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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…

The Merge

by The Merge · English · News

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 aerosp

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    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 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…

  2. 26 Nov 2024 · 38 min

    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 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…

  3. 20 Oct 2024 · 54 min

    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 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…

  4. 25 Aug 2024 · 42 min

    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 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…

  5. 29 Jun 2024 · 43 min

    E39 – Anduril & General Atomics CCAs

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  6. 16 Jun 2024 · 54 min

    E38 – Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar: REAL defense innovation

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  7. 4 Oct 2026 · 27 min

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  8. 30 Aug 2026 · 37 min

    E61 – Rebuilding the Test Playbook with Nominal

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  9. 12 Jul 2026 · 44 min

    E60 – GPS-Free Navigation

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  10. 4 Jun 2026 · 43 min

    E59 – Business Breakdown: Anduril

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