Drone Wars

In this episode of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy sits down with Brett Kanda, Director of DFR Sales at Flock Safety. Brett pulls back the curtain on the revolutionary "Drone as a First Responder" (DFR) program, explaining how automated drones are transforming law enforcement and public safety.Brett shares his unique journey from being one of the original pioneers in the drone industry back in 2012 to leading the charge in deploying DFR systems across the country. He reveals critical lessons learned from the early days of strapping GoPros to Phantom drones, working with the FAA, and scaling drone operations for public safety.Join us as we explore the massive technological shifts that are enabling police departments to respond to emergencies in under 90 seconds, clear a significant percentage of calls without dispatching an officer, and enhance transparency with their communities. Brett explains how this technology is no longer a futuristic fantasy but a practical solution being implemented today.LinkedIn: ( www.linkedin.com/in/brett-kanda-78168583/ )Flock Safety Website: www.flocksafety.comwww.launchfirestorm.com/Timestamps:00:00 - The Future of Law Enforcement01:10 - Introducing Brett Kanda, Head of Aviation at Flock Safety01:43 - A Friendship Forged in Diapers02:40 - The "Wild West" of the Early Drone Industry03:30 - From Golf Courses to Crime Fighting: The Evolution of a Drone Business04:15 - Learning the Ropes: From Film School to FAA Test Sites06:30 - Inside Look at a Global Drone Industry Leader08:00 - The Tragic Inspiration Behind a Public Safety Drone Company11:26 - What is "Drone as a First Responder" (DFR)?12:27 - Why Every Police Chief Wants DFR13:13 - The Surprising Stat: Clearing 25% of Calls with Drones18:01 - Gaining Community Trust for Police Drones19:15 - Is DFR Working? The 86-Second Response Time21:00 - DFR 1.0 vs 2.0: Removing the Human from the Rooftop22:48 - The Future is Now: What DFR 3.0 Looks Like24:00 - How Drones Are Ending High-Speed Chases26:22 - My Prediction for the Drone Industry in the Next Decade26:55 - Outro#DroneWars #PublicSafety #DFR #FlockSafety #BrettKanda #PoliceDrone #LawEnforcement #Robotics #AutonomousSystems #UAS #Drones #FirstResponders #Podcast #AI #FutureOfPolicingAbout 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.

In this episode of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy sits down with Aaron Jacobson, Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and the lead investor in Firestorm's Series A. Aaron pulls back the curtain on what top-tier venture capitalists look for when investing in the future of robotics, autonomy, and defense technology.Aaron shares his unique journey from a young gamer obsessed with StarCraft and EverQuest to a leading investor shaping the future of deep tech. He reveals the critical lessons he learned from working on a DARPA-funded robotics project and why he believes the most effective solutions are often the simplest.Join us as we explore the massive geopolitical and technological shifts that are forcing the U.S. and its allies to rethink military strategy, and why Aaron believes the "Zergling rush" — overwhelming an adversary with mass-produced, low-cost, attritable systems — is no longer a video game fantasy, but a strategic imperative.Twitter: @aaronejLinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronejacobson/)NEA Website: www.nea.comwww.launchfirestorm.com/Timestamps:00:00 - The Biggest Mistake in Robotics00:26 - Introducing Aaron Jacobson, Lead Investor from NEA01:05 - From Gamer to Tech Geek to Venture Capitalist02:07 - The DARPA Robot That Changed Everything02:51 - Why I Joined NEA: The Dream Job for a Tech Futurist04:06 - What is NEA? A Venture Firm Built for Generational Companies05:39 - The Most Important Question: What Were Your Favorite Video Games?06:18 - How StarCraft Explains the Future of Warfare07:29 - The "Zergling Rush" Strategy for Modern Defense08:17 - Where Do Autonomous Systems Fit in Today's World?09:55 - How Robots Will Reshape Global Industries10:07 - My Controversial Take: Humanoid Robots Are a Mistake11:38 - How a VC Picks a Winner in a 10-Year Arms Race14:34 - The Investment Thesis for Defense-First Technology15:23 - Why Now? The Geopolitical Shift Forcing Innovation19:10 - The #1 Thing I Wish I Knew When I Started in Venture Capital20:40 - My Prediction for Autonomous Systems in the Next Decade23:20 - Why We Chose to Invest in Firestorm25:48 - Where to Find and Follow Aaron Jacobson26:11 - Outro#DroneWars #DefenseTech #VentureCapital #NEA #AaronJacobson #Firestorm #MilitaryTechnology #Robotics #AutonomousSystems #UAS #Drones #Investing #Podcast #StarCraft #AI #FutureOfWarfareAbout 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.

