The Drone Ultimatum

Latest Episodes:

America’s Intelligence Wake-Up Call | Simone Ledeen (Podcast #22) Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

Simone Ledeen has served in various U.S. Government and business leadership positions, most recently as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy. Her prior US Government work, including on multiple overseas deployments, influenced key counterterrorism activities, intelligence collection and analysis, as well as military information support operations involving cyber and disinformation, irregular warfare, direct action, sensitive special operations and personnel recovery/hostage issues. She is a Senior Fellow at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue where she works on a variety of issues including the nexus of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Ms. Ledeen has an MBA from the Bocconi University School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University. Her writing has been featured in The Hill, the National Interest, Newsweek and the National Review. She has appeared on Al Arabiya, Al Hurra, Asharq TV and numerous podcasts.

https://www.simoneledeen.com/

Simone’s Substack: https://substack.com/@signalsandstrategies1

Vantage ROI: https://vantageroi.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-ledeen/

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#podcast #China #Drones #Taiwan #DefenseTech #Geopolitics #AI #MilitaryStrategy #USChinaRelations #DefenseIndustry #EconomicStatecraft

Inside the Defense Tech Boom: Investors, Entrepreneurs, and the DoD | Podcast #21 with Live Audience Mar 15, 2025

Show notes

Follow the show and subscribe for more!

Chapters / Topics:

Intro

Epirus Fundraising Announcement

Dual Use vs. Military-Use Only

R&D and Procurement

How to get the Military to Buy Your Stuff

Defense Investor Perspective on Current Trends

Tips for Fundraising in Defense Tech

Incubation & Cap Tables

Humanoid Robots

Presentation and Collaboration

Audience Questions--Naweed Tahmas served as the Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director of the White House.He advised the President, and advanced the Administration's key policy and personnel priorities in coordination with over 15 federal departments and agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Department of Interior, General Services Administration, National Science Foundation, and others. He successfully negotiated and secured key policies that protected manufacturing jobs and critical supply chains.He has also held director roles at Firehouse Strategies and Umbra Space.--Alex Moore focuses on incubating companies through 8VC’s Build Program, Defense, building talent networks and fundamental operational support for the portfolio. Alex also focuses on enterprise and seed-stage investments. Prior to joining 8VC Alex was a startup operator for 12 years. Alex was the first employee and Director of Operations at Palantir Technologies, building the team from one room to 350 people, $100mm in sales. Alex co-founded Backplane, a social media analytics company, and NodePrime, a cloud automation company which was acquired in 2016 by Ericsson.--As Army Applications Laboratory’s executive director, Dr. Casey Perley leads the mission to reshape how the Army works with industry to provide the best tech in the world to the best Army in the world. Her vision is for AAL to work from problem inception to sustainment hand in glove with stakeholders across the Army and the Department of Defense to accelerate and assess the Army’s ability to ingest innovation.----Follow the show everywhere! 👇Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtOApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/#podcast #DefenseTech #MilitaryInnovation #StartupFunding #VentureCapital #NationalSecurity #Lethality #DualUseTech #DefenseIndustry #AI #Robotics #Autonomy #MilitaryTech #Drones #DefenseStartups #DirectedEnergy #MissileTech #GovTech

How China’s Rise is Changing Economics, Technology, and War | April Herlevi, Ph.D. (Podcast #20) Mar 08, 2025

Show notes

Is China the new global superpower?

April Herlevi, a senior research scientist at CNA and non-resident fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research, joins us to break down China’s economic statecraft, military expansion, and defense tech strategy.

We discuss China’s growing arms exports, the role of drones in modern warfare, Taiwan’s response to military threats, and how China’s global reach extends from Africa to AI development.

