The Merge
- Épisodes
- 67
- Parution
- mensuelle
- Dernier épisode
- 4 Oct 2026
À propos du podcast
Military technology, trends, and national security...presented with unique insights, salt, and wit from combat aviator veterans and industry experts. 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. Brought to you by The Merge newsletter.
Épisodes 67
E62 – Rethinking Aircraft Maintenance with Perfect Point EDM
Buying a fighter jet is the cheap part.Mike sits down with Jim Becker, President and CEO of Perfect Point EDM, to talk about the biggest line in any defense program: keeping the fleet flying.Perfect Point …
Notes de l’épisode
Buying a fighter jet is the cheap part.
Mike sits down with Jim Becker, President and CEO of Perfect Point EDM, to talk about the biggest line in any defense program: keeping the fleet flying.
Perfect Point builds the E-Drill, which uses electro discharge machining (EDM) to pull aircraft fasteners. Founded in 2005, it turned a lab curiosity into a fielded tool that removes a rivet in about 30 seconds instead of 10 minutes, with no debris and almost no rework.
Jim's take is blunt. The aircraft modernized, the maintenance tooling did not, and the industry keeps papering over it by leaning on a shrinking pool of skilled mechanics.
Topics include:
Operations and maintenance as the biggest cost in a program
Electro discharge machining applied to fastener removal
Cutting a 10 minute rivet job down to 30 seconds
Eliminating foreign object debris and rework on titanium airframes
Why maintenance tooling never modernized
Winning over risk-averse engineers with the material science case
The shrinking pool of skilled aircraft mechanics
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Chapters
00:00
00:28 intro
02:06 the MRO space
02:53 the founding story
04:38 from the Marine Corps to Boeing
06:10 framing the rivet problem
07:01 tooling stuck in the 60s
07:43 titanium and steel fasteners
08:54 no FOD, no mess
09:46 the three step process
10:27 four to five times faster
10:49 killing the rework
11:52 problems everybody just accepts
13:49 the miracle-worker culture
14:55 the aging workforce
16:49 winning over the engineers
17:32 the launch that fell flat
20:21 SBIRs and the valley of death
21:39 fall in love with the problem
22:09 conventional wisdom that's wrong
24:47 making do with less
26:03 go talk to the mechanics
28:29 the stance he'll defend
30:12 where to learn more
31:03 outro
E61 – Rebuilding the Test Playbook with Nominal
Test is where new military hardware goes to wait.Mike sits down with Jenn Wilson, Head of Federal at Nominal, to talk about test and evaluation, the least glamorous gate between a program and the …
Notes de l’épisode
Test is where new military hardware goes to wait.
Mike sits down with Jenn Wilson, Head of Federal at Nominal, to talk about test and evaluation, the least glamorous gate between a program and the warfighter.
Nominal builds test data infrastructure for hardware. Founded in 2022 by Anduril, Palantir, and Lockheed Martin alumni, it reached a $1 billion valuation in March.
Jenn’s take is that acceleration comes from optimizing what you test for. Cutting test points is the wrong lever.
Topics include:
Test and evaluation as a mission enabler
High rate, multimodal test data
Real-time telemetry and closing the test loop
DARPA CIPHER Forge and digital twins
Closing the sim to real gap
The F-35 crowdsourced flight data program
Knowledge parity between primes and government testers
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Chapters:
00:00
00:32 intro
01:47 why this, why now
02:32 test is not sexy
03:47 test as an afterthought
05:40 more data, less insight
07:18 where the name comes from
07:54 the founding story
10:43 Mike is a user
11:16 streaming telemetry in real time
13:14 design of experiments
15:17 the Fid Labs acquisition
16:31 DARPA CIPHER Forge
19:35 closing the sim to real gap
20:21 the commercial side
23:31 lessons from Ukraine
25:00 F-35 crowdsourced flight data
27:15 fleet bugs found in days
29:07 combined test force
31:50 experimental operations unit
32:34 speeding up test
33:09 the pilot taking fire
34:21 knowledge parity with the primes
35:18 a billion dollar valuation
36:03 hiring at Nominal
#defensetech #podcast #military #testandevaluation #flighttest #digitaltwins #darpa #f35 #autonomy #nationalsecurity #airforce #dualuse #militarytechnology
E60 – GPS-Free Navigation
How do systems operate when GPS disappears?Mike sits down with Kara Kramer, Vice President ofRaptor Sales at Vantor (formerly Maxar Intelligence), to discuss one of the most important challenges facing modern …
Notes de l’épisode
How do systems operate when GPS disappears?
