The Drone Ultimatum

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**The Drone Ultimatum**

The preeminent podcast for all things drones, defense tech, defense policy, and modern warfare. Featured guests include industry leaders, policy experts, military warfighters, business titans, and many more. Hosted by Steve Simoni, co-founder and President of Allen Control Systems.

Latest Episodes:

Power, Tech, and The Wars of The Future | Donald Stoker, Ph.D. (Podcast #12) Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

Donald Stoker discusses military history, national strategies, and today’s global state.

0:00 Intro

1:11 About Don

3:44 The Korean War

11:01 North Korea and Iran Today

13:11 War in Ukraine

23:29 Don's Class at Nat'l Defense Uni

27:33 The American Revolution

32:28 Wars of Expansion

34:35 First Gulf War & Military Buildup

40:16 Karl Von Clausewitz

47:28 Why America Loses Wars

54:50 The Impact of Drones on War

1:06:00 Academia

1:09:28 American History Rhyming?

1:14:03 Nuclear Weapons

1:16:18 Purpose and Power, Don's Book

1:22:17 Revisionist Powers & Modern War

1:33:40 Don's Future Plans

1:38:20 Outro

Donald Stoker is a Professor of National Security and Resource Strategy at the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He was previously a Professor for the U.S. Naval War College program. He received his PhD in Military and Diplomatic History from Florida State University and has published more than 70 books and articles on strategy and military and foreign affairs topics. Follow Professor Stoker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldstoker/ Buy Professor Stoker's Books! Purpose and Power: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1009257277/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk Why America Loses Wars: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1009220861/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk Clausewitz: His Life and Work: https://www.amazon.com/Clausewitz-Life-Work-Donald-Stoker/dp/0199357943 Follow the show everywhere! 👇 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtO Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ObLKme X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatum Instagram: https://bit.ly/4hNn7Ki Steve's Company (Allen Control Systems): www.allencontrolsystems.com #dronewars #defensetech #militaryinnovation #dronesinwarfare #defenseindustry #djidrones #emergingthreats #dronetechnology #militarytechnology #ukraineconflict #dronesinaction #nationalsecurity #kinetickill #techindefense #futureofwarfare #dronethreat #modernwarfare #dodtech #gamechanger #innovationinwarfare #drone #podcast #history #militaryhistory

Manufacturing, Autonomy, & The Future of American Defense | Dhruva Rajendra (Podcast Ep. 11) Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

Dhruva Rajendra discusses autonomy, defense innovation, mergers, and lessons from Ukraine.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro

(0:35) This Week in Startups Podcast

(2:40) Michael Saylor & MicroStrategy

(5:36) Steve's Review of Wicked

(10:21) Company Updates

(13:33) Fuses

(17:42) BlueHalo-AeroVironment Merger

(25:55) Elon's F-35 Debate

(36:49) The Future is Autonomy

(40:58) Podcast Rebrand

(44:50) America's Missing Pieces in Defense

(50:00) Not Learning From Ukraine

(56:17) Small Drone Markets & Regulations

(1:06:40) Building Ahead of Requirement

(1:11:25) Commercial Use Case First

(1:14:40) Different Weapons for Each Conflict

(1:16:45) Could America Just Retool For War?

(1:21:09) Outro

Dhruva Rajendra is the co-founder and CEO of Deterrence, a defense tech startup company building advanced autonomous manufacturing systems. Follow Dhruva on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhruvarajendra/ Follow Dhruva on X: https://x.com/dkrajendra Dhruva's Company (Deterrence): https://www.deterrence.com/-- Follow the show everywhere! 👇 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtO Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ObLKme X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatum Instagram: https://bit.ly/4hNn7Ki -- Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): www.allencontrolsystems.com #dronewars #defensetech #militaryinnovation #dronesinwarfare #defenseindustry #djidrones #emergingthreats #dronetechnology #militarytechnology #ukraineconflict #dronesinaction #nationalsecurity #kinetickill #techindefense #futureofwarfare #dronethreat #modernwarfare #dodtech #gamechanger #innovationinwarfare #drone #podcast #manufacturing #reindustrialize

