<p><strong>CONTENT</strong></p><br><p>My guests today are Neale Smiles and&nbsp;Ian Garnett.&nbsp;Regular listener will know Neale from previous podcasts where we have discussed defence and technology issues.&nbsp;</p><p>Ian, is a former New Zealand Army officer who transitioned from a career in the&nbsp;army to become a successful defence technology entrepreneur. He discusses his extensive military background, including specialised training in&nbsp;digital fire control systems&nbsp;and his experience with large-scale live-firing exercises.</p><br><p>After leaving the forces, he developed a sophisticated, software-based system that modernises the&nbsp;sensor-to-shooter link, allowing for rapid, silent and fully digital communication between observers and weapon platforms. The discussion highlights the challenges small firms face in the&nbsp;defence industry, the importance of&nbsp;interoperability&nbsp;within NATO, and how&nbsp;software-driven innovation&nbsp;is currently reshaping modern warfare. Growing success has seen his technology integrated into several international militaries, proving that&nbsp;agile start-ups&nbsp;can outperform established defence giants.</p><br><p>Ian's book choice on Desert Islands Dits is "Rommel, Gunner Who?" by Spike Milligan.</p><br><p><strong>WHERE TO GET OUR DESERT ISLAND DITS BOOK CHOICES</strong></p><br><p>Most of our book recommendations can be bought via the Unconventional Soldier <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/UCS473" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookshop</a>.&nbsp;10% of each purchase supports the pod and helps independent book stores on line sales.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p><strong>"BUY ME A COFFEE"</strong></p><br><p>If you want to support the podcast you can buy me a coffee <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unconsoldierpod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></p><br><p><strong>SOCIAL MEDIA</strong></p><br><p>Instagram @the_unconventional_soldier_pod.</p><p>Facebook @lateo82.&nbsp;</p><p>Twitter @TheUCS473.</p><p>Download these and other platforms via<a href="https://linktr.ee/unconventionalsoldier" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Link Tree</a>.</p><p>Email us: [email protected].&nbsp;</p><p>This episode brought to you in association with<a href="https://isarr.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> ISARR</a> a veteran owned company.</p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>