Drone Wars Podcast

Firestorm
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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. 

  1. HIs Autonomous USV Ran Into Chinese Warships in the Taiwan Strait: Mike Flanigan

    15 hrs ago

    HIs Autonomous USV Ran Into Chinese Warships in the Taiwan Strait: Mike Flanigan

    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 from San Diego.  We also cover the state of the USV industry, the debate over large vs. small autonomous vessels, operating in the Indo-Pacific, their joint Navy/Marine Corps APFIT contract win, and how Seasats is using AI to cut a six-hour quality check down to 20 minutes. Topics: Why San Diego is becoming the maritime autonomy capital of the U.S.Lightfish, Quickfish, Heavyfish — Seasats' product lineupTaiwan Strait transit & Chinese Navy encounterThe real numbers behind U.S. USV productionLarge unmanned surface vessels: hype or hope?Mines in the Strait of HormuzAPFIT: joint Navy & Marine Corps contract winAI in physical manufacturingAbout 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.

    50 min
  2. Putting a Pyramid on the Moon and Spreading Life Beyond Earth: Ben Haldeman

    17 June

    Putting a Pyramid on the Moon and Spreading Life Beyond Earth: Ben Haldeman

    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. 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.

    41 min
  3. How a Fighter Pilot Is Disrupting Electronic Warfare Training: Clark "Slider" Haymond

    10 June

    How a Fighter Pilot Is Disrupting Electronic Warfare Training: Clark "Slider" Haymond

    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 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.

    27 min
  4. Comms is the Backbone of National Security: Omar Javaid

    3 June

    Comms is the Backbone of National Security: Omar Javaid

    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://rampartcommunications.com/. 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.

    37 min
  5. The Unglamorous Tech Powering the Drone Revolution: Rob Sladen

    27 May

    The Unglamorous Tech Powering the Drone Revolution: Rob Sladen

    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 the industry.

    29 min
  6. The Warfighter is the Ultimate Innovator: Adam Fife

    20 May

    The Warfighter is the Ultimate Innovator: Adam Fife

    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.

    18 min
  7. Inside Ukraine's Hidden Drone Factories: Brian Streem

    13 May

    Inside Ukraine's Hidden Drone Factories: Brian Streem

    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: 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.

    26 min
  8. Why 9 Out of 10 Drones in Ukraine Miss Their Targets: John Dulin

    6 May

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

    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.

    19 min
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About

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. 

Information

  • Creator
    Firestorm
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Drone Wars Podcast
  • Show Website
    Drone Wars Podcast

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