Mike sits down with Kara Kramer, Vice President ofRaptor Sales at Vantor (formerly Maxar Intelligence), to discuss one of the most important challenges facing modern autonomous systems: operating when GPS is jammed, spoofed, or completely unavailable.
We discuss vision-based navigation (VBN), 3D geospatialintelligence, and why resilient autonomy depends on more than just the drone itself. From electronic warfare to contested operations, this conversation examines how software and spatial intelligence are enabling unmanned operations, and Vantor’s unique approach.
This isn’t just about navigation—coordinate generation and targeting elements are equally important.
Topics include:
• Vision-based navigation
• 3D geospatial intelligence
• Targeting without GPS
BONUS: Kara also shares her professional journey and how she got into the defense industry!
Whether you're building autonomous systems, working indefense technology, or simply interested in where drone technology is headed, this episode provides an inside look at one of the fastest-moving areas in aerospace.
TOGETHER WITH VANTOR.
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00:00
00:01:11 intro
00:01:54 Vantor history
00:03:26 Raptor origins
00:03:59 Vantor backstory
00:05:39 The SpaceX of VBN
00:06:32 Raptor VBN
00:10:11 issues with GPS
00:12:44 pre-GPS terrain nav
00:13:46 the Hub
00:15:20 no hardware?
00:17:57 how it all works
00:20:47 geo-registered coordinates
00:26:27 Kara's journey in defense
00:28:24 Vantor in Drone Dominance
00:35:19 Vantor partnerships
00:39:02 contrarian takes
00:40:37 fast cheap good triangle
00:42:01 final thoughts
#defensetech #dronetechnology #autonomy #gps #jamming #electronicwarfare #uas #drones #militarytechnology #geospatial #navigation #navigation #pnt #isr #aerospace #defenseinnovation #nationalsecurity #intelligence #intel #military
E59 – Business Breakdown: Anduril
Anduril Industries raised $5 billion at a reported $61billion valuation—putting a nine-year-old defense tech company in the same conversation as legacy primes that have been building weapons for generations.How …
Notes de l’épisode
Anduril Industries raised $5 billion at a reported $61billion valuation—putting a nine-year-old defense tech company in the same conversation as legacy primes that have been building weapons for generations.
How did they do it, what is their strategy, and does the math make sense?
In this episode, Mike and Matthew take a deep dive inside Anduril’s products, revenue, contracts, and business strategy. They break down the Series H raise, the company’s rapid valuation climb, the difference between contract ceilings and booked revenue, and why visible federal obligations onlytell part of the story.
They also examine Anduril’s expanding product portfolio, anddebate the core question behind the company’s $61B price tag: Is Anduril the future of defense industrial production, or is the market pricing in near-flawless execution?
Topics include:
- Anduril’s $5B Series H and $61B valuation
- The gap between reported revenue and visible federalobligations
- Why Special Operations and the Border Patrol matter morethan most people realize
- The $20B Army enterprise vehicle—and why it is a rail, not acheck
- Barracuda, Fury, Arsenal-1, and hyperscale defensemanufacturing
- How Anduril compares to Lockheed, Northrop, GeneralDynamics, RTX, and Palantir
- The bull and bear case for Anduril’s long-term strategy
- What to watch next: IPO timing, task orders, deliveries, andrevenue growth
- The real bet: for Anduril to justify today’s valuation, ithas to grow from a $2B revenue company into a $20B+ revenue company very quickly.
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00:00
00:34 intro
01:20 Premium newsletter!
02:10 Anduril intro
02:26 Matthrew intro
04:32 Anduril 101
06:52 Anduril's fundraising
07:25 the next 24 months
07:38 revenue breakdown
08:23 happenings between the raises
14:10 last 5 years of sales
15:47 counter-UAS
18:22 Steve vs Steve approach
19:14 C-UAS durability?
21:04 Altius
21:52 comparing valuations
23:21 sources of new revenue
23:33 Barracuda
24:08 CCA program
27:28 Lattice
28:20 Eagle Eye
31:18 Golden Dome
35:08 Anduril's strategy
38:53 next acquisition?
