Episode 127

Episode 127

From Asia Pacific Defence Reporter by APDR

February 9, 2026 · 20 min

About this episode

The episode discusses US isolationism, Australia's defense challenges, and updates from the Singapore air show.

Before we get to the Singapore air show, some more words about US isolationism and a country that seems to be fracturing. Something that Australian politicians seem to be sadly unaware of.  There was pushback against the latest report from the US Congressional Research Service - a very authoritative group - that once again raised the possibility of Australia not receiving any Virginia class submarines. This was in the form of a heated response from Defence Minister Marles, that everything is perfect - but where is the evidence for that? The project will receive an injection of an additional $600 million this year, meaning that the path to reaching 2.3% of GDP will be even slower than previously believed. From the air show, some good news about the growth path for Apache helicopters and also a reminder that NH90 helicopters - the parent design of the scrapped Taipan fleet- remain in great demand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Topics covered

  • US isolationism
  • Australia's defense
  • Virginia class submarines
  • Singapore air show
  • Apache helicopters
  • NH90 helicopters

Keywords

  • US Congressional Research Service
  • Defence Minister Marles
  • Virginia class submarines
  • Singapore air show
  • Apache helicopters
  • NH90 helicopters
  • Australia defense budget

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: US Congressional Research Service

Products: Virginia class submarines, Apache helicopters, NH90 helicopters

Places: Singapore, Australia

More episodes of Asia Pacific Defence Reporter

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Asia Pacific Defence Reporter podcast page.