The Indo-Pacific Imperative: Building Credible Capability Before Crisis

Hosted by

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  MG (RET) Mick Ryan Strategic advisor

  Major General Mick Ryan served more than 35 years in the Australian Army, commanding at every level from troop to brigade. His operational experience spans East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan, and service on the U.S. Joint Staff in Washington. A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting and Johns Hopkins SAIS, he is widely recognised for his writing on strategy, innovation, and future warfare – including War Transformed, White Sun War, and The War for Ukraine. He now advises defence organisations across Australia, the UK, and the U.S., while completing a PhD in creative writing.

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  Dr. Sidharth Kaushal Research fellow @ RUSI

  Dr Kaushal is a research fellow at RUSI whose work focuses on the impact of technology on 21st-century maritime doctrine and the role of sea power in national strategy. He holds a doctorate in International Relations from the London School of Economics, where he examined how strategic culture shapes national grand strategy

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  Michael Benhamou Executive Director @ OPEWI – Europe’s War Institute

  Michael Benhamou is the Executive Director of OPEWI – Europe’s War Institute – and a reserve officer in the French Army, serving as a political advisor at Joint Forces Command. His deployments include Kosovo, Afghanistan, the Gulf, Libya, and most recently the Clémenceau 25 mission aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. His work sits at the intersection of operational experience, European security, and emerging theatres of competition.

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  LTG (RET) Ben Hodges Senior Fellow @ Center for European Analysis

  Skip is a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Board Director of The Olmsted Foundation, and a defence consultant. He most recently served as NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment. Prior to NATO, he completed 37 years of service in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Major General. A distinguished graduate of West Point, he was commissioned in the infantry and commanded airborne, light, and mechanized infantry units in the U.S. and Europe. He deployed on operations with U.S., Italian, NATO, and UN forces across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. His senior roles included Director of Operations (J3) at U.S. European Command, Commander of the Combined Security Transition Command–Afghanistan, and Director of Operations and Intelligence for Allied Command Operations. He holds degrees in nuclear physics, international business, defence, and strategic studies, and is fluent in French and Italian.

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  Juliana Suess Senior Fellow @ Center for European Policy Analysis

  Skip is a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Board Director of The Olmsted Foundation, and a defence consultant. He most recently served as NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment. Prior to NATO, he completed 37 years of service in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Major General. A distinguished graduate of West Point, he was commissioned in the infantry and commanded airborne, light, and mechanized infantry units in the U.S. and Europe. He deployed on operations with U.S., Italian, NATO, and UN forces across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. His senior roles included Director of Operations (J3) at U.S. European Command, Commander of the Combined Security Transition Command–Afghanistan, and Director of Operations and Intelligence for Allied Command Operations. He holds degrees in nuclear physics, international business, defence, and strategic studies, and is fluent in French and Italian.