China’s military exports & influence in Africa
The role of drones & AI in modern warfare
Taiwan’s defense strategy & lessons from Ukraine
The rise of China’s special economic zones
Overfishing, economic statecraft, and global impact

Notes on April's Work

Intersections, CNA’s US-China Technology Competition Newsletter: https://www.cna.org/our-media/newsletters/intersections

Taiwan Lessons Learned from the Russia-Ukraine War:

https://www.cna.org/reports/2024/12/taiwan-lessons-learned-from-the-russia-ukraine-warTaiwan

Lessons Learned Executive Summary:

https://www.cna.org/quick-looks/2024/10/Taiwan-Lessons-Learned-from-Russia-Ukraine.pdf

China as a Niche Arms Exporter Article:

https://www.cna.org/our-media/indepth/2021/08/china-as-a-niche-arms-exporter

Map of recipient countries:

https://www.cna.org/reports/2021/10/CHINAS-DEFENSE-EXPORTS-Small-Volume-but-room-for-growth.pdf

China’s arms export data (From SIPRI, updated for 2022-23):

https://armstransfers.sipri.org/ArmsTransfer/CSVResult

US-China Security and Economic Commission (USCC) Testimony on China’s Arms Exports:

https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/April_Herlevi_Testimony.pdf

Book Project Summary:

https://herlevi.weebly.com/current-projects.html

April A. Herlevi is an expert on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) foreign and security policy, economic statecraft for technology acquisition, and the increasing role of PRC commercial, economic and military actors globally.

Her research focuses on PRC technology and innovation, global infrastructure development, and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).For CNA, Herlevi has published research on port operations along China’s Maritime Silk Road, PLA views of Oceania, and China-Middle East relations, and she continues to research PRC technological upgrading.

She regularly participates in CNA-led wargames and was on a team that won the CNA CEO Teamwork Award for supporting the CNA wargaming team.

Follow April on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herlevi

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Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/

Unmanned Surface Vessels, Drone Swarms, & Deterring China | Bryan Clark (Podcast #19) Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

Bryan Clark is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute. He is an expert in naval operations, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, military competitions, and wargaming.

TOPICS

(0:00) Intro

(1:00) Bryan's Background & Hudson Institute

(4:21) Saronic & USVs Breakdown

(15:05) Impacts of Drones in Ukraine War

(18:21) Carrier Strike Group in Age of USVs

(24:00) American Drone Production Capacity

(27:01) Unitree & Humanoid Robots

(30:28) How to Counter Drone Swarms

(39:18) GPS Denied Components for Drones

(42:01) Retooling Our Arsenal & Countering China

(51:26) DOD Getting Ahead of DOGE?

(54:41) Hypersonics Are Not That Great

(57:06) Contested Logistics

(1:00:37) Lasers Are Overrated

(01:04:11) Loitering Munitions

(01:06:17) Undersea Drones

(01:11:08) Outro

Breaking Into Defense: How Startups Can Work with the Army | Dr. Casey Perley (Podcast #18) Feb 22, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Casey Perley joins the show to talk about the Army Applications Lab, innovation in defense, and how startups can work with the Army.👉 Watch one of our favorite episodes: https://youtu.be/fA8x9eGvaFk?si=bpFeYTM3Gz1Z12m2(00:00) Intro

(01:02) Meet Dr. Casey Pearly & Army Applications Lab

(02:13) How the Army Works with Startups & Non-Traditional Companies

(03:36) The Army’s Definition of Non-Traditional Companies

(06:00) How the Army Identifies Problems & Finds Solutions

(07:41) The Process of Getting Tech to the Warfighter

(12:06) How Many Army Tech Projects Are Active Right Now?

(14:44) Breaking Down a Real Military Innovation Cohort

(19:01) How the Army Evaluates Innovation Success

(25:02) The Rise of FPV Drones & Their Role in Warfare

(31:00) Competing with DJI: How the US Can Build a Stronger Drone Industry

(37:01) The History of Bioweapons & Biosecurity in Defense

(41:00) How Startups Should Approach Working with the Army

(46:07) What SBIR Funding Is & How Startups Can Win It

(50:26) Countering Drones: Can It Be Done?

(53:34) Final Thoughts & Where the Future of Military Innovation is Headed --As Army Applications Laboratory’s executive director, Dr. Casey Perley leads the mission to reshape how the Army works with industry to provide the best tech in the world to the best Army in the world. Her vision is for AAL to work from problem inception to sustainment hand in glove with stakeholders across the Army and the Department of Defense to accelerate and assess the Army’s ability to ingest innovation.Dr. Perley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseyperley/--Follow the show everywhere! 👇Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtOApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/#Podcast #DefenseTech #MilitaryInnovation #Drones #ArmyStartups #NationalSecurity #DefenseStartups #MilitaryTechnology #DoDContracts #TechFunding #FutureOfWarfare #Innovation #DronesInWarfare #USArmy #DefenseIndustry #StartupFunding #GovernmentContracts #MilitaryTech #Entrepreneurship #DefensePolicy #EmergingTech

Drones, Capitol Hill, and Preparing for Future Conflicts | Nic Adams (Podcast #17) Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

Nic Adams joins the show to talk defense, Capitol Hill, drones, and preparing for future conflicts.