In Part II of our interview with Sam Bendett, Dan Magy continues the deep dive into how unmanned systems are transforming modern warfare—this time, focusing on the maritime domain. Sam explores how commercial tech is enabling smaller nations to rival traditional naval powers, why large legacy systems like aircraft carriers may soon be vulnerable, and how even civilian cargo ships could be weaponized through modular drone-launch systems. They also discuss the implications of proxy conflict, containerized drones, and how global shipping may be the next front in the drone war era.Timestamps:01:04 – Maritime drones go global: Taiwan, Turkey, Saronic03:00 – Aircraft carriers vs. $200K boats: The power shift05:30 – Ghost fleets: Modular, hidden, and fast08:00 – When navies finally adapt: The “incident” theory10:15 – Iran & China’s DIY drone carriers13:30 – Civilian ships as drone platforms: The ethical gray zone16:00 – Global shipping under threat: Red Sea to piracy-proof tankers19:00 – Defense primes for commercial fleets?20:30 – Proxy war, satellite intel, and global coordinationTwitter/X: @SamBendettLinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-bendett-06996018/)#DroneWarfare #UkraineWar #RussiaMilitary #FPVdrones #UnmannedSystems #SamBendett #Firestorm #DronePodcast #ElectronicWarfare #MilitaryTech #DefenseTech #UGV #USV #NATO #DroneTactics #DroneSwarmAbout 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.

Today, Dan Magy welcomes back Sam Bendett, open-source intelligence expert and senior fellow at CNA, for a hard-hitting breakdown of how drone warfare is evolving at breakneck speed. Sam explains how Ukrainian innovation and Russian industrial adaptation are reshaping military doctrine, what happens when thousands of drones are unleashed in a single night, and how the rise of unmanned systems is exposing weaknesses in NATO’s readiness. From North Korean pilots learning drone tactics to France's nuclear umbrella, no geopolitical thread is left untouched.Timestamps:01:30 – Russian assault tactics using forward-launched FPV drones04:20 – Drone knowledge proliferation and global risk (cartels, terrorists)06:00 – Ukraine’s evolving defenses and Russia’s drone manufacturing scale07:40 – 500-drone salvos: Russia’s strategic plan to overwhelm defenses09:00 – NATO’s vulnerability and unpreparedness for high-scale drone warfare10:40 – Ukraine’s air defense strategy and Russia’s increasing volume12:10 – Poland’s high-tech border wall and broader European response13:15 – France offers nuclear umbrella amid U.S. NATO uncertainty14:45 – Why unmanned systems can’t fully replace manned operationsAbout 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.

In this engaging discussion, guests Brett Harrison and Shaun Moore, co-founders with extensive backgrounds in defense and autonomy, unpack the challenges of GPS reliance. They highlight the power of real-world experience combined with elite engineering to foster faster, practical solutions. Brett shares insights on company culture that promotes quick decision-making, while Shaun emphasizes customer education through tech demonstrations. They also delve into the implications of GPS vulnerabilities on logistics and safety, illustrating the urgent need for innovative alternatives.

Brett Harrison, co-founder of Tern AI and former U.S. special operations member, joins Shaun Moore, a technical co-founder with a background in facial recognition, to tackle the critical vulnerability of GPS dependency. They share their journeys from military and tech to founding Tern AI and stress the urgent need for signal-independent navigation solutions. The duo discusses the real-world implications of GPS failures, military risks, and innovative approaches using AI and vehicle sensors that can operate without GPS, paving the way for the future of autonomy.

In Part II of this candid Drone Wars conversation, Dan Magy is joined once again by James Cross and Chris Donaghey to dig into one of the most pressing problems in modern warfare: how to scale effective defense technologies fast enough to matter.From next-gen laser systems to why small companies rarely survive the primes, this episode explores the gritty realities behind mission kills, demo culture, and why venture-backed defense tech often loses despite superior capabilities. The discussion also unpacks the economics of defense investing, the limitations of VC, and how to build a layered counter-drone strategy that works.A must-listen for anyone at the intersection of autonomy, emerging tech, and national security.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro Recap: Cockroaches, Lasers, and Global Threats1:22 – There’s No Silver Bullet2:30 – Mission Kill vs. System Kill4:05 – From Garage Opener to Battlefield Laser6:15 – Are Our Adversaries Building This Too?7:45 – Scaling Up: From Demos to Deployment9:00 – Why the Primes Wait to Buy10:30 – Defense Tech’s Generational Divide12:19 – The Most Exclusive Club on Wall Street15:35 – The Primes’ VC Playbook19:20 – Why Strategic Capital Matters23:46 – What’s Next? Robots, Autonomy, and Moore’s Law on the Battlefield25:06 – Lessons from the MRAP Era#DroneWars #DefenseTech #MilitaryInnovation #UnmannedSystems #EmergingTech #Firestorm #Autonomy #CounterDrone #LaserWeapons #SiliconValleyDefenseAbout 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.

