Electronic warfare is a crucial element of armed conflict involving controlling and protecting the electromagnetic spectrum, which is vital for communication, navigation, and target identification.
EW also permits the disruption and denial of adversaries' use of the spectrum, hindering their ability to operate effectively.
Benjamin “Chuck” Angus, Director of Business Development in Naval Power at Raytheon, a business of RTX, joins us this week to discuss Raytheon's involvement in EW, specifically offensive electronic attack, with its NextGeneration Jammer—an advanced electronic attack system that denies, disrupts, and degrades enemy technology, including communication tools and air-defense systems.
In this episode, Mike and Jake catch up on defense techhappenings.
Links
• Sign up for the newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
00:36 intro
03:31 defense tech investing
17:25 Anduril & Golden Dome
18:13 Golden Dome
25:51 frequency auctioning
28:12 Ukraine forcing a US reckoning
34:27 DIU criticism
42:24 the 4th offset?
46:39 Sun Tzu terrain
47:45 the torpedo
50:05 Ukraine drones and Israeli pagers
Tomorrow’s fight will be fast, complex, and contested. Victory won’t come from a single platform, weapon, or payload—it will depend on how well everything works together.
That’s where modeling and simulation (M&S) matters.
This week, Raytheon (an RTX company) joins us to discuss how they are leading the way with Rapid Campaign Analysis and Demonstration Environment (RCADE), a campaign-level M&S capability built to help decision-makers think beyond individual systems and enables them to see the entire operational ecosystem.
Don’t miss our newsletter!That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
In this episode, Mike sits down with Sheila Cummings,founder, president, and CEO of Cummings Aerospace.
Cummings Aero started in 2009 supporting the Huntsville,Alabama missile market, but recently decided to launch their own product—the Hellhound.
The Hellhound S3 is a man-portable, 3D-printe,d jet-powered kamikaze drone...and we have the FIRST-PUBLIC views of the actual drone—audio and video!
BREAKING NEWS: Sheila also announced a new variant—theHellhound S4. It’s tube-launched, bigger, better, and even faster than the S3!
If you're into military drones, cutting-edge tech, and thestart-up culture of finding ways to help the warfighter—this episode is for you.
Links
• Sign up for the newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• Mike Benitez on LinkedIn
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
00:00 start
01:18 intro
01:56 origin story
05:03 high speed background
06:34 Hellhound origin story
10:54 introducing the Hellhound
11:27 3D-printed
12:31 finding an engine
13:34 See the Hellhound
21:20 naming the Hellhound
22:39 family of drones
24:38 supersonic variant
29:22 China & Industrialization
32:32 Industrial Mobilization Board
35:47 outro
Joe “Grip” Beissner, Director of Requirements and Capabilities for Radio Frequency Solutions at Raytheon, a business of RTX, joins us to discuss the cutting-edge AESA radars Raytheondelivers for our warfighters.
Jon "Stormin" Norman, Vice President of Requirements & Capabilities at Raytheon, a business of RTX, joins us to discuss the cutting-edge air-to-air and -surface weapons and effectors Raytheon delivers for our warfighters.
Don’t miss our newsletter! That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
In this episode, Mike sits down with Brett “Snappy”Abbamonte, a former Marine Corps F-35 pilot now at Advanced Strategic Insight (ASI) Inc.
Snappy is the program manager for ELITE (ExpendableLower-cost Integrated Training Emitter), a compact, cost-effective system designed to mimic high-end surface-to-air missile (SAM) threats.
Dive into how this innovative tech is reshaping training,enhancing readiness, and solving a critical warfighter problem—offering a firsthand look at how operators are using ELITE in the field to sharpen their edge.
If you're into military training, cutting-edge technology,and boosting warfighter readiness—this episode is a must-listen.
Links
• Sign up for the newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• Mike Benitez on LinkedIn
• Brett “Snappy” Abbamonte on LinkedIn
• ASI company
• ELITE product
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
00:00 start
01:11 intro
03:08 Snappy
04:49 F-35 magnifies a growing problem
07:21 the 3-solution problem
10:31 good-enough solution space
12:12 ELITE
13:51 size and power
15:35 as a target
17:45 customers
20:27 remote controlled
22:00 how to keep it low cost
23:34 creative training
25:09 how the training looks
26:47 RAF Lakenheath
31:19 SBIR experience
38:02 valley of death
38:34 end of year money
40:27 squadron innovation funds
42:14 expendable concept validated
42:50 Marine Corps weapons school example
44:40 expendable allocation
46:14 tools for innovative training
49:30 memory lane
49:45 callsign story
51:40 outro
#military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity#defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #usmc#innovation #war #strategy #aerospace #china #airpower #f35 #training #readiness #electronicwarfare
Don’t miss our newsletter!
