across or ships across multiple nations in a very strategic location, and so I find it just filled with opportunity,

Nadia Mitsopoulos: and there's also, I guess, supply chain opportunities now. Just today, our Defense Industries Minister, I think, is here somewhere, was talking about having some sort of a defense manufacturing hub, maybe Colley, maybe not, and certainly says there has been interest from from global companies that want to make things here, I mean, what are the opportunities there? Whether it's, I think, the minister was talking about whether it's missiles, weapons, transport down to first aid kits for the defense force. What are the opportunities?

Admiral Stephen Koehler: Well, from a, from a US perspective, you know, as I tell my staff, and my, and my navy, and everything. As an operational commander, you know, I need and want it all, which is an insatiable appetite to increase readiness and be more prepared to fight. And if that is opportunity that can be pulled specifically from allies and partners that have capacity and an opportunity to do that, it betters my fighting position, and it betters our, our ability to win, whatever the challenge may be, as like-minded partners, and so I think it provides, it provides an awesome opportunity, and it's a sheer function of scale, and then you know, cross-country sovereign, you agreements to make those things happen,

Nadia Mitsopoulos: like, who can be the Defence Force GC? I mean, is this long been talked about, being able to have more of these defense manufacturing hubs?

VADM Mark Hammond: I think it has been a part of national conversation for a long time, but in the past I would say we haven't seen as much state and federal government cooperation, and that's what's needed. It can't be a case of, hey, defense of the nation is just a federal government problem. The defense of the nation is a national problem. It requires national effort, requires unity of effort, and it requires state and federal governments to work together to uplift the defense industry, the ship building capability, the manufacturing capability, the sustainment capability, and give opportunity to small and medium enterprises to innovate knowing that when they succeed there is a marketplace, so I think that's that's really changed, and I welcome the announcement. I missed the announcement. I had a dial in meeting in Canberra. How much money could you see spent in WA in 20 years?

Nadia Mitsopoulos: That was a really good question, and one that I didn't ask, but a lot of our taxpayers who are listening would like to know, but you would expect that there would be, have to be some sort of state, you would have to provide an incentive of some sort, right?

*Inaudible conversation from crowd* 

VADM Mark Hammond: See, this is what I love about Western Australia. It derives its economic wellbeing for the import export system, particularly the things that come out of the ground go on ships to international markets, but it's the navies that underwrite that access, particularly in environments where access to the sea is being contested. So, I would welcome a partnership with the West Australian government to bolster the strength of our navy and our allies.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: I welcome witnessing the conversation that the two of you are going to have after this panel. We are very good at digging up and shipping out. Are there opportunities for Japan here when it comes to manufacturing? I mean, Japanese companies, I mean, because Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is going to build some of our frigates in the future,

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: I believe they're members of MHI here in this venue, so I think they will be happy to share their thoughts on the opportunities of manufacturing and building Australia's upgraded Mogami class

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: but from the fourth ship of the upgraded Mogami class to Australia, and those will be built here in Australia. So we are anticipating that the ship building capabilities here in Australia will also be much improved,

Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi - Translator: and JMSDF are willing to, you know, cooperate with the rural Australian Navy and with Australia to support seamless acquisition of the capability.

Nadia Mitsopoulos: Finally, we've only got a couple of minutes left. I just want to just end by just having a quick look at the Iran war, but specifically the blockade of Australian commerce, because that caused a lot of disruption, energy flows, for instance, you know, we're all desperate to make sure we have petrol in our car. I just wonder how we learn from that experience to protect our countries from these kind of unexpected global shocks. What's the lesson here?

VADM Mark Hammond: I'll jump in here. I grew up in a nation being told that we rode to economic prosperity on the sheep's back, wool doesn't float for long, sheep don't swim. We are a nation that has sailed to economic prosperity, and we continue to do so. Iron ore doesn't float, gold doesn't float, liquid natural gas doesn't get to market any other way than in an LNG carrier. This is the moment we should remember. Our economic wellbeing is derived from access to the sea. It can be disrupted 4000 miles away from home, or it can be disrupted a couple of miles off the coast. We have been able to ignore that reality for way too long

Admiral Stephen Koehler: I can't disagree with that at all. I 100% agree with you. Certainly, as a naval officer, I would also say that it's indicative of the complete intertwining of all countries in all realms economically, and so, as all one one particular, you know, problem set, you know, wreaks havoc along a bunch of different sets, and that is both disruptive and opportunistic, as we have opportunity to take advantage of that, and and work together. So,

Nadia Mitsopoulos: thank you. Well, I spent half my life looking at the clock, and time is everything for me. And we are out of time. Could we please thank Vice Admiral Mark Handland, Admiral Steve Hayler, and Vice Admiral.

Disclaimer - This transcript has been generated using automated speech recognition technology. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, errors, omissions, or misinterpretations may occur. The transcript is provided for convenience only and should not be considered a verbatim or authoritative record.