(0:00) Intro

(1:20) Nic's background - Army Intel, JSOC, Capitol Hill

(5:37) The NDAA

(9:28) Getting $$ for Defense Tech

(12:19) Steve's favorite brand, Alo *not sponsored*

(13:50) NDAA and Approps

(21:40) Leaving the Hill

(23:11) Steve is training for the World Championship

(26:37) What does Washington Office do?

(29:03) Dual Use & The Defense Industrial Base

(36:50) Castelion

(46:11) Office of Strategic Capital

(48:11) The Chinese Drone Threat

(55:25) Lily Drone Fraud

(58:27) Juicero Exposed

(1:00:32) Catching Up in Drone Tech

(1:03:00) Goal of Lobbying Firms & Business Model

(1:09:45) Government Work to Private Sector

(1:11:11) Why Government People Can't Go On Podcasts

(1:12:48) OSC Loan Guarantees

(1:14:48) Palantir

(1:18:44) Outro

Follow the show and leave a review!

Follow Nic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-adams208/Washington Office: https://www.yourwashingtonoffice.com/Nic Adams is a Partner at Washington Office, a strategy firm for frontier tech companies. Nic most recently served as Professional Staff Member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. His issue portfolio included defense, intelligence, foreign affairs, energy, science, space, and technology for numerous different members of Congress.

Nic was also a commissioned officer in the United States Army, deploying several times to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and to Jordan and Iraq in the Global War on Terror.--Follow the show everywhere! 👇Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtOApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/#Podcast #DefenseIndustry #NationalSecurity #MilitaryTech #Geopolitics #FutureOfWar #DefensePolicy #TechAndWar #CapitolHill #DefensePolicy #GovernmentConsulting #Congress #PolicyInsider #MilitaryFunding #DroneWarfare #MilitaryDrones #DefenseStartups #AIDefense #AutonomousSystems #EmergingTech #FutureOfConflict #ModernWarfare #GlobalSecurity #DefenseInnovation #WarfareTechnology

AI, Drones, and Space Weapons: The Next Era of Defense Tech | Clayton Swope (Podcast Ep. #16) Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

What do you think about AI and space warfare? Leave a comment!

(0:00) Intro

(1:08) Discussing Drone Swarm Threats

(2:45) Working for CIA & a Think Tank (Clayton’s Background)

(8:20) Space & Future Defense Strategies

(12:04) Going to Mars Debate

(15:43) Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS)

(18:28) Space: The Future Battlefield?

(23:00) Growing Commercial Space Industry & Defense Applications

(30:25) Air Power & Drones in Russia-Ukraine

(38:00) Building Small Drones in America

(46:33) An American Iron Dome?

(52:55) Counter-Drone Arms Race & Military Innovation

(59:28) AI vs. Autonomy

(1:06:00) Opportunities in Space and Missile Defense

(1:09:14) Outro

How will AI, drones, and space-based missile defense shape the future of war? In this episode, we dive deep with Clayton, an expert from a leading defense think tank, to explore:

- The rise of military AI & autonomous warfare

- The possibility of an “Iron Dome” in space

- How the U.S. and allies are countering drone swarms

- What a future war between the U.S. & China could look like

- Why private space companies are now key players in defense

Clayton shares insights from his CIA background and current work in defense analysis, breaking down how military technology is evolving—from counter-drone systems to AI-powered targeting solutions and the next era of air & space defense.

If you’re interested in military innovation, defense strategy, or the intersection of AI and warfare, this episode is a must-watch.

Follow Clayton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonswope/

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): https://www.csis.org/

Clayton Swope is the deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project and a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Before joining CSIS, Swope led national security and cybersecurity public policy for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, an initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. While at Amazon, he also worked on cloud policy issues.