41:25 wrap-up
E58 – Dcode the Pentagon Buying Machine
What does it actually take to get new technology into thehands of warfighters—and why is it still so hard?In this episode, Mike sits down with the co-founders ofDcode, Meagan Metzger and Meg Vorland, to unpack …
Notes de l’épisode
What does it actually take to get new technology into thehands of warfighters—and why is it still so hard?
In this episode, Mike sits down with the co-founders ofDcode, Meagan Metzger and Meg Vorland, to unpack the reality behind defense innovation, acquisition reform, and the flow of capital into the sector.
Dcode operates at a unique intersection—working withstartups, investors, and the Pentagon—giving them a rare, inside-out view of how the system really works.
We break down why most acquisition reform efforts fallshort, whether recent policy changes are hitting the right targets, and what conventional wisdom in defense innovation is simply wrong.
If you’re trying to understand how defense actually getsbuilt, funded, and fielded—this is the inside baseball.
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00:00
00:44 intro
01:19 Dcode origin story
04:55 founders, funders, and fighters
09:27 acquisition reform
12:32 risk vs the no-monster
15:58 buying speed vs rigor
16:44 contracting officer shortage
17:55 bigger worse contracts
21:04 defense catalyst
21:57 leadership and training
23:05 the bigger picture
25:33 budget line-item consolidation
28:16 pass a budget
30:41 investing in companies
36:05 misconceptions
38:28 colors and fallout
39:33 conflicts of interest
41:03 RAIC
41:30 300
42:12 pilot programs
46:42 fielding
47:29 magic wand
48:49 crystal ball
50:19 outro
E57 – The War on Bad Software (Defense Unicorns)
All modern hardware depends on good software, but in theU.S. military, most software sucks.Rob Slaughter, co-founder and CEO of Defense Unicorns, joins the show to unpack why this is happening and what they are …
Notes de l’épisode
All modern hardware depends on good software, but in theU.S. military, most software sucks.
Rob Slaughter, co-founder and CEO of Defense Unicorns, joins the show to unpack why this is happening and what they are doing to fix it.
We dive into the rise of “software as a weapon system,” therole of open-source software in national security, and how Defense Unicorns is building an air-gapped, platform-agnostic software delivery model designed for real-world military environments.
This episode is a must for anyone in defense. You’ll learn a ton about software—we guarantee!
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00:00
00:43 intro
01:09 Defense Unicorns name
04:28 origin story
06:38 the 3 I's
08:46 software sustainment burden
09:13 wrong incentive structure
12:31 software as a weapon system
14:39 rising tech debt
16:18 open source
18:46 open is more secure?
20:43 SBOM
22:24 solutions
23:05 fighter jet software updates
24:43 submarine software
25:52 UDS
27:05 disconnected software
28:34 Chinese software underneath US systems
30:48 competition
33:43 crystal ball
35:15 $136M fundraise
37:56 magic wand - fixed price contracts
40:14 McDonald's ice cream
#AI #Technology #Tech #Innovation #Cybersecurity #youtube #Military #DefenseTech #MilitaryTech #Startup #Software #Business
E56 – The Fury Origin Story
This is the untold origin story of the Fury CollaborativeCombat Aircraft (CCA), as told by those who lived it.Scott Bledsoe and Joe Murray join Mike to talk about Fury’s very beginning—way back to 2016.Now …
Notes de l’épisode
This is the untold origin story of the Fury CollaborativeCombat Aircraft (CCA), as told by those who lived it.
Scott Bledsoe and Joe Murray join Mike to talk about Fury’s very beginning—way back to 2016.
Now known as Anduril’s YFQ-44, Fury originated as an SBIR project from Blue Force Technologies and may go on to become a poster child of SBIR success stories. But it’s not all good news.
The experience—and the decision to sell to Anduril—motivated Scott and Joe to start a new type of investment fund called the DoD Accelerator.
DoD Accelerator bridges the gap between venture capital and private equity, addressing the ‘funding valley of death’ they faced and the factors that led to the decision to sell their company—and Fury—to Anduril.
This is packed with never-before-revealed details and serves as the backdrop for a broader conversation about the realities of having a company in the defense industry.
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00:00
00:26 intro
01:50 Scott and Joe
07:21 DoD Accelerator
09:51 Fury origin story
11:24 SBIR
16:28 the high-low mix
17:11 writing to understand
18:29 F-117
19:04 no part 3
19:41 red air use-case
24:29 Bandit and ADAIR-UX
25:10 funding and the valley of death
28:04 the capital void
31:11 programs consolidate
32:28 Anduril acquisition
33:37 the small business divide
34:14 DoD Accelerator fit
36:12 Baxter Aerospace example
41:19 the cheat code
44:26 crystal ball
45:17 the prime cartel?
