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.
--------
10:17
Founding the Fight: Startups and the Future of Defense - Nathan Mintz | Part II
Part II: Autonomy, Spectrum Warfare, and the Next Generation of DefenseIn 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. This 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 highlights El Segundo’s transformation into a thriving hub for national security innovation, alongside a broader cultural shift that is drawing a new generation of technologists into the defense space.Timestamps:00:00 – The cost mismatch of modern missiles vs. drones01:50 – Human factors and operator cognitive load in drone warfare04:15 – Terrain-following autonomy and SLAM technology07:08 – Autonomous agents and decision-making at the edge09:55 – Spectrum as a 3D battlespace and tactical awareness12:15 – El Segundo as a defense innovation hub15:30 – Hackathons, young talent, and defense industry appeal18:20 – Reflections on startup culture and national defense missions#DroneWars #NathanMintz #DefenseTech #FirestormDrones #ElectronicWarfare #StartupToScale #DeepTech #UnmannedSystems #ModernWarfare #ElSegundo #militaryinnovationAbout 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.
--------
22:57
Founding the Fight: Startups and the Future of Defense - Nathan Mintz | Part I
Part I: From Defense Primes to Deep Tech StartupsIn 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 weaponry—and Spartan, which delivered defense-grade radar into the commercial market. The discussion explores how lean, capital-efficient startups are stretching the boundaries of modern military technology and redefining how innovation moves from concept to deployment.Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome and Nathan Mintz's early background02:18 – Working on radar systems at Boeing and Raytheon05:30 – Epirus: Founding, fundraising, and microwave breakthroughs10:04 – Building Spartan: Startups in automotive radar and defense13:56 – CX2 and rethinking spectrum operations17:20 – Why defense innovation needs capital efficiency21:10 – What Ukraine taught us about spectrum warfare#DroneWars #NathanMintz #DefenseTech #FirestormDrones #ElectronicWarfare #StartupToScale #DeepTech #UnmannedSystems #ModernWarfare #ElSegundo #MilitaryInnovationAbout 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.
--------
24:21
Drone Dominance: Inside Ukraine and Russia’s Tech Arms Race - Sam Bendett | Part II
Part II: Attritable Warfare, UGVs, and the Future of CombatIn 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 highlights the strategic shift toward unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), the use of drones in combined-arms operations, and the challenges Western defense tech faces in high-EW environments.This episode paints a vivid picture of the next phase in warfare—where adaptability and scale matter more than sophistication.Timestamps:0:00 – Why Ukraine’s drone acquisition cycle is so fast1:42 – Russia’s ad hoc production networks3:34 – Russian adaptability and the “frozen middle”5:53 – Ukraine’s Brave One platform and digital coordination8:04 – Parallels with WWII and lessons in attrition11:45 – EW and GPS spoofing: the invisible battle15:13 – Balancing cost vs effectiveness in drone design17:32 – Rise of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs)20:07 – Ukraine’s fully unmanned assault tests21:13 – Where to follow Sam Bendett#DroneWarsPodcast #SamBendett #DroneWarfare #UkraineWar #RussianMilitary #OpenSourceIntel #UnmannedSystems #FiberOpticDrones #ElectronicWarfare #UGVs #DroneTechnology #MilitaryInnovation #ISR #AttritableDronesAbout 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.
--------
21:34
Drone Dominance: Inside Ukraine and Russia’s Tech Arms Race - Sam Bendett | Part I
Part I: OSINT, Telegram Warfare & Tactical InnovationIn 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 systems.We explore how the fusion of commercial drone tech and DIY ingenuity is rapidly evolving combat strategy, and how China has become the silent enabler of both sides’ drone fleets.If you want to understand the open-source dynamics behind the world’s most tech-driven war, this episode is your entry point.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro & Who is Sam Bendett?2:15 – Sam’s background in Russian military tech and open-source intelligence5:13 – The role of Telegram in modern warfare7:37 – How quickly the battlefield evolves10:20 – China's silent role in drone supply chains13:38 – Integration of commercial tech into military strategy17:49 – The legacy of quadcopters in artillery19:09 – Long-term outlook: Is this the new norm?#DroneWarsPodcast #SamBendett #DroneWarfare #UkraineWar #RussianMilitary #OpenSourceIntel #UnmannedSystems #FiberOpticDrones #ElectronicWarfare #UGVs #DroneTechnology #MilitaryInnovation #ISR #AttritableDrones #WarfareInnovationAbout 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.
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.
New Zealand