The Drone Ultimatum
The preeminent podcast for all things drones, defense tech, defense policy, and modern warfare. Featured guests include industry leaders, policy experts, military warfighters, business titans, and many more. Hosted by Steve Simoni, Co-founder & President of Allen Control Systems
Recent Episodes
July 25, 2025
Reinventing Radar: Building the Future of ISR from Space | Andrew Peterson
Andrew Peterson is the co-founder and CEO of Array Labs, a startup building 3D imaging radar satellites to compete with billion-dollar airborne ISR platforms at a fraction of the cost. In this episode, Andrew breaks down why ...
July 18, 2025
Fundraising, Focus, and Failure: Hard Truths About Defense Startups | Kirsten Bartok Touw
Kirsten Bartok Touw is the co-founder and Managing Partner of New Vista Capital, a venture firm focused exclusively on aerospace, space, and defense. In this episode, Kirsten joins to talk about investing in dual-use tech, st...
July 11, 2025
Building Unmanned Warships for the Navy | Austin Gray, Blue Water Autonomy
Austin Gray, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Blue Water Autonomy, joins the podcast to break down the future of autonomous naval warfare. From unmanned ships that carry large payloads to the technical and political c...
July 7, 2025
Autonomous Boats and the Future of Naval Warfare | Paul Lwin, HavocAI
Paul Lwin is the co-founder and CEO of HavocAI, a defense startup building collaborative autonomous surface vessels. In this episode, Paul breaks down the company’s tech stack, their strategic approach to naval warfare, and h...
June 27, 2025
The Future of the Army: Autonomy, AI, and Combat Innovation | General James Rainey
General James Rainey leads the U.S. Army’s effort to prepare for the next war. As the Commanding General of Army Futures Command, he’s focused on adapting to a battlefield shaped by drones, autonomy, and AI. In this conversat...
June 20, 2025
Can the U.S. Still Build Things? Fixing the Industrial Base | Miles Arnone (Podcast #34)
Miles Arnone, CEO of Re:Build Manufacturing, joins the podcast to explain why American manufacturing fell behind—and how to bring it back. We dive into defense supply chains, national security vulnerabilities, rare earth magn...
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