That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
In this episode, Mike interviews retired Air Force Colonel John Warden.
John is an Air Force pioneer who shaped how the modern world thinks about warfare—specifically the concepts of the operational level of war, parallel attack, and centers of gravity. He is most noted as the creator of Warden’s Five Rings and the architect of the Gulf War air campaign—but there’s much more than that.
We talked about how his thoughts were shaped in Vietnam and the 1980s, how he ended up in the Pentagon, and what series of events led to his framework being used to create Operation Desert Storm.
We applied the real lessons from Desert Storm to discuss China, why it’s a strategic threat, and the blind spot in US national security.
If you’re into history, strategy, warfare, military tactics, and national security—this episode is for you.
Links
• Sign up for the newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
01:31 intro
03:31 Vietnam experience
05:56 Vietnam reshaped the Air Force
10:36 post-Vietnam thinking about the Middle East
13:56 command structure in the 1980s
16:14 Bitburg to Georgia to Italy
17:38 the 5 Rings - War College origins
18:13 missing the operational level of war
26:17 Warden's 5 rings
29:36 the other usefulness of the 5 rings
32:13 Checkmate
34:25 Checkmate, 5 Rings, and the Soviet Union
35:20 Fuel and the Fulda Gap
39:37 context for Desert Storm
42:44 Checkmate and Desert Storm
45:34 Checkmate gets into Desert Storm
48:26 the original 3-week plan
54:01 Not learning from Desert Storm?
57:24 today's challenges
58:29 China revelation #1
1:00:44 The Gulf War...on US soil
1:02:41 The US cyber vulnerability
1:06:52 China 2027 2035 2049
1:08:36 homeland defense blindspot
1:09:49 coastal defense
1:11:38 self-deterrence?
1:14:42 global reach global power
1:17:48 commitment to defense
1:18:51 outro
#military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #usmc #innovation #war #strategy #aerospace #china #desertstorm #gulfwar #airpower #militaryhistory #militarypower #iraq #middleeast #desertstorm #gulfwar
Check out our newsletter, where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
In this episode, Mike interviews Chip Yates, founder of Yates Electrospace Corporation.
With a background in racing, Chip has made a name for himself by setting numerous world records as a pioneer in electric-powered motorcycles and airplanes. His journey took a strategic turn when he encountered a complex military challenge, leading to the inception of his company.
Chip pivoted to defense, launching Silent Arrow—disposable cargo drones deployed from planes like the C-130. These drones must fly dozens—even hundreds—of miles yet be cost-effective enough to be discarded after just a single use.
Chip shares his decade-long journey in defense tech, offering insights into affordable, executable innovation in an industry full of giant companies and complex technology.
Links
• Sign up for the newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
00:50 intro
01:47 Chip's racing background
03:03 company origins
03:41 getting involved in defense tech
04:11 the idea and 1st concept vehicle
06:53 the Smithsonian
08:34 2,000 glider drone
08:48 how Silent Arrow works
10:14 the need for more standoff
12:10 operational evals of prototypes
13:50 crawl walk run
15:03 the Pacific Pivot?
15:52 Airbus partnership
17:26 powered cargo drones
19:29 interesting payloads
20:42 the C-130 of drones
20:59 design and looks
23:10 raising money in defense tech
24:27 more requirement creep
25:37 using a Tesla?!
28:34 timeline for Tesla-launch
29:28 advertising in defense
30:46 2025 expectations
31:26 a super size version
33:50 adaption vs invention
35:36 keeping the cargo intact
38:46 powered version
39:50 advice
40:37 raising money
42:21 outro
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #innovation #aviation #airplanes #aerospace #c130 #cargo #mobility #logistics #supply #resupply #drones #unmanned #drone
Sign up for our newsletter, where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
Speaking of knowledge bombs, Mike hosts Ed Cobleigh to talk about Paveway: the laser-guided bomb.
