🎙️ Is Australia’s Defence Capability Strong — or Structurally Vulnerable?

Australia talks constantly about defence capability.

But if we can’t build, sustain, and properly crew our own force structure — are we truly sovereign?
In this episode of The Focus, Dr John Bruni speaks with Mel Pikos from Talking Tactics about the real state of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the country’s defence industry base.
This is not a procurement discussion.

It’s a sovereignty discussion.

Show Notes:

Guest: Mel Pikos (Talking Tactics)
Host: Dr John Bruni

Australia talks constantly about defence capability — new platforms, AUKUS, procurement announcements.

But are we building sovereign capacity — or managing structural dependence?

In this episode, Dr John Bruni speaks with Mel Pikos from Talking Tactics about the real state of the ADF and Australia’s defence industry base.

We examine:

• Is defence industry effectively a “fourth arm” of the ADF?
• Are Australian SMEs central to innovation — or sidelined by foreign primes?
• Does supply chain dependence create strategic vulnerability?
• Is recruitment weakness creating hollow force risk across Navy, Army and Air Force?


• Can capability be strengthened without introducing national service?
This conversation moves beyond procurement headlines to the deeper issue of national resilience.
Sovereignty isn’t announced. It’s built.

You can watch Mel’s excellent podcast Talking Tactics here:

https://www.youtube.com/@MelPikos

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Is India still a strategic partner of the United States — or is it becoming an independent pole in a rapidly shifting global order?
In this high-level panel discussion, Dr. John Bruni is joined by Lt. General Ravi Shankar (Retd.), former Director General of Artillery of the Indian Army, and Professor Salvatore Babones, political economist at the University of Sydney, to examine India’s evolving role in global geopolitics.

Show Notes

Guests

Lt. General Ravi Shankar (Retd.) is the former Director General of Artillery of the Indian Army and currently serves as Professor of Practice in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Madras. With a distinguished military career spanning decades, he is a respected commentator on India’s defence posture, China–India dynamics, Pakistan, and broader strategic affairs.

The Gunner’s Shot (YouTube Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@gunnersshot

General Shankar regularly publishes strategic and military analyses through his channel.

Professor Salvatore Babones is a Political Economist and Globalisation Scholar at the University of Sydney. His work focuses on great-power competition, global inequality, and the structural dynamics shaping U.S.–China–India relations.

Recent Books by Salvatore Babones:

The Global Political Economy of the Indo-Pacific (2024)
American Tianxia: Chinese Money, American Power, and the End of History (2023)
The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts (2022)

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In our second episode for 2026, John is joined by returning guest Professor Scott Lucas to talk about the recent tragic events in the U.S. state of Minnesota.

Show Notes:

Episode Description

From Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., Minnesota has become the epicentre of seismic political conflict — from mass protests to intense debates over immigration enforcement, federal power, and public accountability. We explore how the state’s recent upheavals reflect broader shifts in U.S. political life, and what they reveal about leadership, legitimacy, and the social fabric of American civic life.

About the Guest

Scott Lucas is Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView, a leading site for global political analysis, and a frequent commentator on major international TV and radio outlets.

EA WorldView – https://eaworldview.com/

UCD Clinton Institute – https://www.ucdclinton.ie/

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