Talking Tactics with Mel Pikos

About Talking Tactics with Mel Pikos

Talking Tactics breaks down the policies, the numbers and the politics shaping Australian business, the economy and defence. Pro-growth, pro-aspiration, and I follow the evidence wherever it leads. Talking Tactics is presented by Mel Pikos, Managing Director of TACTIC. TACTIC is an end-to-end solution for all your commercial office space needs including Workplace Strategy & Design | Occupier Advisory | Fitout Delivery. To increase the productivity of your office whilst strategically minimising costs, visit www.tactic.au or send an email to mel@tactic.au

Publisher

Mel Pikos

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Oct 2021

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

108 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Is China Becoming More Aggressive Towards Australia?

   Australia isn't at war with China. But the strategic environment around us is changing.Chinese warships have operated around Australia, conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea, and demonstrated the ability to project military power deep into the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, Chinese state-linked cyber operators and intelligence services continue to target Australian networks, institutions and sensitive information.In this episode of Talking Tactics, we look at what these developments actually mean for Australia, from China's growing naval and missile capabilities to its expanding nuclear arsenal, cyber operations, espionage and influence activities.None of this necessarily means that war between Australia and China is inevitable. But it does raise an important question: is Australia's geography still enough to keep us safe?We look at what Australia could do to become harder to attack, disrupt or coerce, including strengthening deterrence, long-range strike, missile defence, intelligence and cyber security, critical infrastructure resilience, and regional partnerships.The goal isn't to predict a war. It's to understand the changing strategic environment and consider how Australia should prepare for it.00:00 Australia Is Not At War With China, But...00:51 China's Military Reach03:38 Cyber Warfare and Espionage06:19 China's Military and Nuclear Expansion07:47 What Should Australia Do In Response11:11 The Warning Signs---Like the 3D printed models in the background? They were provided by Spack.au and Talking Tactics viewers can get 5% off the Camouflage Models range by using the following link: https://shorturl.at/R0Rl4Discount will be applied at checkout after using this link and placing an order. ---Talking Tactics breaks down the policies, the numbers and the politics shaping Australian business, the economy and defence. Pro-growth, pro-aspiration, and I follow the evidence wherever it leads. Talking Tactics is presented by Mel Pikos, Managing Director of TACTIC. TACTIC is an end-to-end solution for all your commercial office space needs including Workplace Strategy & Design | Occupier Advisory | Fitout Delivery. To increase the productivity of your office whilst strategically minimising costs, visit www.tactic.au or send an email to mel@tactic.auFor business or sponsorship enquiries, please email matt@tactic.au ---Connect with us on our socials:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/talkingtacticswithmelpikoswww.facebook.com/talkingtacticswithmelpikosTactic Spaces on Facebook@mel_pikos on Twitter@melppikos on Instagram@melpikos on TikTok

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   What AUKUS Needs to Give Australia (Besides Submarines)

   AUKUS is giving Australia nuclear-powered submarines. But if we're serious about defending Australia, should submarines be the end of the shopping list?In this episode of Talking Tactics, we build an AUKUS Wishlist: a hypothetical list of additional capabilities Australia could potentially pursue through the AUKUS partnership.From long-range strike and hypersonic weapons to advanced air-to-air missiles, ballistic missile defence, submarine support ships and a resilient satellite network, these capabilities could give Australia a much broader system of deterrence across land, sea, air and space.The idea isn't that Australia should buy everything on this list. There are major questions around cost, technology, basing, sovereignty and whether every capability is actually the right fit for Australia.But if AUKUS is going to become more than a submarine program, what could that look like?What would you add to the AUKUS Wishlist? And are there any capabilities on this list that Australia simply doesn't need?00:00 The AUKUS Wishlist00:36 Deep Strike and Land-Based Fires04:37 Air Dominance, Range Extension and Integrated Defence07:28 Maritime Supremacy and Ballistic Defence09:13 Space Architecture and Over The Horizon Targeting09:54 What Would You Get?#AUKUS #Australia #ADF #AustralianDefence #Defence #Military #TalkingTactics---Like the 3D printed models in the background? They were provided by Spack.au and Talking Tactics viewers can get 5% off the Camouflage Models range by using the following link: https://shorturl.at/R0Rl4Discount will be applied at checkout after using this link and placing an order. ---Talking Tactics breaks down the policies, the numbers and the politics shaping Australian business, the economy and defence. Pro-growth, pro-aspiration, and I follow the evidence wherever it leads. Talking Tactics is presented by Mel Pikos, Managing Director of TACTIC. TACTIC is an end-to-end solution for all your commercial office space needs including Workplace Strategy & Design | Occupier Advisory | Fitout Delivery. To increase the productivity of your office whilst strategically minimising costs, visit www.tactic.au or send an email to mel@tactic.auFor business or sponsorship enquiries, please email matt@tactic.au ---Connect with us on our socials:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/talkingtacticswithmelpikoswww.facebook.com/talkingtacticswithmelpikosTactic Spaces on Facebook@mel_pikos on Twitter@melppikos on Instagram@melpikos on TikTok

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   The Missile Defence Options for Australia

   Could Australia defend itself against a large-scale missile or drone attack?In this episode of Talking Tactics, I'm looking at some of the real-world air and missile defence systems Australia could consider as part of a permanent, multi-layered national defence network.From the American Aegis Ashore system to mobile THAAD and Patriot batteries, Australia has a range of options for defending population centres, military bases and critical infrastructure against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones.We also look at the growing threat posed by cheap attack drones, and the emerging technologies being developed to counter them, including the Rheinmetall Skyranger, EOS Slinger, directed-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems.Could these technologies form the basis of an Australian "Green and Gold Dome"?In this video:00:00 Australia's missile defence problem00:54 Aegis Ashore04:14 THAAD04:54 Patriot PAC-305:17 Australia's NASAMS06:27 The growing drone threat06:59 Skyranger and EOS Slinger07:42 Laser air defence08:13 High-power microwave systems09:25 What should Australia do?How should Australia approach national missile and drone defence? Should we invest in permanent fixed sites, mobile networks, or a combination of both?Let us know what you think in the comments.#Australia #MissileDefence #AirDefence #ADF #AustralianDefence #Military #Defence #AUKUS #Drones #TalkingTactics---Like the 3D printed models in the background? They were provided by Spack.au and Talking Tactics viewers can get 5% off the Camouflage Models range by using the following link: https://shorturl.at/R0Rl4Discount will be applied at checkout after using this link and placing an order. ---Talking Tactics breaks down the policies, the numbers and the politics shaping Australian business, the economy and defence. Pro-growth, pro-aspiration, and I follow the evidence wherever it leads. Talking Tactics is presented by Mel Pikos, Managing Director of TACTIC. TACTIC is an end-to-end solution for all your commercial office space needs including Workplace Strategy & Design | Occupier Advisory | Fitout Delivery. To increase the productivity of your office whilst strategically minimising costs, visit www.tactic.au or send an email to mel@tactic.auFor business or sponsorship enquiries, please email matt@tactic.au ---Connect with us on our socials:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/talkingtacticswithmelpikoswww.facebook.com/talkingtacticswithmelpikosTactic Spaces on Facebook@mel_pikos on Twitter@melppikos on Instagram@melpikos on TikTok

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