Ed flew 375 combat missions during the Vietnam War in the F-4 Phantom and was one of the first people to drop the Paveway laser-guided bomb in combat. He earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses and went on to attend Fighter Weapons School, where he remained in order to stand up the guided weapons division and teach Paveway LGB employment.
Ed’s had a wild life beyond the Air Force and is now an author with 5 books (and counting).
This episode covers not just the tech and tactics but also a first-person account of dropping LGBs in combat 56 years ago!
----
Links
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
00:34 intro
01:58 How Ed got to Vietnam
02:31 background of guided bombs
03:35 Paveway history
07:19 Project White Lightning
09:03 the first laser designator
10:19 Dropping the LGBs
12:15 results from the first tests
14:00 training for the first LGB drop
15:04 Zot nickname
17:49 Ed's 2nd tour
20:17 Navy gets Paveway
22:21 teaching LGBs at Nellis
23:45 Red Flag
25:16 Targeting Pods
26:57 Linebacker 1972
27:56 Dragons Jaw Bridge
29:51 Paveway’s legacy
30:46 F-117 and Paveway
32:37 Paveway III
34:29 Paveway lawsuit
35:26 Ed's books
37:45 outro
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #innovation #F4 #vietnam #aviation #airplanes #aerospace
Don’t miss our newsletter! That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
Mike hosts Col. Joseph Little, callsign “Little Joe,” to discuss how the US Air Force is modernizing the legendary B-52 BUFF to keep it flying into the 2050s—100 years after its first flight.
Col Little is a B-52 Weapons Systems Officer, a US Air Force Weapons School graduate, a former test squadron commander, and currently serving as the Detachment 5 Commander of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), where he oversees the B-52J program.
The B-52J modernization program is a $48 Billion transformation designed to extend the bomber's life into the 2060s. It includes new engines, advanced cockpits, upgraded radar, and more, making it the most significant overhaul in the aircraft's history.
This episode covers not just the tech but also tactics, weapons, historical milestones, and untold war stories. Whether you're a fan of military aviation or interested in strategic operations, this insider’s look at the B-52 is a must-listen!
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #innovation #b52 #BUFF #bomber #aviation #airplanes #aerospace
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
00:49 intro
03:24 yesterday vs today
04:57 B-52 in 2024
05:17 changing the crew roles
05:53 bombardier wings
06:12 The youngest oldest B-52s
08:04 BUFF origins
08:39 Orange BUFF
10:14 test units
11:13 test lessons from Vietnam
13:32 B-52 modernization
14:40 the B-52J
16:18 radar upgrade
21:15 quad crew concept
23:29 Fox-4 kill
24:30 new engines - why 8?
28:22 fixing the tanker bill
28:46 Iraqi Freedom tankers
30:10 engine nacelle issues
32:20 testing validated the model
33:05 rest of the engine mods
35:10 alert start requirements
36:21 cockpit upgrades
38:15 BUFF legacy - James Earl Jones
39:01 culture and change
42:49 the nuke consideration
43:29 AEHF radio upgrade
44:50 B-52 nose job?
46:54 Story 1 - aerial mining
48:44 Story 2 - CBU-105 combat drop
52:05 brakes?
52:51 outro
Don’t miss our newsletter! That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
Mike and Jake host Dan Magy, co-founder and CEO of Firestorm.
Firestorm’s mission is to democratize the air by re-imaging the way drones are built.
They developed a method to 3D-print modular drones at the point of need, using a combination of shipping-container-based factories and localized supply chains. Best of all, the drones themselves are modular—from props to jets, AI to sensors, etc.
The conversation went deep into “the why”: how Ukraine led to Firestorm, the real-time changing of the guard on how the Air Force thinks about building a credible force in light of all this, the exciting concept of attritable mass, rapidly innovating via crash-and-learn, and some history to boot.
This is an episode you don’t want to miss!
