Pike & Shot

On this episode of Pike & Shot, I chat with Dr. Andrew Hammond, historian and curator for the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. We discuss the recent explosive pager attack by Israeli intelligence, and dive into the history, logistics, and impact of these types of attacks. Dr. Hammond's career began in the Royal Air Force, as well as time spent with the British Army and Royal N...

On today's episode, I chat with Sal Mercogliano of the What's Going On With Shipping channel on Youtube. Sal is a wealth of knowledge on everything maritime and we break down everything from the Houthi threat in the Red Sea to pirates, bridges, and the future of American shipbuilding. 

Is TikTok a cyberweapon? Today we ask that very question. My guest today is Ryan McBeth. Ryan is an intelligence analyst, software architect, cybersecurity specialist, and YouTube content creator of military,  intelligence and disinformation topics. Ryan spent 20 years in the US Army as an anti-armor and heavy weapons infantryman with two overseas deployments and later developed C4ISR software for...

My guest today is Michael Hilliard, creator and host of both The Red Line Podcast, and Spotlight On Central Asia, as well as a writer and analyst covering Geopolitics & defense, focusing on central Asia and Russia. Michael joined me for a chat in March of 2022, during the opening phases of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Tanks were rolling on Kyiv, and the world was holding its collective breath...

 In most images of the globe, China and Latin America are quite literally on opposite sides. However, in many ways, China and Latin America are closer than one would think, and have significant economic, diplomatic, and geopolitical interaction. Though the Pacific is vast, they are really just one ocean apart. My guest today is Margaret Myers, the director of the Asia & Latin America Program a...

Meredith Angwin is a chemist, infrastructure advocate, and author of Shorting The Grid: The Hidden Fragility in Our Electrical Grid. Recently, after becoming involved in grid management in her own community in New England, she has been on a quest to raise awareness and promote solutions for the rampant grid confusion and lack of resilience in America’s power systems.

Should the U.S. and allies establish a No-Fly-Zone over Ukraine to mitigate civilian casualties? It is a topic we hear discussed regularly and without a lot of context or detail on what that would entail. Ward Carroll, a U.S. Navy Airman who himself has participated in No-Fly-Zone enforcement, joins us today to break down the reality of implementing such an operation in Ukrainian skies. 

Today I am joined by Jacob Stokes, a fellow in the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, where his work focuses on US-China relations. He has worked at numerous think tanks and high levels of government, assisting US leaders making decisions vis-a-vis China. We discuss the upcoming 20th CCP Congress, which has not garnered a lot of attention outside of China, but...

With Ukraine dominating news worldwide, and horrifying images filling our social media feeds, I take a step back and look at the greater forces at work in the run up to and immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion. Michael Hilliard of The Red Line Podcast joins me to unpack how the post-cold war order of Europe and the globe has been permanently shattered over the course of two weeks. Find Th...

Today on Pike & Shot, I talk with Dr. Darrell Bricker about the reality of global population growth turning to population decline in the very near future. Dr Bricker is a Canadian author, pollster, public speaker, political scientist and political commentator. He is the CEO of IPSOS Public Affairs, and the author of several books, most recently and relevant to today’s discussion, Empty Planet:...

Today on Pike & Shot, I speak with Fin DePencier. Fin is a freelance journalist and photographer currently operating out of Armenia. He was on the ground in Kazakhstan directly after the events on January 2022's protest-turned-insurrection. We discuss the situation in Kazakstan, unpack some theories as to the deeper causes behind the uprising, and how it relates to the larger evolution of...

Today we speak with Mark Stout, who has made his career first as an intelligence analyst, and then teaching his craft to others. Mark has worked in numerous parts of the government including the CIA and State Department. We unpack what intelligence is defined as, and how that definition is constantly evolving and changing. Link to JSOU lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjY-NAREnHU

Our third episode of Pike & Shot focuses on the growing uncertainty around Russia, Ukraine, and the entire post-Soviet sphere. Professor Scott Radnitz from the University of Washington Elisson Center joins us to explain the cultural, political, and historical reasons behind Putin's current actions. Link to Ellison Center Event 2/1/22:  https://jsis.washington.edu/ellisoncenter/events/?tru...

USNWC Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg0HHO5lJ5Q&t=0s Nichloas Sarantakes, associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, joins us today. We discuss the history of Olympic boycotts and politics at the games, as well as the upcoming US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games, and future concerns for the Olympic Movement.

Welcome to the first episode of Pike & Shot. Today, Tuesday January 18, I sit down with AH-64 Apache helicopter pilot Shawn Witt to discuss the complexities of the modern battlefield as we watch the situation unfolding in Ukraine.