A call to arms for Australian guided weapons sovereign capability

A call to arms for Australian guided weapons sovereign capability

From Australian Defence Magazine Podcast by Australian Defence Magazine

April 21, 2026 · 28 min · Episode 156

About this episode

The episode discusses BAE Systems Australia's contributions to guided weapons capabilities and the importance of sovereign capability development.

In this episode, Grant McHerron visits BAE Systems Australia and talks with Kisa Christensen, Director of Integrated Defence and Autonomy Systems (IDAS), and Stuart Bryden, Business Development Manager. We discuss BAE Systems’ history of producing autonomous systems and missiles and the Company’s involvement with Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordinance (GWEO) initiative. We begin by exploring Kisa Christensen's role as Director of Integrated Defence and Autonomy Systems focusing on sovereign guided weapons capabilities and we delve into Stuart Bryden's role in business development, with his expertise in autonomy and rapid product development for the defence sector. Our conversation examines BAE Systems' significant contributions to Australia through their Nulka program (37 years) and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), showcasing decades of experience in guided weapons engineering and manufacturing. We also discuss BAE Systems’ new RAZER low-cost precision guided munition that exemplifies the Company’s transferable expertise from other domains. The discussion highlights the importance of sovereign capability development for Australia to maintain supply chain resilience…

People in this episode

Host: Grant McHerron

Guests: Kisa Christensen, Stuart Bryden

Topics covered

  • guided weapons
  • sovereign capability
  • defence technology
  • autonomous systems
  • business development
  • supply chain resilience

Keywords

  • BAE Systems
  • guided weapons
  • autonomous systems
  • RAZER
  • supply chain resilience
  • defence sector
  • business development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BAE Systems Australia, BAE Systems, Australian Government, Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordinance (GWEO), Nulka program

Products: RAZER, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM)

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