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #innovation #ukraine #drone #drones #battlefield #warfare
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
01:00 intro
01:28 counter-UAS startup
01:59 Ukraine starts Firestorm
03:43 the future is RF-denied
04:43:05 Firestorm name origin
05:22 competing in a crowded drone market
06:39 air superiority in the future
06:49 rapid iteration
07:09 Dan’s LinkedIn
08:16 adversaries are sharing tech and tactics
08:51 battle lab of the world
09:36 the pace of evolution - on LinkedIn
10:22 2-week evolution cycles
12:35 drones as physical decoys
13:28 cardboard drones must be honored
14:02 thermite dropping drones
14:32 keeping pace with battlefield innovation
16:00 Investors growing weary?
17:44 high-low mix
19:43 jet-powered drone
20:17 modular propulsion
20:58 autonomy differentiator
21:52 solving for non-recurring engineering
23:23 product iteration
24:08 crash and learn
25:47 failing fast - cost-effectiveness
26:48 VC investing
28:05 attritable mass
28:15 Ukraine's drone capacity
29:59 expeditionary manufacturing
31:15 localizing supply chains
33:47 attrition, reconstitution, and risk
36:25 attrition and operations
38:19 changing of the guard moment
39:50 personal risk?
Don’t miss our newsletter! That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
Mike and Jake host Andrew Hunter, the US Air Force’s chief weapons buyer.
As the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (ATL), he oversees Air Force research, development and acquisition activities totaling an annual budget in excess of $60 billion for more than 550 acquisition programs.
He is the principal adviser to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff for research and development, test, production and modernization efforts within the Air Force.
We talked about how he’s driving acquisition innovation and shaping the Air Force for great power competition. The discussion ranged from the good and bad on specific weapons programs—the B-21 bomber and Sentinel ICBM—negotiating the E-7 Wedgetail deal, workforce development, industry incentive alignment on price vs value, and a ton more.
He even shared some new Collaborative Combat Aircraft insights that have not been made public before.
This is an episode you don’t want to miss!
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #innovation
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
00:34 intro
01:07 why a civilian weapons buyer?
02:07 how to keep track of 500+ programs
02:42 PEOs
03:48 the aquisitions perfect storm
06:02 cost plus vs fixed price contracts
08:01 E-7 Wedgetail negotiations
09:46 phone-a-friend negotiator
12:23 B-21 bomber
14:13 B-21 active management
15:47 B-21's unique hybrid contract
19:41 commercial vs defense markets
20:18 maintaining competition in industry
21:15 competition and investing signals
22:32 structuring the market for industry
25:00 government architectures to lower switching costs
27:13 workforce development
29:58 Sentinel ICBM cost over-run
30:07 Nunn-Mccurdy Breach
31:01 too big for 1 company?
33:44 New 'Quickstart' authority
35:58 watching the CCA engineering
36:16 non-traditionals forced to traditional prime?
37:46 Elon Musk for Pentagon processes?
39:10 CCA landing gear development
40:19 what keeps you up at night?
40:36 the pacing challenge
41:17 outro
Don’t miss our newsletter! That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
Mike hosts an exclusive episode to discuss the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program with the 2 companies selected to build the first platforms: Anduril and General Atomics.
We discuss what the companies have in common and how they both view that as one of their superpowers. We also explore the origins of the CCA program, the origins of the winning vehicle design, how the program structure is a model for innovation and more.
Though they won the hardware contracts, both companies have unique software and autonomy insights, so we also discussed software as the enabler and the integration challenges of bringing these ‘loyal wingmen’ into the force.
While there was a ton to agree on, they also shared unique and varying perspectives—something that you can only get when you have them in a discussion together. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #sofware #startup #innovation #drones #ai #autonomy #anduril #ga-asi #airplanes #airpower #airsuperority
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• Anduril
• Diem Salmon - Vice President, Air Dominance and Strike at Anduril
• Mike Atwood - Vice President, Advanced Programs at General Atomics
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
00:48 CCA intro
02:00 company intros
06:01 why the push for CCAs?
07:26 exploring the CCA space
09:09 origins of the winning designs
10:16 2 for 1 - win win
11:55 software
12:43 the software part is the hardest
14:33 the shift in trust in kill chains
15:01 Skyborg
15:40 trust and blending
16:25 delegation via trust or necessity
17:53 the need to get it into operators hands
18:47 DOTMLPF-P
19:11 teaming
19:44 starting simple
20:29 starting with complexity
22:09 iteration is the pathway
22:55 CCA program structure
26:56 capability efficiency vs resiliency
28:35 groundbreaking challenges
29:04 solving system-level optimization
31:13 culture change
31:36 F-16 Auto GCAS
32:50 MAGIC CARPET
34:14 composites for scale?