46:32 magic wand - IR&D policy change
49:10 policy hurts start-ups
52:51 DoD Accelerator focus areas
E55 – Christine Fox: the REAL Charlie
There is a strange set of organizations that live betweenindustry and government called Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs).They play an …
Notes de l’épisode
There is a strange set of organizations that live betweenindustry and government called Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs).
They play an important—but largely misunderstood role—in national security.
What better way to understand it all than with a guest who’sone of the most famous pop-culture examples: Christine Fox.
She was the real person who was portrayed as ‘Charlie’,Maverick’s civilian love interest, in Top Gun! She spent 40+ years working as an analyst in UARCs and a civilian leader at the Pentagon, culminating in serving as the acting Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Today, she continues to serve as a Fellow at Johns HopkinsUniversity’s Applied Physics Lab (JHU APL), which is the nation’s largest UARC.
This interview has a ton of inside baseball that you won’t find anywhere else!
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00:00 intro
00:35 Top Gun
01:33 Christine Fox
02:53 origin of FFRFC & UARC
05:36 access to classified info
08:30 tech transfer
11:33 independence
14:42 threat analysis story
16:35 misunderstandings
20:29 software and competition
24:32 fix the gray
27:11 what if they disappear?
27:39 Navy Red Sea support
28:29 hypersonics
30:08 Golden Dome
31:01 whole of nation approach
38:20 2026 resolutions
39:42 closing remarks
E54 – Pryzm: AI to understand the Pentagon
Mike sits down with Matt Hawkins and Nick LaRovere,co-founders of Pryzm.Pryzm is building an Operating System for defense innovation—software that uses AI to generate capture intel to make sense of Pentagon …
Notes de l’épisode
Mike sits down with Matt Hawkins and Nick LaRovere,co-founders of Pryzm.
Pryzm is building an Operating System for defense innovation—software that uses AI to generate capture intel to make sense of Pentagon budgets, Congressional legislation, program offices, and much more.
It’s AI to understand the Pentagon.
They help connect the dots between missions, markets, andpeople to power the future of national security.
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00:00
01:43 intro
02:30 origin story
05:57 disclosure
07:07 2 PMs
08:47 Air Force tanker program
21:47 Golden Dome
28:12 sales vs business development
33:04 proactive vs reactive
34:59 intel to flip the script
37:56 a bubble?
41:18 flat toplines
43:05 requested vs executed
46:38 fundraise
48:27 DIU project
50:58 2026 outlook
55:29 outro
E53 – The Fighter Pilot Spirit
Chris "Snooze" Kurek, Rob “Trip” Raymond, and Erik“EZ” Brine chat with Mike “Pako” Benitez on all things fighter pilot culture—toast, roast, and lore.Better known as Dos Gringos, Snooze, and Trip put out …
Notes de l’épisode
Chris "Snooze" Kurek, Rob “Trip” Raymond, and Erik“EZ” Brine chat with Mike “Pako” Benitez on all things fighter pilot culture—toast, roast, and lore.
Better known as Dos Gringos, Snooze, and Trip put out 4albums of fighter pilot songs that are famous (and infamous) in squadrons around the world. EZ joined the duo to form Operation Encore in 2012, a non-profit that helps veterans get their music into the world.
We dig into a century of fighter pilot history and traditions, from the origins of Dos Gringos, the squadron culture, roll call,Jermiah Weed, the ribbing and roasting, and all the camaraderie associated with military aviation.
They recently brought all of that into their latest venture, Winglore Spirits, and are doing it in a unique way that brings you into the fold.
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00:00
01:47 Dos Gringos
17:22 Operation Encore
24:03 AI music
27:27 The culture and bar origins
34:27 Jermiah Weed
38:13 Winglore Spirits
42:03 Bogey Dope
43:16 Nickel on the Grass
45:29 Winglore squadron
50:42 the Nellis Club
52:02 Dos Gringos concert?
