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PODCAST

Drone Wars

Firestorm Studios

Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world"s leading autonomy and robotics companies.

technology entrepreneurship

All Episodes

20:32

Boots, Boards & Breakthroughs - Jake Windle | Part I

Drone Wars ·

2025/06/11

In Part I of this special two-part episode, host Dan Magy reconnects with an old friend—Jake Windle, former Master Chief at Naval Special Warfare and now a partner at Harpoon Ventures. The conversation kicks off with Jake's transition from elite military operations to early-stage tech, and how he became one of the first to identify drones as a rising threat on the battlefield. Jake shares the origin story of Citadel Defense and recounts the scrappy, experimental beginnings of counter-UAS war...

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10:17

Ukraine's Spiderweb attack. | Sam Bendett

Drone Wars ·

2025/06/06

CNA Researcher Sam Bendett. Talk about the recent attack on multiple airbases conducted by Ukraine. About Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

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22:57

Founding the Fight: Startups and the Future of...

Drone Wars ·

2025/06/04

Part II: Autonomy, Spectrum Warfare, and the Next Generation of Defense In this special two-part edition of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy continues his conversation with Nathan Mintz, defense tech entrepreneur and CEO of CX2, exploring the tactical and strategic frontiers of modern warfare. T his episode focuses on the rising importance of human-machine teaming, drone autonomy in GPS-denied environments, and how spectrum dominance is becoming essential to battlefield success. The discussion also...

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24:21

Founding the Fight: Startups and the Future of...

Drone Wars ·

2025/06/02

Part I: From Defense Primes to Deep Tech Startups In this special two-part edition of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy sits down with defense tech entrepreneur Nathan Mintz, CEO of CX2, for a wide-ranging conversation on innovation, autonomy, and the evolving front lines of national security. Nathan reflects on his early engineering work at Boeing and Raytheon, then dives into his transition into the startup world. He shares the founding stories of Epirus—recognized for pioneering microwave weapo...

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21:34

Drone Dominance: Inside Ukraine and Russia’s Tech...

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/29

Part II: Attritable Warfare, UGVs, and the Future of Combat In Part II, Sam Bendett returns to break down the real-time innovation shaping Russia and Ukraine's unmanned arsenals. We examine the shift to fiber optic-controlled drones, the rising role of attritable assets, and how military bureaucracies are struggling to keep up with front-line innovation. Sam explains how Ukraine’s “Brave One” platform is setting a new standard for rapid drone deployment and feedback integration. He also hi...

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24:52

Drone Dominance: Inside Ukraine and Russia’s Tech...

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/28

Part I: OSINT, Telegram Warfare & Tactical Innovation In Part I of our conversation with Sam Bendett, we dive deep into how the war in Ukraine is being shaped not only on the battlefield—but online. Sam, a leading expert in open-source intelligence and Russian military adaptation, breaks down how Telegram and other platforms have become real-time war theaters. He explains how grassroots innovation from soldiers, startups, and volunteers is overtaking traditional top-down military system...

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21:23

What It Takes to Build a War-Ready Drone - Florian...

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/20

Autonomous Frontlines and the Rise of Stark: Florian Seibel on the Future of Drone Warfare Florian Seibel returns for part two of our Drone Wars conversation to unpack the deeper implications of autonomy in warfare and the launch of his new company, Stark. He discusses why gamified training, fast software cycles, and modular drone design are critical to staying ahead. Dan and Florian also explore ESG constraints in Europe, the ethics of AI on the battlefield, and how Western nations can com...

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20:59

What It Takes to Build a War-Ready Drone - Florian...

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/19

From Startup to Battlefield: Florian Seibel on Building Drones That Actually Work in War In this episode of Drone Wars, Dan Magy sits down with Florian Seibel, CEO and co-founder of Quantum Systems, to talk about what it takes to build drone systems that actually survive in combat. Florian shares the journey from struggling startup to a critical player in Ukraine’s defense, the lessons learned from early failures in hostile EW environments, and how Quantum built an agile, software-drive...

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25:12

Defense at the Edge of Innovation | Part II

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/13

In the second half of their conversation, Dan Magy and Eric DeMarco look ahead. As CEO of Kratos Defense, Eric reflects on how preparation and urgency are now colliding—and the future is no longer theoretical. They dig into drone swarms, hypersonics, and the role of AI in modern conflict, along with the ethical dilemmas those technologies bring. Eric speaks not only as a builder of systems, but as someone who’s learned the value of patience in a world racing to innovate. This episode asks wha...

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21:46

Defense at the Edge of Innovation | Part I

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/10

This episode marks the beginning of a powerful two-part conversation between Dan Magy and Eric DeMarco, CEO of Kratos Defense. As they reflect on over a decade of strategic growth and technological advancement, Eric shares what it takes to build resilient defense systems in a world facing fast-evolving threats. It’s not just about innovation—it’s about anticipating future conflicts and having the courage and clarity to prepare for them today. Timestamps: 0:00 — Eric DeMarco's Journey and Kra...

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19:13

Future Ready: Drones, Doctrine, and the Fight for...

