Tech Unmanned

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Latest Episodes:

The One with the Navy Jan 25, 2022

Join Kaitlyn and guest co-host Rose Butchart for the final episode of Season 1! This engaging conversation focused on the Navy’s approach to developing and acquiring emerging technologies. Kaitlyn and Rose are joined by Ms. Joan Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Navy RDT&E and CAPT Ben Van Buskirk, Director at NavalX. This conversation was a culmination and deep dive into acquisition, autonomy, engaging with small businesses, and the future of warfare.

References

CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group: 2021 Defense Acquisition Trends: Topline DoD Trends after a Half Decade of Growth
CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group: Department of Defense Other Transaction Authority Trends: A New R&D Funding Paradigm?
Department of the Navy’s Strategy for Intelligent Autonomous Systems

The One with the Army Jan 11, 2022

Join Kaitlyn and guest co-host Army Colonel Danielle Ngo for this critical conversation of how the U.S. Army is approaching emerging technologies. Kaitlyn and Danielle are joined by Major General Richard Coffman, Brigadier General Glenn Dean, and Dr. Kimberly Sablon, all of Army Futures Command. The conversation focuses on the Army’s people-first approach, and how emerging technologies will enable our soldiers on and off the battlefield.

Experts

Major General Richard Coffman, Director, Next Generation Combat Vehicle

Brigadier General Glenn Dean, Program Executive Officer (PEO) Ground Combat Systems

Dr. Kimberly Sablon, Director for Science and Technology at the Army Futures Command

References

Under the Sea (and Surface) Autonomy Dec 17, 2021

A special episode release from Tech Unmanned! As part of the 2021 #NSGSCon (with NatSecGirlSquad) in December, Kaitlyn recorded a live-podcast with guest expert Dr. Regan Campbell, the General Manager of Autonomous and Advanced Naval Platforms at L3 Harris. Picking up where we left off with the previous autonomy episode, this conversation dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of naval autonomous platforms including onboard data processing and threat detection, maneuverability, and the Navy’s ability to integrate these systems into their current force structure.

The One with the Air Force Dec 14, 2021

Join Kaitlyn and guest co-host Becca Wasser (fellow in the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security) as they discuss the emerging technology priorities of the Department of the Air Force. They are joined by Major General Heather Pringle, Commander at the Air Force Research Laboratory and Colonel Nathan Diller, Director of AFWERX.

References

Battle Networks and the Future Force: Part 1 by Todd Harrison
Battle Networks and the Future Force: Part 2 by Todd Harrison
The Air Force of the Future by Todd Harrison
Opportunities for Students & Faculty with AFRL
AFRL Scholars Program

Shakespeare's The STEMpest Nov 30, 2021

Join Kaitlyn and Lindsey as they talk about the future of the workplace and the STEM workforce.

Expert guests, Dr. Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, and Jennifer Anastasoff, Executive Director and Co-founder at Tech Talent Project, talk with the Tech Unmanned hosts about the nuances about the critical nature of the STEM workforce. Does DoD and the national security community have the authority, motivation, and development pipeline to sustain and engage a future STEM workforce? Hear what Vint and Jennifer have to say, as well as a wrap up from Lindsey and Kaitlyn breaking down the conversation further.

References

To Compete, Invest in People: Retaining the U.S. Defense Enterprise’s Technical Workforce by Lindsey R. Sheppard, Morgan Dwyer, Melissa Dalton, and Angelina Hidalgo (https://www.csis.org/analysis/compete-invest-people-retaining-us-defense-enterprises-technical-workforce)
National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence Final Report (https://www.nscai.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Full-Report-Digital-1.pdf)
Memos for a Tech Transition by the Tech Talent Project (https://techtalentproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MemosForATechTransition_ExecutiveSummaries_TechTalentProject_10.16.20.pdf)
Future of Defense Task Force Report (https://armedservices.house.gov/_cache/files/2/6/26129500-d208-47ba-a9f7-25a8f82828b0/424EB2008281A3C79BA8C7EA71890AE9.future-of-defense-task-force-report.pdf)
Workforce Now by the Defense Innovation Board (https://media.defense.gov/2019/Oct/31/2002204196/-1/-1/0/WORKFORCE_NOW.PDF)

When D.C. Met Silicon Valley Nov 16, 2021

Guests Amelie Koran, formerly the Senior Technology Advisor at Splunk and now Director of External Technology Relations at Electronic Arts (EA), and Lauren Bedula, Managing Director at Beacon Global Strategies and an Executive Board Member with the Silicon Valley Defense Group, debunk myths, highlight areas of tension, and offer insights into how to improve the relationship between two cultures that are often framed as worlds apart.

References

Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/12/executive-order-on-improving-the-nations-cybersecurity/)

Can't Buy Me Software Nov 02, 2021

Episode ten of Tech Unmanned dives deep into software acquisition and the challenges of iteration, adaptability, and implementation. Lindsey and Kaitlyn talk with two incredible experts, Courtney Barno and Enrique Oti, about the challenges of software acquisition for the Department of Defense. If you’re asking yourself why this is so hard or if you work in or with DoD and still have to use Windows 5 or something from a decade ago, this episode is for you.