54:45 outro
55:04 Carlos jumps in
56:23 I wish I had a gun like the A-10
E53 – The Fighter Pilot Spirit
Chris "Snooze" Kurek, Rob “Trip” Raymond, and Erik“EZ” Brine chat with Mike “Pako” Benitez on all things fighter pilot culture—toast, roast, and lore.Better known as Dos Gringos, Snooze and Trip put out 4 …
Notes de l’épisode
Chris "Snooze" Kurek, Rob “Trip” Raymond, and Erik“EZ” Brine chat with Mike “Pako” Benitez on all things fighter pilot culture—toast, roast, and lore.
Better known as Dos Gringos, Snooze and Trip put out 4 albums of fighter pilot songs that are famous (and infamous) in squadrons around the world. EZ joined the duo to form Operation Encore in 2012, a non-profit that helps veterans get their music into the world.
We dig into a century of fighter pilot history and traditions, from the origins of Dos Gringos, the squadron culture, roll call, Jermiah Weed, the ribbing and roasting, and all the camaraderie associated with military aviation.
They recently brought all of that into their latest venture, Winglore Spirits, and are doing it in a unique way that brings you into the fold.
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00:00
01:47 Dos Gringos
17:22 Operation Encore
24:03 AI music
27:27 The culture and bar origins
34:27 Jermiah Weed
38:13 Winglore Spirits
42:03 Bogey Dope
43:16 Nickel on the Grass
45:29 Winglore squadron
50:42 the Nellis Club
52:02 Dos Gringos concert?
54:45 outro
55:04 Carlos jumps in
56:23 I wish I had a gun like the A-10
E52 – Top Secret Offices
Nooks co-founder and CEO Sean Blackman spills all thesecrets about what it takes to do classified business with the Pentagon. Nooks is a venture-backed startup founded in 2021 to solve amassive pain point …
Notes de l’épisode
Nooks co-founder and CEO Sean Blackman spills all thesecrets about what it takes to do classified business with the Pentagon.
Nooks is a venture-backed startup founded in 2021 to solve amassive pain point: access to classified offices and networks to perform sensitive national security work.
Nooks is attacking the problem in an innovative way called Classified-Infrastructure-as-a-Service (CIaaS), which is a subscription access to a nationwide network of classifiedworkspaces and IT.
If you are in the defense industry—or even thinking about it—and there is even a sliver of a chance you will touch classified work, this episode is everything you need to know.
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00:00
00:46 intro
01:49 Nooks
02:52 origin story
09:49 name and logo
12:30 locations and spaces
13:30 location and the real value unlock
17:57 COVID
19:20 fractional labs
20:06 fundraising for a weird company
22:01 information disadvantage
23:33 myth of hiring security clearances
30:00 SCIF
34:09 mobile SCIF
39:23 touchpoints and impact
42:13 security in shared spaces
46:48 the real impact
47:36 magic wand - crystal ball
49:50 make the problem go away
secrets, top secret, military, technology, tech, defense, national security, air force, navy, army, marine corps, usmc
E51 – Red 6 and the Military Metaverse
Red 6 CEO and co-founder Dan Robinson discusses augmented reality for pilots, the military metaverse, and the future of high-end training and tactics development.Red 6 was founded in 2018 around a revolutionary …
Notes de l’épisode
Red 6 CEO and co-founder Dan Robinson discusses augmented reality for pilots, the military metaverse, and the future of high-end training and tactics development.
Red 6 was founded in 2018 around a revolutionary approach to military flight training called ATARS—the Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System—that creates virtual outdoor worlds to deliver threat-relevant,near-peer-level training scenarios.
It’s much more than an augmented reality helmet—it's rethinking the entire pilot training and readiness experience.
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00:00
00:42 intro
01:41 origin story
05:22 thesis of Red 6
06:17 co-founder meeting
10:43 lack of adversaries to train against
16:03 realism that gets missed
17:58 surface threats
21:03 progress and iteration
25:25 all of the technical challenges
27:20 suspension of disbelief
30:37 replacing helmet-mounted cueing
32:09 Enders Game
34:18 the Red 6 name
35:59 UK Royal Air Force
38:33 manned + unmanned
45:08 validating tactics and training
51:34 quality vs quantity training
54:30 the technology is coming
55:21 flying
56:43 the chief morale officer
E50 – JDAM: the GPS-Guided Bomb
Mike sits down with Steve “Wingie” Wingfield to discuss the Joint Direct Attack Munition, aka the JDAM—the world’s first operational GPS-aided bomb.Wingie played a big role in the Air Force, doing weaponsflight …
Notes de l’épisode
Mike sits down with Steve “Wingie” Wingfield to discuss the Joint Direct Attack Munition, aka the JDAM—the world’s first operational GPS-aided bomb.