Drones for Defense and Public Safety, Autonomy, and Scaling To Win | Mike Fiuk (Podcast Ep. 10) Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

Mike Fiuk shares Darkhive’s vision, roadmap, and insights on selling and tech in defense. Chapters: (0:00) Intro (1:00) Who is Mike Fiuk? (4:27) About Darkhive & Obelisk (9:57) Video Games (12:43) Supply Chains (19:01) Reacting to Trae Stephens (22:04) Autonomous Teaming & Analysis (23:38) DIU Blue List (25:35) Advice for Selling in Defense (29:02) Ukraine Lessons & Scale to Win Wars (34:36) How to Get Info About Ukraine (36:30) Darkhive's 2025 Plans42:50 Keeping Products Updated (46:10) Demos and Conferences (53:11) Investors in Darkhive (54:28) T-Levels in Founders (Study) (57:35) Outro -- Mike Fiuk is the Vice President of Defense Strategy at Darkhive Inc., a company dedicated to developing U.S. produced autonomous robotic systems for defense and public safety. He is also a Veteran and current Reserve Officer in the United States Army. Previously, Mike was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and co-founded or was involved with multiple startup companies. He is a graduate of The United States Military Academy at West Point and Harvard Business School. Follow Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalfiuk/ Darkhive: https://www.darkhive.com/ -- Follow the show everywhere! 👇 YouTube: Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ObLKme X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatum Instagram: https://bit.ly/4hNn7Ki -- Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): www.allencontrolsystems.com #dronewars #defensetech #militaryinnovation #dronesinwarfare #defenseindustry #djidrones #emergingthreats #dronetechnology #militarytechnology #ukraineconflict #dronesinaction #nationalsecurity #kinetickill #techindefense #futureofwarfare #dronethreat #modernwarfare #dodtech #gamechanger #innovationinwarfare #drone #podcast #publicsafety

The Future of Aerospace, Thiel Fellow Life & Finding True Purpose | Alex Taylor (Podcast Ep. 9) Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

Alex Taylor shares insights on aerospace, the Thiel Fellowship, and purpose-driven American innovation. Chapters: (0:00) Intro (01:37 Why Alex Started Orb Aerospace (07:39) Reality of the Founder Life (09:07) Thiel Fellows (14:18) Exploitative vs Redemptive Entrepreneurship (17:20) Thiel Fellow as a Tribe (20:03) Trials of Success and Failure (22:45) Alex's Religious Journey (26:04) Orb's Mission and Culture (29:56) How Alex & Steve Met (31:32) Being "Normal" vs. "Different" (34:25) Our New Technological Era (40:10) Alex's Vision for Orb (51:20) Regulations & Innovation (54:10) Orb's Products (1:07:55) Orb's Plan for 2025 (1:12:12) Government Affairs & Lobbying (1:14:19) DJI & If America Turns It Around (1:19:17) ACS and the Business Landscape (1:25:20) Being Authentic (1:33:34) Outro -- Alex Taylor is a Thiel Fellow and the founder of Orb Aerospace, an electric humanitarian aerospace company he started in 2017. Orb is on a mission to revolutionize transportation by creating a global aerospace network that doesn't rely on traditional infrastructure. Follow Alex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-taylor-06432915b/ Alex's Company (Orb Aerospace): https://www.orb.aero/ -- Follow the show everywhere! 👇 YouTube: youtube.com/@thedroneultimatum Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ObLKme X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatum Instagram: https://bit.ly/4hNn7Ki -- Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): www.allencontrolsystems.com #DroneWarfare #DefenseTech #MilitaryInnovation #DronesInWarfare #DefenseIndustry #DJIDrones #EmergingThreats #DroneTechnology #MilitaryTech #UkraineConflict #DronesInAction #NationalSecurity #KineticKill #TechInDefense #FutureOfWarfare #DroneThreat #ModernWarfare #DoDTech #GameChanger #InnovationInWarfare #drone #podcast #AerospaceInnovation #FutureOfTech #PurposeDrivenLeadership #entrepreneurship #ThielFellows #NextGenAerospace #VisionaryFounder #TechAndFaith #InnovateWithPurpose #startup #aerospace #aeroplane #airplanes

