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Fence in for interviews and anecdotes about the ins, outs, and happenings at the intersection of technology, industry, strategy, and policy of aerospace and national defense.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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!
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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• Anduril
• Diem Salmon - Vice President, Air Dominance and Strike at Anduril
• Mike Atwood - Vice President, Advanced Programs at General Atomics
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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
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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
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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
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