References

Defense Innovation Board’sSoftware Acquisition and Practices (SWAP) Study (https://innovation.defense.gov/software/)
Acquisition of Software-Defined Hardware-Based Adaptable Systems by Andrew Hunter, Schuler Moore, and Maura Rose McQuade (https://www.csis.org/analysis/acquisition-software-defined-hardware-based-adaptable-systems)
GAO Study on DOD Software Acquisition: Status of and Challenges Related to Reform Efforts (https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-105298.pdf)
The Air Force Digital Century Series: Beyond the Buzzwords by Morgan Dwyer (https://www.csis.org/analysis/air-force-digital-century-series-beyond-buzzwords)

I Feel the Need… the Need for 5G Oct 19, 2021

The ninth episode of Tech Unmanned explores the national security and foreign policy implications of 5G. Our two experts, Milo Medin and Jaisha Wray cut through the hype and advertising to talk with Kaitlyn and Zhanna about what 5G really is, the revolution it might inspire, and how the United States is working with its allies and partners to bring this capability into your hands.

References

Beyond 5G, a CSIS event: https://www.csis.org/events/beyond-5g-standards-sixth-generation-networks
"Accelerating 5G in the United States", (2021) https://www.csis.org/analysis/accelerating-5g-united-states
"How 5G will Shape Innovation and Security: A Primer", (2018) https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-5g-will-shape-innovation-and-security
National Strategy to Secure 5G Implementation Plan: https://www.ntia.gov/5g-implementation-plan

EW, David! Oct 05, 2021

The eighth episode of Tech Unmanned explores electronic warfare and the electromagnetic spectrum. Lindsey and Kaitlyn interview Whitney McNamara, a technical advisor in the Department of Defense, and Todd Harrison from CSIS. As Whitney says, “Every modern weapons system from radios to satellites, to ships to aircraft, all depend on the spectrum to function.” This discussion on the electromagnetic spectrum and the ways to counter or interfere with access to communications is critical and deserves more focus in defense and national security policy conversations.

References

Winning the Invisible War: Gaining an Enduring U.S. Advantage in the Electromagnetic Spectrum by Bryan Clark, Whitney M. McNamara, Timothy A. Walton

Battle Networks and the Future Force by Todd Harrison

The Kill Chain by Chris Brose

Hooked on Hypersonics Sep 21, 2021

The seventh episode of Tech Unmanned explores the world of hypersonic technology and weapons. Kaitlyn and Lindsey are joined by Dr. Gillian Bussey from the Department of Defense and Kelley Sayler from the Congressional Research Service. An information-packed episode on the state of hypersonic technology and how the United States and its competitors are looking to leverage hypersonic weapons and defenses in the battlefield.

Hypersonic Weapons: Background & Issues for Congress by Kelley Sayler (https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45811/21)

Defense Primer: Hypersonic Boost-Glide Weapons by Kelley Sayler and Amy Woolf (https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/IF11459.pdf)

Hypersonic Strike and Defense, a CSIS event from the Missile Defense Project (https://www.csis.org/events/hypersonic-strike-and-defense)

The Dronebook by Nicholas Sparks Sep 07, 2021

The sixth episode of Tech Unmanned explores autonomous air vehicles and autonomous systems broadly. Kaitlyn and Lindsey are joined by Jamie Walters from General Atomics and Dr. Jackie Schneider from Stanford University. This discussion dives into the different missions of autonomous systems, building trust in human-machine teaming, ethics, and much more.

Reference:

- U.S. Public Opinion for Drone Strikes by Jacquelyn Schneider and Julia Macdonald: https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/u-s-public-support-for-drone-strikes

OSAM I Am Aug 24, 2021

The fifth episode of Tech Unmanned explores On Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (OSAM). Kaitlyn and Lindsey are joined by Dr. Bhavya Lal, Senior Advisor to the NASA Administrator for Budget and Finance, and Joe Anderson, Vice President of operations and business development at Space Logistics LLC. This episode covers it all––from understanding the taxonomy of on-orbit servicing, to current commercial and governmental projects, to its national security and policy implications. Lal and Anderson bring their expertise for a savvy conversation about this disruptive technology.

References

What is disruptive innovation? in HBR: https://hbr.org/2015/12/what-is-disruptive-innovation

Biotech to the Future Aug 10, 2021

The fourth episode of Tech Unmanned delves into the world of biotechnology. Lindsey and Kaitlyn are joined by Dr. Diane DiEuliis, Senior Fellow at the National Defense University, and Austin Walne, Partner at ARTIS Ventures, to share their expertise on emerging biotechnologies. While framing a timeline of biotechnology and exploring the bioeconomy, they discuss the field especially with the context of the COVID pandemic. As we enter what Walne calls “the third era of biotech”, it is pertinent to consider both the opportunities that revolutionary synthetic and computational biology technologies present as well as possible challenges scientists and policymakers must consider such as digital biosecurity and competition with China.