New Drones, Logistics Tech, and Building Defense Startups | Dan Magy (Podcast Ep. 8) Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

Dan Magy, co-founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, talks the new drone and logistics tech at Firestorm, his experiences in startups and defense tech, and more.

Chapters:

(0:00) Intro

(1:40) Changing the Podcast Name

(6:26) Firestorm Products

(9:20) Additive Manufacturing & The XCell

(14:34) Original Vision vs. Customer Requests

(18:17) Learning Appropriations and the End User

(20:44) Act Like You Belong

(22:34) Dan’s Previous Ventures

(28:20) Personal Investments & Mistakes

(34:47) Drones & Laser Landscape

(39:00) Product Strategies and Ideas

(43:13) More Drone Companies

(50:58) How Steve Got Into Startups

(57:26) Steve Story: Meeting Patrick Mahomes

(59:40) Some Favorite Backgrounds of Employees

(1:02:50) DoD: “The Mother of Enterprise Sales”

(1:05:53) The Crazy COVID ZIRP Era

(1:09:07) Ukraine & Europe

(01:13:57) Firestorm in 2025 Plans

(01:20:36) Outro

Dan Magy co-founded Firestorm Labs in May 2022 and is currently serving as CEO. In July 2022, he joined Bonsai Robotics as a Chief Strategy Advisor. Dan is also a Board Member at Beyond Capital since June 2022. In 2016, Dan founded Citadel Defense Company in 2016, which was later acquired by Blue Halo in November 2021. Follow Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmagy/ Dan's Company (Firestorm Labs): https://www.launchfirestorm.com/

Follow the show everywhere! 👇

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedroneultimatum

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtO

Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ObLKme

X (Twitter): https://x.com/DroneWarspodcst

Instagram: https://bit.ly/4hNn7Ki

-- Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): www.allencontrolsystems.com #DroneWarfare #DefenseTech #MilitaryInnovation #DronesInWarfare #DefenseIndustry #DJIDrones #EmergingThreats #DroneTechnology #MilitaryTech #UkraineConflict #DronesInAction#NationalSecurity #KineticKill #TechInDefense #FutureOfWarfare #DroneThreat #ModernWarfare#DoDTech #GameChanger #InnovationInWarfare #drone #podcast

West Point & Army Life, Africa, Drones, Ukraine, & Nonprofit Work | Doug Livermore (Podcast Ep. 7) Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

Doug Livermore talks West Point, drones in warfare, deploying to Africa, Ukraine, and more. Chapters: (0:00) Intro

(2:06) "College Life" at West Point

(6:52)Training the Congalese Army

(12:16) Training Former Rebels in Mali

(15:33) Africa: What's Going On?

(19:41) Rare Earth Minerals In Africa

(21:27) Africa's Vicious Cycle of Turmoil

(24:04) Steve's Private Military Plan

(27:20) The Rapid Development of Drones

(30:09) Drones as Munitions

(31:50) Adventures in Russia

(35:39) ZYN & Ozempic

(37:56) Iraq is Unraveling

(42:56) Drones In Iraq

(44:49) What's "Irregular Warfare" Now

(47:51) Drones in Myanmar, Mexico, Azerbaijan

(50:43) Social Media Sharing Drone Kills

(52:22) Rethinking C-UAS and Air Defense

(54:54) Glide Bombs

(57:38) Oura Ring

(58:45) CenCore, Doug's New Company

(1:00:38) Nonprofits in Defense & National Security

(1:07:51) Alternative Drugs for Veteran PTSD

(1:10:47) More Nonprofit Work with Ukraine

(1:14:05) How Will the War in Ukraine End?

