Episode 154

We begin with another Defence procurement farce. Two years ago Defence abandoned a project called JP 9102 for geostationary military communications satellites with Minister Richard Marles explaining that they were too vulnerable and of insufficient capability. In an extraordinary development, Defence has just issued a tender for a satellite very similar to the one they cancelled. The problem is that we have missed at least 3 years acquiring a vital capability - and Australian industry lost more than $300 million because of the ineptitude of Defence.

The Middle East continues to unravel with Donald Trump now seeking to blame Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure for high US diesel prices rather than his own stupid unprovoked war with Iran. At least Ukraine is hitting back with massive drone and ballistic missile attacks on Russia. This is demonstrating the future of warfare - mass attacks from these systems. Only now is the full extent of the damage Iran has caused to US facilities using similar weapons in the Persian Gulf region being revealed.

It looks very much like Trump is abandoning US allies in the Middle East - especially Saudi Arabia. The Saudis and the Gulf monarchies believed that the US could be counted on as their security guarantor. The reality is that Trump is throwing them under the bus. Why do Australian politicians and Defence officials think we are any different?

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