Defense One Radio

This episode we review several things we learned at the Air & Space Forces Association's annual Air, Space & Cyber conference.

Guests:

• Audrey Decker, Defense One's air and space reporter (beginning at the 0:46 mark);
• Lauren Williams, senior editor at Defense One (at 7:48);
• And Marcus Weisgerber, global business editor at Defense One (at 14:26).

Read more of our coverage from this year's AFA conference here.

We dig into the U.S. military's new Replicator initiative, and explore Anduril's recent UAV-firm acquisition.

Guests:

• Patrick Tucker,science and technology editor at Defense One;
• Chris Brose, chief strategy officer for Anduril Industries.

Related reading:

• "'Hellscape': DOD launches massive drone swarm program to counter China," by Patrick Tucker, reporting August 28, 2023;
• Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks' Remarks: "Unpacking the Replicator Initiative" at the 2023 Defense News Conference;
• "The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare," by Chris Brose (published 2020);
• And "Anduril buys drone maker Blue Force Technologies amid Pentagon push for autonomous aircraft," by Marcus Weisgerber, reporting September 7, 2023.

How much of America's nuclear history does the three-hour film pack in and how much did it leave out?

Guest:

• Martin Pfeiffer, a PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of New Mexico.

From Cold War-era distrust of the Soviets to Beijing's recent silo buildup, we review some of the ideas and methods that have helped China become the nuclear power it is today.

Guests:

• Decker Eveleth, graduate research assistant at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California (beginning at the 1:47 mark);
• And Joseph Cirincione, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a national security analyst with 40 years of experience in Washington, D.C. (at the 20:05 mark).

Read Eveleth's recent report on Chinese nuclear forces, here. And you can find Cirincione's 1999 review of the Cox Report, here.

See also a new report from the Chicago Council entitled, "Majority in US Want to Learn More about Nuclear Policy."

Guest:

• Patrick Tucker, Defense One science and technology editor.

Find his related reporting from Hawaii here.

Guests:

• Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One global business editor;

• Roman Schweizer, policy analyst focusing on defense issues;

• Cai von Rumohr, equity analyst with an emphasis on defense issues.

We hear from U.S. generals, ambassadors from Europe, tech reps from Ukraine, officials from Congress, China wonks, space nerds, and more.

Guests (and links to the full interviews on YouTube):

• Dr. Timothy Bunning, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Chief Technology Officer (at the 1:54 mark);
• Schuyler Moore, U.S Central Command's Chief Technology Officer (at 6:48);
• Polish NATO Amb. Tomasz Szatkowski (at 9:24—YouTube link coming soon);
• Alex Bornyakov, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for IT industry development, and Nataliia Kushnerska, Chief Operations Officer at Brave1 (at 13:15);
• U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, Air Forces Central Command (at 16:32—YouTube link coming soon);
• Charles Luftig, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Policy and Capabilities at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Michael Horowitz, who directs the Pentagon's Emerging Capabilities Policy Office (at 26:30);
• Estonia's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Kusti Salm (at 31:25);
• Dmitri Alperovitch, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, and Geo Saba, Chief of Staff for Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. (at 35:22);
• And America's Vice Chief of Space Operations, Air Force Gen. David Thompson, along with Todd Harrison of Metrea Strategic Insights (at the 44:55 mark).

Guest:

• Sam Bendett, advisor in Russian studies at CNA.

You can read over his latest report on drone use in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, here.

Guests:

• Sam Skove, staff reporter for Defense One;
• And Patrick Tucker, science and tech editor at Defense One.

Guests:

• Michael Knights, a military historian, security analyst with the Washington Institute, and author of the book, "25 Days to Aden";
• Shireen Al-Adeimi, Assistant Professor of Language and Literacy at Michigan State University, and Non-Resident Fellow in the Middle East program at the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.