INDEPENDENT DEFENCE ADVISORY - AUSTRALIA
Independent Insight for
Defence and National Resilience
Structured, technically grounded advice for Defence organisations and the industry partners who support them.
ABOUT
An independent practice for sovereign strength
Arc Fidelis is an independent advisory practice focused on strengthening Australia's Defence capability and national resilience.
Decisions made under pressure — compressed planning cycles, offshore procurement, political imperatives — often create unintended consequences for supportability and sovereign capability.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Integrity
Honest, evidence-based advice
Clarity
Complexity in practical terms
Structure
Disciplined, transparent reasoning
Steadiness
Calm support under pressure
National Benefit
Defence and industry are inseparable
CAPABILITIES
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Independent insight for Defence organisations.
Strategic drivers and capability logic
Support to capability managers
Risk and trade-off reviews
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How Defence thinks, decides, and signals.
Decision-logic interpretation
Policy and procurement shifts
Avoid strategic surprises
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Deep naval shipbuilding experience.
Systems engineering clarity
Lifecycle considerations
Technical risk interpretation
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Withstanding strategic shocks.
Supply chain vulnerability
Disruption effects analysis
Resilience gap identification
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Independent insight for boards overseeing Defence programs and national resilience.
Board advisory on Defence risk
Technical interpretation for directors
Assurance and decision-readiness
Strategic risk framing
Where we provide independent insight
WHO WE SERVE
A small number of carefully chosen clients
Defence Organisations
Independent insight into capability decisions
Sovereign Capability Companies
Building Australia's industrial base
Industry Partners
Delivering capability to Defence
Boards & Executive Leaders
Defence-related risk interpretation
"To support Defence and industry in making decisions that strengthen Australia's long-term resilience and sovereign capability."
PURPOSE — ARC FIDELIS
FOUNDER
STEVE TIFFEN
PRINCIPAL ADVISOR
Senior marine engineer and systems thinker with deep experience across naval shipbuilding, sustainment, and Defence capability development.
His work focuses on helping Defence and industry navigate complex pressures with clarity, structure, and integrity. He works with a small number of clients at any one time.
Clear, structured analysis that holds up under scrutiny
Calm interpretation of complex issues
Independent, candid advice trusted by senior leaders
Ready to bring clarity to your most complex decisions?
Arc Fidelis maintains a small, select client base. If you are working through a challenge that demands senior, independent insight — we welcome a conversation.
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