Prior to his time at Amazon, Swope served as a senior adviser on national security, space, foreign affairs, and technology policy issues for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

He also worked for more than 14 years at the Central Intelligence Agency, serving largely in the Directorate of Science and Technology. He holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Follow the show everywhere! 👇

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

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/

Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/

The Drone Problem, Regulations, and Aviation | Rob Thompson (Podcast Ep. #15) Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

Rob Thompson discusses aviation, drones, regulations, and his family legacy. Rob is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the subjects of aviation and unmanned aircraft systems for aircraft design, certification, regulation, policy and innovative flight training. He is the founder of the CUAS Coalition, an education and advocacy organization focused on the regulation and development of C-UAS technology. Follow Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robthompsonpilot/

CUAS Coalition: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cuas-coalition/

Follow the show everywhere! 👇 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedroneultimatum Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541 X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/ Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/ #dronewars #defensetech #militaryinnovation #dronesinwarfare #defenseindustry #djidrones #emergingthreats #dronetechnology #militarytechnology #dronesinaction #nationalsecurity #techindefense #futureofwarfare #dronethreat #modernwarfare #dodtech #gamechanger #innovationinwarfare #drone #podcast #defenseindustry #aviation #faa

Satellites, Investing, and Defense Tech's Future | Gabe Dominocielo (Podcast Ep. #14) Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

Gabe joins the show and talks space, satellites, defense tech, investing, and running companies.

(0:00) Intro

(0:55) How Umbra Started

(3:52) Gabe Before Umbra

(6:28) Having a "Real Job" Before Startups

(8:05) Drones over California

(9:19) Investing in Firehawk Aerospace

(13:24) Acquisitions in Defense

(20:08) Investing and Getting Funded

(23:41) Having No Money in Tech = Advantage?

(27:16) Outlook on Aeon

(28:33) Outdated Legacy Prime Contract Models

(32:19) Steve's Startup Idea & "The Valley of Death"

(36:01) The Startup Game is to Stay Alive

(38:15) DJI Changes & Drone Manufacturing

(43:05) Umbra's Plan for the Future

(47:36) TV Shows & Documentaries

(49:46) Selling "The Vision"

(52:23) More TV Shows

(54:39) Locations

(58:16) Vision for Umbra

(1:01:06) Why We Changed The Pod Name

(1:02:40) Crypto, Mentors, Naming Things

(1:10:23) Outro

Gabe Dominocielo is the President and co-founder of Umbra, a technology company specializing in advanced space systems to both commercial and government clients. Under his leadership, Umbra has distinguished itself by offering the highest-resolution commercial satellite images available, utilizing proprietary technology to capture clear imagery through clouds and at night. Before establishing Umbra in 2015, Dominocielo co-founded and served as Chief Operating Officer of a legal services firm whose panel attorneys achieved over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements. Umbra: https://umbra.space/

Follow the show everywhere! 👇 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtO Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541 X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/ Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/

Modern Warfare: Drones, AI, and USVs | David Broyles, Ph.D. (Podcast Ep. #13) Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

From WWII mine warfare to AI-powered drones - exploring next-gen military tech with defense industry insights. (0:00) Intro (1:13) CNA Origins (World War II) (5:08) IEDs in Iraq (12:58) Mines in the Pacific (15:46) Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) (24:21) Drones (29:03) Why and how to use USVs? (42:40) Drone countermeasures (45:41) CNA Funding and Info Flow (52:35) Managing a Team vs Independent Contributor (56:19) AI & LLMs (59:28) Is AI really a timesaver? (1:04:25) AI is a misnomer (1:07:25) The Future of AI (1:12:57) Separating signal from the noise (1:15:15) Synthetic Data (1:18:35) CNA's Year Ahead (1:21:35) Outro -- David Broyles, Ph.D., is a Research Program Director and specialist in cyber operations, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy, special operations, and information warfighting at CNA, an independent, nonprofit research and analysis organization. David has served as a CNA field representative to numerous commands, including United States Fleet Forces Command and those in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has a doctorate in chemistry from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis. -- Follow the show everywhere! 👇 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtO Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541 X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/ -- Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://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 #ai #artificialintelligence #llm #navy #navalwarfare

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