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/04

Part III – Culture, Doctrine, and the Path Forward In the final chapter, Brabner discusses the broader changes needed across policy, training, and recruitment to make drone warfare viable at scale. From launching the National Drone Association to preparing for upcoming international drone competitions, he lays out a vision where unmanned systems are not just tools—but pillars of military readiness. He makes the case for cultural buy-in, smarter procurement, and building a fo...

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25:36

Future Ready: Drones, Doctrine, and the Fight for...

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/04

Part II – Swarm Tech, Soldier-Led Innovation, and the Tactical Shift Ahead Brabner returns to explore how collaborative autonomy, soldier-driven innovation labs, and evolving doctrine are setting the stage for a major leap in how the Army fights. He discusses the integration of swarm behavior into tactical operations, the importance of bottom-up feedback from NCOs and junior officers, and how today’s decisions will determine whether the U.S. maintains strategic overmatch in future...

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19:19

Future Ready: Drones, Doctrine, and the Fight for...

Drone Wars ·

2025/05/03

Part I – Redefining Capability: Brabner’s Journey from Infantry to Innovation In this opening conversation, Lt. Col. Michael Brabner reflects on his combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan and how it fuels his mission to reshape the Army’s approach to unmanned systems. He shares how his transition into acquisition became a strategic move to protect future warfighters—and why the Army’s drone doctrine must evolve quickly or risk falling behind. Brabner explains what capabil...

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17:59

Ukraine’s Drone Strategy and U.S. Weaknesses

Drone Wars ·

2025/04/10

In Part 2 of this Drone Wars double episode, guest Brian Streem returns to explore the widening gap between U.S. defense procurement cycles and the real-time demands of drone warfare. From Ukraine’s open-source FPV innovation to the rise of small, global drone startups, Brian and the hosts dissect how commercial agility is outpacing traditional military processes—and what that means for future conflicts. Topics include: Why the U.S. is struggling to field drones at scaleHow startups are out-i...

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26:31

Ukraine’s Drone Tactics and Warfare with Brian Streem

Drone Wars ·

2025/04/08

In Episode 10 of Drone Wars, we’re joined by Brian Streem, CEO of Vermeer and a leading voice in tactical drone technology. With a background that spans Hollywood filmmaking and cutting-edge drone innovation, Brian brings a unique lens to how first-person-view (FPV) drones are reshaping the battlefield. This episode dives deep into how the war in Ukraine has catalyzed a new phase in drone warfare—one where consumer-grade drones become precision strike assets, and where open-source ingenuity m...

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18:51

Warfare Has Changed. Our Laws Haven’t.

Drone Wars ·

2025/04/03

In Part 2 of this special Drone Wars episode, the conversation shifts from tactics to power, policy, and accountability in the era of drone-centric conflict. Tommy Hendrix, managing partner at Decisive Point and the first investor in Firestorm, breaks down how Israel’s drone operations in Gaza reveal deep gaps between military innovation and international law, and how those gaps are exploited—not just by states, but also by non-state actors and information operations. Key topics include: The ...

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17:48

Defense Tech, Drones, and the Future Fight with Tommy...

Drone Wars ·

2025/04/01

This week on Drone Wars, Tommy Hendrix, managing partner at Decisive Point and the first investor in Firestorm, joins Dan Magee for a deep dive into the fast-evolving world of defense technology, autonomy, and venture capital. Tommy shares lessons from his military background and discusses what it takes to build and invest in defense-first startups—especially as the U.S. increasingly turns to commercial innovation pipelines to stay ahead. From evaluating companies working on autonomous syste...

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23:15

Autonomy Beneath the Waves: Underwater Drones

Drone Wars ·

2025/03/25

Explore the transformative world of underwater drones with Nelson Mills, CEO and co-founder of VATN Systems. In this episode, Nelson shares his unique journey from a childhood on the seas to revolutionizing maritime autonomy. Discover how VATN’s scalable and modular technologies are solving the challenges of GPS-denied environments, reducing cognitive load for operators, and enabling mission adaptability. Learn how these advancements support U.S. defense strategies in the Pacific and beyond. ...

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18:50

Drones Are Changing the Rules of War

Drone Wars ·

2025/03/21

The drone industry isn’t just about cutting-edge technology—it’s about navigating the regulatory minefield that comes with it. In this episode of Drone Wars, Karl Eze, former British Army officer and defense tech innovator, discusses how drone startups struggle with regulations, why governments aren’t keeping up with innovation, and how companies can break into the industry while staying compliant. Follow Karl Eze: Website: https://www.point-zenith.com/karl-eze IN: https://www.linkedin.co...

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14:01

Why Drones Are Now the Most Feared Weapon in Modern War

Drone Wars ·

2025/03/18

Join us as we sit down with Karl Eze, a former British Army officer turned drone innovator, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of drone technology. From FPV drones to pixel-lock guidance systems, Karl offers a behind-the-scenes look at how innovations in autonomous systems are reshaping modern warfare. Drawing from his military experience and lessons from Ukraine, Karl explains how drones are transforming battlefield tactics, the implications of GPS-denied operations, and the critical...

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71 results

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