38:31 the future
41:27 closing thoughts
42:43 outro
Don’t miss our newsletter! That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense!
Mike and Jake host Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar to talk about software-defined warfare, defense modernization, and all the things we’d change to drive innovation to help the warfighter.
Shyam started as employee #13 at 23 and slowly climbed the ranks of the largest and fastest-growing US defense software company.
No topic is off limits—including how and why Palantir sued the Army…and won.
For a conversation with a software tech executive, we spent most of the time talking about culture, leadership mentalities, history, and structure changes that are as relevant in the Pentagon as they are in any other industry.
Of course, no episode would be complete without some lively banter and spicy takes!
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #sofware #startup #leadership #innovation #palantir
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• Palantir
----
Follow us on...
• X
----
Show Notes
(00:58) intro
(2:07) Shyam early years
(02:59) Palantir early days
(04:56) security clearance moat
(06:43) Palantir's software thesis
(07:51) outspoken CTO
(09:12) urgency without panic
(10:16) WWII ramp to production
(11:06) best at software
(12:24) suing the Army
(18:14) focus on winning
(19:14) hard-headed leadership
(20:16) the real tragedy of the last supper
(21:36) consolidation of opportunities
(23:55) F-35 Joint Program Office
(24:25) flourishing ideas to deal with uncertainty
(25:04) process creates mediocracy
(25:24) the power of options
(27:01) software-defined warfare
(27:16) deductive vs inductive reasoning
(27:48) hardware vs software company structures
(28:53) The Army’s TITAN program
(30:28) when govt left the engineering to industry
(33:33) business idea - help 0 to 1
(34:11) multi-vendor ecosystems
(36:19) government-provided tools for success
(38:10) commercial R&D explosion
(38:21) conviction with commercial tech
(38:53) military labs
(39:34) DJI vs General Atomics
(40:07) wild idea - make the primes more valuable
(41:47) value vs cost
(44:16) the next few years
(45:23) kill chains and value chains
(46:03) car sensors to tank sensors
(46:57) sustainment incentive mismatch
(47:58) attacking the sustainment tail
(49:04) spicy take
(49:15) creating multiple buyers
(49:39) multiple program offices competing
(49:58) make programs compete with each other
(52:12) undeclared state of emergency
(52:39) save the shire
(53:26) more LOTR geekery
(53:51) outro
Don’t miss our newsletter!
Mike hosts Andy Lowery to dig deep into directed energy weapons—specifically high-power microwave (HPM) systems.
Andy is the CEO of Epirus, a venture-backed defense tech startup inverting the cost equation of drone defense and swarm protection. We talk about the tech, how it affects electronics, and how Epirus’ flagship product—Leonidas—is designed with adaptability and scale in mind. Turns out that HPM systems share more in common with an F-35 radar and an EA-18 jammer than a kitchen appliance!
The Army is currently in a rapid buy-and-try phase of these counter-UAS (CUAS) systems and is sending them to the Middle East. The systems have a host of other applications, though—the Navy is experimenting with them to disable boat motors, and the Air Force is also interested.
This episode is a defense tech episode you don’t want to miss!
For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #drone #drones #swarm #HPM #DEW #microwave #directedenergy
----
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• Epirus
----
Follow us on...