In this episode of Drone Wars, Dan Magy is joined by defense investors and Silicon Valley Defense Group founders James Cross and Chris Donaghey for a high-octane discussion on the present and future of military innovation. From production bottlenecks to geopolitical realignments, the trio explores what it will take to actually deliver at scale—and at speed.They talk about why hardware is hard, the myth of acquisition reform, and how Europe and Asia are carving out their own defense ecosystems. They also break down the real reasons VCs suddenly care about defense tech, and why manufacturing—not code—might be the ultimate moat.Whether you're a founder, policymaker, or defense insider, this one is full of brutal truths and sharp insights.Timestamps:0:00 – Kicking Off with Cockroaches in D.C.1:15 – Being Early in Defense Entrepreneurship2:40 – Can the DoD Pick Winners?4:30 – MRAPs, Bureaucracy, and Budget Cuts6:20 – The ‘Cockroach’ Class and the Illusion of Reform8:00 – Defense VCs: From SaaS to Strategic Capital10:15 – Europe Builds for Europe13:20 – Asia’s Next Move15:40 – Fiction as Strategy: The Rise of 'White Sun War'17:15 – Who Runs Out of Robots First?19:10 – Cost-Plus Contracts and the Scaling Trap21:00 – Final Thoughts: No Silver Bullet for Small Drones#DroneWars #DefenseTech #MilitaryInnovation #UnmannedSystems #EmergingTech #Firestorm #Autonomy #CounterDrone #LaserWeapons #SiliconValleyDefenseAbout 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.

In this episode of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy sits down with a leading voice in the defense innovation space to unpack the future of military manufacturing. From flying CH-53 helicopters in the Marine Corps to pioneering advanced industrial capabilities at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), our guest shares a compelling journey through aerospace, entrepreneurship, and public service.Together, they explore the intersection of autonomy and manufacturing, the fragility of U.S. supply chains, and how we can build a surge-ready domestic ecosystem that rivals our global adversaries. From vertical integration to modularity and infrastructure strategy, this conversation highlights what it will take for the United States to not only compete—but lead—in the next era of unmanned systems.Travis on Linkedin: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdemeester/)Timestamps:0:00 – A career in defense: aviation, entrepreneurship, and DIU5:20 – Advanced manufacturing and autonomy: the emerging overlap10:00 – Policy, risk, and the missing middle in defense innovation15:00 – Challenges in U.S. supply chains and scaling production21:40 – Vertical integration, modularity, and surge readiness25:00 – Lessons from software and the future of infrastructure#DroneWars #DIU #DefenseTech #AdvancedManufacturing #AutonomousDrones #USvsChina #SupplyChain #ModularManufacturing #FirestormDrones #MilitaryInnovation #RobotsBuildingRobots #DefensePodcastAbout 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.

 In Part II of our interview with Jake Windle, we zoom out from battlefield innovation and into the bigger picture: how the defense ecosystem is evolving, and why venture capital is now a critical tool for national security.Host Dan Magy and Jake explore what defines "Defense Tech 2.0," how bureaucratic gridlock stalls promising solutions, and why the military must rethink how it evaluates risk. Jake also shares advice for founders looking to work with the DoD and explains how Harpoon Ventures helps bridge the gap between operators and technologists.This episode offers an honest look at what it takes to build and scale technologies that actually make it to the warfighter—from testing fields to acquisition halls.Useful Links:Jake Windle on LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-windle-2196b3109/)Harpoon Ventures: https://harpoon.vcBlueHalo: https://www.bluehalo.comBook: MRAPs: Protecting Soldiers with Technology and Innovation – https://www.amazon.com/MRAPs-Protecting-Soldiers-Technology-Innovation/dp/016094388300:00 – Recap of Part I and introduction to Defense Tech 2.002:00 – What most defense startups get wrong05:00 – Why good ideas die in acquisition: incentives, speed, and risk aversion08:30 – The investor’s role in shaping battlefield innovation12:00 – Aligning commercial tech with warfighter needs15:30 – Breaking through DoD layers and making tech deployable18:00 – Building trust between operators and founders20:30 – Final thoughts on what’s next for defense innovation 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.