Wingie played a big role in the Air Force, doing weaponsflight testing and requirements writing, then went on to have another career at Boeing working on JDAM and other weapons.
He’s one of the few people who got to see the entire storyarc, from the pain points in Desert Storm that started the whole thing, to other evolutions like Laser JDAM and extended range JDAM, and how those programscame to be.
If you want a rare inside look at how one of the most successful acquisition programs in the past 30 years happened, this episode is for you.
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00:00
01:02 intro
05:43 JDAM name origin
06:56 accuracy spec origin
10:43 Desert Storm McPeak Memo
11:16 GAM before JDAM
12:29 Kosovo combat debut
14:39 40k for 40k competition
17:44 JDAM adoption
22:50 production feast & famine
25:19 9/11 demand signal
26:33 surging with standards
28:43 Iraqi Freedom GPS jamming
29:53 Laser JDAM origins
33:38 the impact
36:01 hitting moving targets
37:54 106 mph!
39:39 MOP
41:33 JDAM-ER
41:47 Ukraine
42:53 integration and modularity
43:41 aerial mining
46:22 outro
#military #airforce #navy #aviation #tech #technology #JDAM #boeing #GPS #defense #desert storm #iraq #syria #afghanistan #miltech #engineering #USA #security
E49 – Ursa Major Solid Rocket Motors
In this episode, Mike sits down with Dan Jablonsky, CEO ofUrsa Major, to discuss solid rocket motors and how Ursa Major is doing it differently.Once dominated by just two suppliers, America’s SRM propulsion …
Notes de l’épisode
In this episode, Mike sits down with Dan Jablonsky, CEO ofUrsa Major, to discuss solid rocket motors and how Ursa Major is doing it differently.
Once dominated by just two suppliers, America’s SRM propulsion base has been stretched thin—leaving gaps exposed by today’s conflicts.
Dan explains how Ursa Major is tackling that challenge withmodular production, 3D printing, Highly Loaded Grain propellants, and advanced manufacturing using what they’ve learned from their liquid motor product lines.
We also talk about the big picture: hypersonics, cruisemissiles, and upcoming programs with RTX (Raytheon), the U.S. Navy (SM-2, SM-3, SM-6), the Army, and Stratolaunch.
If you want to understand why missile production is one of the biggest defense challenges of our time—and how new entrants like Ursa Major are building solutions—this episode is for you.
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00:00
00:42 intro
01:04 Ursa Major
02:22 company name
03:48 getting into the SRM business
05:29 SRM industrial base
07:15 doing SRMs differently
09:14 SRM 101
12:07 Highly Loaded Grain
13:08 increasing missile range
15:34 rapid development
16:44 scale with safety
22:25 rapidly adapting SRMs to the threat
23:03 3D printing everything?
24:59 hypersonic motors
27:20 missiles in space
27:47 affordable mass
29:14 outro
The Future of Air Warfare: Offensive Electronic Attack (Sponsored)
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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.
E48 – Golden Dome, DIU, and the Innovation Reckoning
In this episode, Mike and Jake catch up on defense techhappenings. Links• Sign up for the newsletter! • Support us on Patreon!• Website ---- Follow us on... • LinkedIn• Instagram• X• Facebook …
Notes de l’épisode
In this episode, Mike and Jake catch up on defense techhappenings.
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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
The Future of Air Warfare: Modeling & Simulation (Sponsored)
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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.
E47 – Cumming's Hellhound
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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.
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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
The Future of Air Warfare: Radars (Sponsored)
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 Raytheon delivers for our warfighters.
The Future of Air Warfare: Weapons (Sponsored)
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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.
E46 – Expendable Tech for F-35 Threat Training
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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.
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• Brett “Snappy” Abbamonte on LinkedIn
• ASI company
• ELITE product
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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
E45 – Operational War w/ John Warden
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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.
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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
E44 – Silent Arrow
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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.
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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
E43 – The Laser-Guided Bomb
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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!
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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
E42 – B-52 BUFF modernization
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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
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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
E41 – Firestorm
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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
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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?
E40 – Air Force Weapons Czar
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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
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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
E39 – Anduril & General Atomics CCAs
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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
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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
E38 – Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar: REAL defense innovation
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 …
Notes de l’épisode
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
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• 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