(1:20:45) Upcoming Defense Tech Trends

(1:23:19) AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV)

(1:26:40) Lasers + Dexter TV Series

Doug Livermore is the Senior VP at the CenCore Group and Director of Special Operations, Irregular Warfare, Special Programs, and Sensitive Activities for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy. Multiple international affairs and security studies journals have distributed Doug’s works, including many publications in War on the Rocks, Small Wars Journal, and the Military Times. Doug is the National Director for External Communications for the Special Forces Association and is also the Director of Communications with West Point’s Irregular Warfare Initiative. Additionally, he is on the Board of Directors for both No One Left Behind and the Special Operations Association of America where he has been instrumental in the ongoing evacuation and resettlement of Afghan interpreters and their families. Doug earned his undergraduate degree in Military History at West Point, his graduate degree in International Security Affairs from Georgetown University, and exceled in the Army Command and General Staff Officer Course. Follow Doug: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolivermore/

CenCore Group: https://cencoregroup.com/

Special Forces Association: https://www.specialforcesassociation.org/

Special Operations Association of America: https://soaa.org/

Irregular Warfare Initiative: https://irregularwarfare.org/

No One Left Behind: https://www.nooneleft.org/

Corioli Institute: https://corioli.org/

Episode 6: Matt Tavares - Founder, Protocol Media Labs Nov 09, 2024

Show notes

Leave a comment and review, and follow for more!

Topics: (0:00) Intro

(1:36) Matt's Warfighting & Intelligence Background

(3:30) The Future of Artillery

(8:07) Why Matt Went Into Intel

(9:49) Discovering The Drone Problem

(12:26) Trends & Insights on Drones

(15:35) Calculations of Our Adversaries

(19:20) Missteps & Brutality in Ukraine

(22:30) Weakness of Current C-UAS

(24:25) How The IED Problem Was Addressed

(27:45) Offensive vs. Defensive Combat

(29:19) North Koreans in Ukraine

(31:49) Matt's New Media Project

(34:52) New Tools For Journalists

(38:34) Prediction Markets & Media

(45:46) Additive Manufacturing

(54:35) Firestorm's xCell and Logistics

(59:11) Cana: Molecular Beverage Printer

(1:01:58) The Value of Patience in Defense

(1:03:54) Our Swanky Podcast Studio

(1:06:30) Del Ray, Alexandria, VA Is Great

(1:08:24) Polarization in Media

(1:11:22) Is Social Media Overpersonalized?

(1:17:13) The Panama Papers

(1:18:44) Social Platform Preferences

(1:20:07) Telegram CEO Issues

(1:21:48) Starting a Business, Then vs. Now

(1:24:22) Outro

Check out Matt's work: https://www.protocolmedialabs.com/

Matt Tavares is an Army veteran with two decades of experience in national security, emerging technology, and warfighting, including service as an artillery officer, Chief of Intelligence Plans for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, and Country Director for Russia working on Asymmetric Activities. He has now joined the tech startup world with a new company, The Protocol, which leverages blockchains to create a market for quality journalism that can survive in an increasingly censored news environment. #podcast #drone #military #defensetechnology

Episode 5: Scott Sanders - Chief Growth Officer, Forterra Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Comment, leave a review, and follow for more!

Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro

(1:16) Pryzm, not sponsored

(1:56) Scott Being Early on Drone Warfare

(6:35) Drones in Urban Combat

(8:19) Takeaways From Ukraine War

(10:13) Military "Rustiness" & Turnover

(12:18) Putin's Interview with Tucker

(14:16) Acquired Podcast shout out

(15:50) How Forterra’s CEO got into the business

(18:07) Reality of DoD Procurement for Startups

(20:50) SBIRs: Pros and Cons

(23:18) Best Path for a New Defense Product

(26:37) Problems with "Cost + Fixed Fee"

(30:00) Is Building a Successful American Drone Company Possible?

