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PODCAST

Drone Wars Podcast

The Drone Wars Podcast covers all things defense and geopolitics.Created by Dan Magy, Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, its mission is to serve the warfighters, the builders and the innovators that all share one common goal: get the best technology into the hands of those on the frontlines.Dan speaks with defense tech industry trailblazers, military leaders, venture capital experts, history buffs, engineers, pilots and more, diving deep into the most critical topics in the defense ecosystem.

technology entrepreneurship

All Episodes

39:18

Cyber Attacks Are Coming: Bohdan Volyanyuk

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/09/30

Bohdan Volyanyuk is the co-founder and COO of Autonomous Cyber, a defense technology startup building machine intelligence for cyber advantage to ensure U.S. and allied dominance in the fifth domain. He is a generation-zero immigrant from Ukraine and a former U.S. Army infantry officer. His experience spans from the physical battlefield to cyber operations, to building technology for national security. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovato...

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30:31

The Most Valuable Currency in Defense Tech: Nico Roe

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/09/02

Nico Roe is Founder and CEO of Reach Defense, a private proving ground built to serve the defenders of freedom by providing secure, efficient environments where agencies and innovators can safely test, train, and advance America’s readiness. A former Navy SEAL with twelve years of service and multiple deployments across the globe, he held leadership roles including Squad Commander, Platoon Commander, and Director of Operations. He was later selected as the Secretary of the Navy’s...

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46:41

How Humanoid Robots Will Change Warfare: Mike LeBlanc

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/08/26

Mike LeBlanc is the co-founder of Foundation Robotics, a defense-focused humanoid robotics company that recently made history by deploying the world's first humanoid combat robots to an active war zone. He’s the and the author of What If Anger Is the Answer: A Harvard Marine’s Guide to Shaping Aggression. He previously co-founded Cobalt Robotics and served for 13 years as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, including deployments to Afghanistan and throughout the Arabian Peninsula. He ser...

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43:50

Russia Technology Expert Says Ukraine's Drone War...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/08/19

Sam Bendett is an adviser with CNA's Russia Studies Program, an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and a Senior Associate with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program. His work centers on Russian military technology, uncrewed and autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence. He is also an honorary "Mad Scientist" with the U.S. Army's Mad Scientist Initiative and a Strategic Advisor with the US National Drone Association. About Drone Wars T...

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41:01

Why America Can't Build Drone Batteries Without...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/08/05

Trent Clawson is the Founder & CEO of Titan Batteries, a U.S.-based custom battery pack manufacturer headquartered in Pocatello, Idaho. Titan has grown into a leading source of NDAA-compliant power solutions for defense and unmanned systems, with over 1,000 custom pack designs spanning multiple chemistries and applications. Trent's a vocal advocate for battery standardization in the defense drone industry and for rebuilding advanced manufacturing capability here in America.&n...

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9:24

Attritable Drone Systems Explained

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/07/29

Host Dan Magy, Founder and CEO of Firestorm, dives into the origin of "attritable systems" by the DOW and how this concept has completely shifted the defense tech landscape in the last decade. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the in...

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38:14

One Mine Could Shut Down the Strait of Hormuz for...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/07/22

Matthew Walther is a decorated Special Operations veteran who spent 21 years in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), one of the most specialized and high-stakes career fields in the military. He's seen the full evolution of battlefield threats from the inside. He also happens to be Director of Manufacturing Logistics and Operational Planning here at Firestorm. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: g...

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19:58

What 80 Years of Peace Does to a Country's Defense...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/07/16

Rachel spent 30 years in the U.S. Navy and now leads The FORGE at UC San Diego, an initiative that bridges academia, industry and government to strengthen the regional defense industrial base. She's a central figure in the Southern California defense innovation community — leading the Innovating for National Security (i4NS) program, Defense Innovation Community of Entities (DICE) Alliance and the Five Eyes Defense Innovation Alliance. Her reach extends globally through instituti...

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31:26

35,000 Cartel Drone Flights Across the U.S. Border A...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/07/08

Robert Almonte spent 25 years at the El Paso, Texas Police Department and was appointed by President Barack Obama as the United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas in 2010 where he served until 2016. He spent most of his career in narcotics investigations and retired as a Deputy Chief in 2003. He has consulted for several prosecutors and law enforcement agencies regarding Mexican Cartel homicides and has testified as an expert witness in state and federal court regard...