• X (Twitter)
• LinkedIn
• Website
----
Show Notes
(00:47) Intro
(01:36) Epirus
(02:11) the “prime problem”
(02:43) 3 disruptions in modern warfare
(07:07) asymmetric advantage and cost imposition
(09:57) inverting the equation
(11:40) $1 billion in weapons
(11:59) Congressional hearing
(12:32) microwaves
(14:53) name origins
(17:04) serial killer vs mass murderer
(17:46) Star Trek
(18:26) Leonidas
(18:46) wicked fast tech development
(19:42) speed of technology
(20:19) inventory investment
(20:29) needs vs requirements
(22:02) Andy’s 3 careers
(29:19) product vs services
(24:32) 80/20 business model
(25:08) Thor HPM
(25:25) old school HPM
(26:03) new way of HPM
(26:20) like the next-gen jammer
(27:06) like an AESA radar
(27:32) GaN-based AESA
(30:09) designed to adapt
(31:02) how HPM actually works
(34:07) like radar jamming techniques
(35:13) YouTube video controversy
(35:58) copper tape vs HPM myth
(37:20) faraday cage concept
(38:41) copper tape studies
(40:10) a systems approach
(41:32) ballistic missile defense (BMD)
(41:57) Army IFPC program
(43:26) Army base defense charter
(43:50) SHORAD
(44:21) scenarios
(44:48) layers of SHORAD
(45:49) Anduril Industries
(46:12) layered defense problem
(46:41) GWOT killed SHORAD
(47:08) Syria and Jordan
(47:58) company culture
(49:33) government pain points
(49:59) export restrictions
(50:35) the “MRAP response” way
(51:26) 1990 policy blocker
(51:56) The FAA
(52:03) NOARD issue
(52:33) homeland defense issue
(53:45) pre-mortem
(54:43) team-of-teams approach
(56:43) the government’s budgeting problem
(58:55) boats!
(1:00:00) HPM vs other electronics
(1:02:18) airborne HPM?
(1:04:06) Epirus, the next few years
(1:06:04) factory and scale
(1:08:37) outro
Don’t miss our newsletter!
Mike hosts Perry Boyle to dive into Ukraine’s rapidly developing defense industry.
Perry co-founded MITS Capital (Military Innovation Technology Solutions), a US venture that just established the first defense tech accelerator in Ukraine. MITS’ vision is to revolutionize Ukraine’s defense industry by investing in Ukrainian defense tech startups, nurturing and developing the ecosystem, and rapidly maturing and scaling military tech solutions to the front lines.
They are raising a $50M fund and just selected the first cohorts for the accelerator.
We talk about the industry's ins and outs, compliance and regulatory blockers, the promising upside, Ukraine’s insanely fast innovation cycle, key investing insights, “winning” vs. “losing” the war, investing in peace, and much more.
This episode is PACKED with insights, but we still had some fun along the way. You should expect nothing less!
For those interested in #military #ukraine #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #investing #venture #vc
----
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
----
Follow us on...
----
Show Notes
(01:40) Intro
(02:27) Y Combinator for Ukraine defense tech
(03:10) what is an accelerator?
(04:01) what problem is MITS trying to solve
(05:28) MITS origin story
(09:11) we do read the emails
(10:43) MITS first investment
(11:32) US companies in Ukraine
(11:57) investing in Ukraine
(12:54) buy when the cannons are firing
(13:40) International support
(14:19) the US role
(14:31) Defense Innovation Unit
(15:58) US defense budget pie
(16:23) tech cycle vs. budget cycle
(17:21) adaption and iteration in Ukraine
(17:52) key investing insight
(18:15) tanks
(19:30) winning and losing
(22:35) relevancy through proximity
(23:26) grain and Kevin Bacon
(24:22) 1000 to 5
(25:33) virtuous cycle
(26:20) like Stanford and Silicon Valley
(27:52) red lines and promises
(28:51) partners and allies
(29:29) fixing corruption
(29:57) “new Ukraine”
(31:23) MITS vs Brave1
(33:17) Brave1 year 1 metrics
(34:47) Ukraine’s $10 Billion investing challenge
(39:11) magnets
(40:59) investor beware
(42:17) investing in the victory
(43:10) investing in the peace
(43:23) outro
Don’t miss our newsletter!
Mike and Jake host Captain John Konrad to talk all things Merchant Marine.
We talked about the Merchant Marine Academy, being a merchant mariner, and how they fit into national security.
What is the Military Sealift Command thing, and why does it keep confusing the counting of Navy ships? What is the Jones Act, and why is it so political?
The US has a ghost fleet of ships staged on both US coasts in case WWIII kicks off—but where are the people? Who were the most famous merchant mariners?
What went wrong with the USS Bonhomme Richard fire response? Why is Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge still not cleaned up?
Which US military branch is the biggest merchant mariner customer? Hint….its NOT the Navy.
Tune in for answers to all of the above—and more!
John is the founder and CEO of gCaptain and author of Fire on The Horizon. He is licensed to captain the world's largest ships, has sailed from ports worldwide, and managed billion-dollar offshore construction projects in some of the world's harshest marine environments.
