The Cove Podcast

About The Cove Podcast

The Cove Podcast brings you candid, unfiltered conversations with the leaders, soldiers, and scholars shaping the Australian Army today. Each week, our host CAPT Todd Lempa sits down with uniformed officers and soldiers leading the change in the Australian Army as well as academics and international partners to unpack what modern warfare demands. From redefining leadership and resilience in the modern Army to exploring lessons from combat operations, command culture, human performance, and the future of land power, The Cove Podcast reveals how the Australian Army thinks, learns, and fights. Whether it’s a Regimental Sergeant Major reflecting on combat, a general discussing Warrior Culture, or a psychologist unpacking mental readiness—each episode delivers a grounded look at the people and ideas driving the Australian Army forward. Insightful, grounded, and authentic — this is where the Australian Army thinks out loud.

Publisher

The Cove

Category

education · government · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Jan 2016

Latest episode

4 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

400 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Counter-UAS: Adapting to the Drone Threat with LTCOL Paul Middleton, Deputy Director Force Modernisation HQ2 DIV

   LTCOL Paul Middleton from Headquarters 2nd Division joins The Cove to discuss the integration of counter-uncrewed aerial systems during Exercise Austral Shield 2026. The exercise saw JTF 629 take newly issued LAND 156 equipment and trained operators into a collective tactical environment, moving beyond classroom training to test the equipment, tactics and soldiers against a realistic UAS threat. The conversation explores what was learned, how quickly soldiers adapted, and why counter-UAS is increasingly about fieldcraft, dispersion, detection and tactical decision-making—not simply defeating drones with technology.

2. 

   20 Sept 2026

   The Drone-Enabled Battlefield: Army’s RAS Revolution with CAPT Andy Dunn-Lobban, Remote and Autonomous Systems Cell

   Captain Andrew Dunn-Lobban from the Land Combat College’s Remote and Autonomous Systems Cell joins The Cove to explore how drones and robotic systems are changing land warfare. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine and Army’s own experimentation, we discuss the emerging Drone Combat System, new training pathways, how drone teams may operate across the force, and what soldiers and junior commanders need to understand about fighting in an increasingly RAS-enabled battlespace.

3. 

   6 Sept 2026

   From Oxford to the Australian Army: Rethinking Officer Recruitment with LT Oliver Douglas

   Lieutenant Oliver Douglas talks with John Hardgrave on The Cove Podcast to discuss his experience serving with the Oxford University Officers’ Training Corps while studying as a Rhodes Scholar. Drawing on his time inside both the Australian and British Army systems, he explores the cultural differences between the two forces and explains how the British UOTC model gives young people a rapid, low-commitment introduction to military service. The episode considers whether a similar approach could strengthen Army recruitment, officer development and public understanding of service in Australia

Who has been a guest on The Cove Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• CAPT Jack Virtue
• CPL Mitchell Clark
• LTCOL James Ellis-Smith
• CAPT Mac Purbrick
• Dr Ashok Sharma

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

42 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 63 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

90

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

90

Contact The Cove Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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