(31:40) Should We Ban DJI Drones / TikTok?

(34:52) How Scott Got Into Anduril Early

(38:45) Anduril's Early Product Development

(44:02) Your Buyer Is Not Your User

(45:38) Issues with DoD's Detailed Requirements

(48:11) OSINT

(49:44) Testing Hard Tech Products

(52:02) Why a Self Driving Car on the Battlefield

(56:01) Risks of Forterra Business Model

(59:55) Buying An Autonomous Vehicle Off-the-Shelf

(1:04:16) Aliens & UFOs

(1:07:39) Outro

Scott Sanders is chief growth officer at Forterra - a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world.Before Forterra, Scott was Head of Business Development at Vannevar Labs and Senior Director for Anduril Industries’ Counter Unmanned Systems division, where he built the company’s acquisition strategy for its $1 billion SOCOM Systems Integration Partner program.

Episode 4: Ryan Farris - Co-founder and COO/CFO, Visto360.ai Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

Follow, leave a review, and turn on notifications for new episodes weekly! Timestamps/Topics: (0:00) Intro (1:30) Ryan's Background (2:58) Problems with the Pentagon Process (5:01) Frustration with Lack of Innovation (9:00) Vulnerabilities on the Front Line (10:57) Drones Around Langley Air Force Base (16:26) Lasers Won't Stop Drones (WSJ Article) (24:18) Fight Drones with More Drones? (Anduril Bolt video) (26:51) Switchblade 300 vs the Bolt (29:15) Outdated Software Dev Process of Defense Primes (32:50) Engineering in Startups vs the Primes (35:30) Advice for Bootstrapping in Defense (38:59) How To Think About VC vs. Bootstrapped (40:40) AFWERKS Is Actually A Great Program (43:11) Being an Introvert & A Founder (44:14) The Issues with Big Defense Conferences/Events (45:48) The "Decade of Consequence" For China (50:43) Outro Ryan Farris is currently the co-founder and COO/CFO of Visto360.ai, a startup developing 3D computer vision applications for precise object detection. He previously co-founded and sold Orbital Effects, a small radar satellite company that revolutionized space based tactical ISR and effects. Ryan is a retired U.S. Navy officer who served at sea on several Aegis ships and in Washington DC at the White House, U.S. Senate, and Department of Defense. Post-retirement, Ryan co-founded Orbital Effects, a small radar satellite company that revolutionized space based tactical ISR and effects.

Episode 3: Brice Cooper - CSO, Allen Control Systems Oct 12, 2024

Show notes

Brice Cooper is a former Green Beret, former head of SOCOM C-UAS, and the Chief Strategy Officer of Allen Control Systems. Follow for more! Leave us a review! Timestamps / Topics: (0:00) Intro (1:22) Brice's Army & Special Forces Experience (6:10) Autonomous Vehicles (8:08) SOCOM's Counter-Unmanned Systems Program Breakdown (10:12) Group 3 Interceptors (14:21) Small drone threats (Group 1 and 2) (17:35) Drone Swarms (19:06) Autonomous turrets for shooting down drones (21:55) Innovations Being Ahead of the Problem (23:32) Combining Autonomous Vehicles + Autonomous Weapons (24:04) Brice's Advice to Startups Working with the Government (30:03) How to Navigate Foreign Military Sales (31:13) The State of Ukraine & Foreign Affairs (38: 13) Conflicts Accelerating Defense Technology Usage (43:16) CCA Drama (47:01) Betting Markets & Steve's Startup Idea (51:58) Brice's Looking Ahead to Working in A Startup

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