This episode is PACKED with intel, but we still had some fun along the way. You should expect nothing less!
For those interested in #military #navy #mariner #sealift #warfare #shipping #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense
----
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• Fourth Arm of Defense (free book!)
----
Follow us on...
----
Show Notes
(01:21) Intro
(03:01) larger than aircraft carriers
(04:15) Military Sealift Command
(05:30) peacetime vs wartime
(06:18) WWII merchant mariners
(09:54) counting ships
(10:58) US-flagged ships
(11:25) Captain Phillips
(11:48) the shift away from US flags
(12:17) 85 of 50,000 ships
(13:10) The Jones Act
(14:57) railway to nowhere
(18:02) where are the people?
(20:28) Secretary Pete
(21:00) manning crisis
(23:59) 3,000 people short
(25:56) WWIII
(27:46) divested support ships
(28:58) USS Cole attack
(29:51) USS Bonhomme Richard fire
(31:19) Baltimore bridge cleanup
(32:33) USNS ship shortages
(33:28) no support, no projection
(34:26) the Air Force!?!
(35:06) the miracle of shipping containers
(35:50) Vietnam logistics log jam
(37:20) famous merchant mariners
(39:30) sea story time!
(42:27) outro
Don’t miss our newsletter! Mike hosts Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn to discuss her new report:
Evolution Not Revolution, Drone Warfare in Russia’s 2022 Invasion of Ukraine
Stacie is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Her expertise includes defense strategy, posture, force planning, the defense budget, airpower, and wargaming. Her current projects focus on the effect of drones on warfare, munitions stockpiles, and nuclear deterrence in a multipolar world.
We talked about drone tech, adaption since the 2022 invasion, innovation on both sides of the conflict, and despite all of that—what critical drone technology is still notably absent on the battlefield.
This isn’t just about air drones…we chat drone boats too!
For those interested in #military #technology #drones #warfare #russia #ukraine #war #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense
----
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• Dr. Stacy Pettyjohn (LinkedIn)
• CNAS
----
Follow us on...
----
Show Notes
(00:41) Intro
(03:28) drone report
(06:59) 4 bins of drones
(08:25) drone changes during the war
(10:28) Turkish TB-2 drones
(12:02) drones for air superiority?
(13:51) drone dogfighting
(14:46) the “air littoral”
(16:25) coordination altitudes
(18:57) evolution in the war
(21:16) 50,000 drones per month?
(23:37) drones vs. artillery
(26:32) wargaming
(27:26) battlefield innovations
(29:26) why not a revolution?
(31:18) where’s the AI?
(35:27) drone boats
(39:10) new largest air drones
(41:48) buying drones for war
(44:36) drones as cruise missiles
(45:41) outro
Don’t miss our newsletter!
Former Australian diplomat John Fowler joins Mike Benitez to discuss what’s happening around the world through the lens of international relations.
John is a repeat guest—check out episode 16 to get caught up. In this episode, we discuss China, the South China Sea, the Taiwan elections, Russia in Ukraine, and even cautiously venture a bit into how US domestic politics is muddying the waters with Ukraine aid.
Should we even be involved? Why or why not? We look at both sides from a few perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else. We also make a detour into AUKUS, Japan’s rebuilding of its military, and discuss what the real superpower of the US is.
John Fowler runs International Intrigue, a daily newsletter written by a team of former diplomats (link below!). It’s packed with great, easy-to-consume content and helps you keep a pulse on what’s happening in the world—and why it matters.
For those interested in #military #technology #strategy #diplomacy #china #asia #security #government #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #russia #ukraine
----
Links
• Sign up for our amazing newsletter!
• Support us on Patreon!
• International Intrigue newsletter
----
Follow us on...
----
Show Notes
(01:04) Intro
(05:06) China’s economic shifts
(08:14) China’s real estate crisis
(11:48) Taiwan elections
(18:22) South China Sea
(19:40) the “9-dash line”
(21:30) the Second Thomas Shoal
(31:08) coalitions and consensus
(34:37) Russia in Ukraine
(36:55) Ukraine aid in Congress
(41:02) the real superpower of the US
(45:06) the risk of hedging
(46:21) AUKUS, Japan, and China
(53:54) good for Russia, good for China
(55:11) China using history as a weapon
(58:02) outro