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50:14

HIs Autonomous USV Ran Into Chinese Warships in the...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/07/01

Mike Flanigan is co-founder and CEO of Seasats, a San Diego-based company building long-range autonomous surface vessels for commercial and defense missions. This is his second time on Drone Wars — and he came back with stories. We get into how Seasats recently sailed a Lightfish autonomous boat through the Taiwan Strait and found themselves tracking Chinese Navy warships along the way. Mike breaks down the asymmetry: a $100M+ corvette with 70+ sailors versus a sub-$1M boat operated remotely ...

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40:31

Putting a Pyramid on the Moon and Spreading Life...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/06/17

Ben Haldeman is a space entrepreneur and engineer who founded LifeShip in 2019 — a company building monuments of Earth across space. LifeShip made history by placing the first-ever Pyramid on the Moon, carrying a seed bank, DNA archive, and cultural record for all of humanity. Before that, he was an early engineer at Planet Labs, launching hundreds of spacecrafts. He's on a mission to make humanity a galactic species that spreads life outward while protecting the one planet we call home. Ab...

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26:38

How a Fighter Pilot Is Disrupting Electronic Warfare...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/06/10

Clark "Slider" Haymond is A former F-15E pilot with the U.S. Air Force and currently COO of Disruptive Electronic Warfare Machines (DEWM), taking the industry by storm with the DART system (DEWM's Attritable Radar Target). Slider and Dan cover why the EW training gap is a real problem, the AI wingman question, and whether China is as big of a threat as we think. Check out https://dewm.io/ to learn more. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and i...

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37:09

Comms is the Backbone of National Security: Omar Javaid

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/06/03

Omar Javaid is a veteran tech executive with decades of experience scaling companies across semiconductors, software, AI, and communications. Before joining Rampart Communications as CEO in October 2025, he led Spectra7 as CEO and served as President of API Platform at Vonage where he helped drive a $6.2 billion acquisition by Ericsson. He has also held senior roles at Qualcomm, Motorola, Google, and Hewlett-Packard, and has founded two companies of his own. Check out https://rampartcommunica...

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29:07

The Unglamorous Tech Powering the Drone Revolution:...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/05/27

Rob Sladen is Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Zulu Pods, developing advanced fluid delivery systems for aircraft, drones, and high-performance platforms. Check out zulupods.com to learn more. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in ...

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18:20

The Warfighter is the Ultimate Innovator: Adam Fife

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/05/20

Adam Fife is the Founder and CEO of Cencore Group, providing secure edge communications, physical security, and containerized solutions for global operations. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

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26:13

Inside Ukraine's Hidden Drone Factories: Brian Streem

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/05/13

Brian Streem is founder and CEO of Vermeer, a company pioneering vision-based navigation systems for drones and autonomous platforms operating in GPS-denied environments. He transitioned from Hollywood drone cinematography to defense tech, leading Vermeer to secure millions in non-dilutive government contracts and expand operations into active conflict zones like Ukraine. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal...

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19:26

Why 9 Out of 10 Drones in Ukraine Miss Their Targets:...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/05/06

John Dulin is Founder and CEO of Modern Intelligence, empowering defense with responsible A.I. to outsmart, outpace, and overwhelm the enemy. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

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60:26

Tesla Invented the Drone in 1898 and We're Still...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/04/22

George Dougherty is a scientist, business strategist, senior military leader, and author of Beast in the Machine. Dan and George cover: - Why the largest tank battle in history (1943) was spearheaded by robot tanks. - How Ukraine's FPV drones wiped out a British armored brigade in 2 days. - Why Tesla invented the drone in 1898 and we're still copying it. About Drone Wars The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all sh...

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46:26

Frontline Ukrainian Drone Operator Speaks Out and...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/04/15

Illya Sekirin is a Ukrainian Canadian who volunteered to fight for Ukraine in 2022 and was trained as a drone operator. In addition to frontline service, he worked as a translator for the Ukrainian General Staff and became an unofficial advisor to several members of the Stavka [Ukrainian High Command], a body chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky. He advised on multiple operations; on drone strategy and tactics; and authored a paper that informed Zelensky’s decision to create Unmann...

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28:52

Ukraine's Elite Drone Unit Explains 65KM Bombers &...

Drone Wars Podcast ·

2026/04/08

Yurii “Phoenix” is a Major and the commander of the training group of the legendary UAV unit Lasar’s Group (National Guard of Ukraine). He is one of the key representatives of the unit, responsible for the search, implementation, and combat testing of engineering solutions. Phoenix also regularly takes part in interviews and expert discussions focused on the development of defense technologies in Ukraine. Phoenix describes being part of a specialized unit that built bomber drones from ...

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101 results

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