References:

MIT report on Convergence: The Future of Health - http://www.convergencerevolution.net/
McKinsey report on The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies, and our lives - https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/pharmaceuticals-and-medical-products/our-insights/the-bio-revolution-innovations-transforming-economies-societies-and-our-lives#

Sensor Wars: The Quantum Menace Jul 28, 2021

This episode of Tech Unmanned is all about quantum sensors. Lindsey and Kaitlyn are joined by Dr. Robert (Bob) Wyllie, a Senior Research Scientist and the Chief of the Quantum Systems Division at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, and Sarah Jacobs Gamberini, a Policy Fellow at the National Defense University (NDU) Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD). Bob and Sarah steer us through the tangled web of technical and policy challenges and opportunities of developing quantum sensor technology. Lindsey and Kaitlyn wrap up the discussion by pulling on some threads of the expert discussion and how it intersects with national security and ongoing policy.

For further reading on topics and documents mentioned in the episode,

Quantum Sensing's Potential Impacts on Strategic Deterrence and Modern Warfare, by Sarah Jacobs Gamberini and Lawrence Rubin, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orbis.2021.03.012
Defense Science Board study: https://dsb.cto.mil/reports/2010s/DSB_QuantumTechnologies_Executive%20Summary_10.23.2019_SR.pdf
DoD R&E priorities: https://www.cto.mil/modernization-priorities/
Congressional Research Service Primer on Quantum Technology: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11836

Remote Sensing and Sensibility Jul 28, 2021

This episode of Tech Unmanned focuses on a new commercial space revolution in remote sensing and earth observation satellites. Previously solely the domain of the intelligence community and military, remote sensing has exploded in the private sector through different types of sensors and data, as well as the applications of the data collected.

Kaitlyn and Lindsey talk with Kari Bingen, Chief Strategy Officer at Hawkeye360, and Dr. Mariel Borowitz, Associate Professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech, about this technological revolution and its impact on national security.

References:

A 2020 NOAA report was released with "round 2" data results on expanding purchase of radio occultation data
2021 Strategic Studies Quarterly piece by Dr. Borowitz on satellite data sharing
Dr. Borowitz in ScienceDirect "National Security Implications of Emerging Satellite Technology"
Arms Control Wonk analysis with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery of a 2017 North Korean nuclear test

The AIs that Bind: It’s All About the Process Jun 29, 2021

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Tech Unmanned! Lindsey and Kaitlyn are joined by Devaki Raj, CEO and Co-founder of CrowdAI, and Kristen Sproat, Principal at BCG and Marine Corps Reservist, for a discussion on artificial intelligence and machine learning in the Department of Defense. Both Kristen and Devaki were involved in the strategic and technical beginnings of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. They cover a range of topics including the current capability of machine learning, the importance of data to a modern enterprise, and the imperative to establish flexible and interactive processes within the Department of Defense.

Devaki Raj is the CEO and Co-founder of CrowdAI, a company that enables enterprises to leverage their existing image & video data and build production-ready computer vision models. She has been named as one of Inc and Forbes' Magazine’s 30 under 30.

Kristen Sproat is a Principal with the Boston Consulting Group and a U.S. Marine Corps Reservist. During her service she co-wrote the Artificial Intelligence Annex to the National Defense Strategy and orchestrated the design, funding, and stand-up of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center.

For further reading on topics and documents mentioned in the episode,

Homepage for the DOD Joint Artificial Intelligence Center https://www.ai.mil/
Summary of the 2018 Department of Defense Artificial Intelligence Strategy: Harnessing AI to Advance Our Security and Prosperity https://media.defense.gov/2019/Feb/12/2002088963/-1/-1/1/SUMMARY-OF-DOD-AI-STRATEGY.PDF
Department of Defense Memorandum: Creating Data Advantage, May 5, 2021 https://media.defense.gov/2021/May/10/2002638551/-1/-1/0/DEPUTY-SECRETARY-OF-DEFENSE-MEMORANDUM.PDF
2021 Final Report of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence https://www.nscai.gov/2021-final-report/
House Armed Services Committee Future of Defense Task Force Report 2020 https://armedservices.house.gov/_cache/files/2/6/26129500-d208-47ba-a9f7-25a8f82828b0/6D5C75605DE8DDF0013712923B4388D7.future-of-defense-task-force-report.pdf

Tech Unmanned Trailer Jun 21, 2021

Welcome to Tech Unmanned, a new podcast hosted by Lindsey Sheppard and Kaitlyn Johnson at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Technology is at the heart of just about every defense issue and modernization priority for the United States defense enterprise. Tech Unmanned features guests with both policy expertise and technical expertise in order to break through the national security jargon and technology hand-waving to get to the core of the technical realities of these emerging capabilities, benefits to development, and the barriers to success.

Tech Unmanned is released every other Tuesday, starting on June 29, 2021.

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