Feeding the Beam: Powering Directed Energy & Counter-UAS | The Pair Program Ep85

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Adam Warmoth, Founder & CEO of Chariot Defense, and Michael LaFramboise, CEO & Co-Founder of Aurelius Systems, for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked constraints in modern warfare: power. Together, they explore how energy, autonomy, and cost collide at the tactical edge, and why rethinking power systems is critical for counter-UAS, directed energy weapons, and future defense stacks. The conversation blends real-world demos, lessons from commercial tech, and candid insights on what it actually takes to deploy hardware that works beyond day one.

We dive into:

1. Why power, not software, is the real bottleneck at the edge
2. The economics of lasers vs. missiles for counter-drone defense
3. Batteries as power, not just energy storage
4. Lessons defense can borrow from EVs, automotive, and industrial tech
5. Scaling hardware from demo to sustained deployment

About Adam Warmoth: Adam is Founder & CEO of Chariot Defense, building edge-deployable power systems for modern battlefields. Former engineering leader at Anduril Industries, with experience spanning counter-UAS, robotics, AI, and sensor fusion. Previously worked on advanced electric power systems at Archer Aviation, Uber Elevate, and Kitty Hawk. Stanford-trained engineer focused on bringing commercial-grade power tech into defense.

About Michael LaFramboise: Michael is CEO & Co-Founder of Aurelius Systems, developing autonomous laser platforms to defeat drones at radically lower cost. Brings a rare mix of experience across automotive manufacturing, high-power laser systems, and defense sales. His team’s flagship system, Archimedes, combines AI, sensors, and directed energy to neutralize drones in seconds—turning electricity into ammunition.

Exploring your next tech role? Get insider job advice and the latest startup & govtech openings – delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe here: https://www.myhatchpad.com/newsletter/