Defense One Radio

The former Army Ranger explores how AI might reshape drone warfare, America's tech race with China, Russia's war in Ukraine, and much more. Guest: Paul Scharre , executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security and author of several books, including " Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence ," and " Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War ."

The Virginia Republican discusses the Pentagon's acquisition reforms, the defense secretary's legislative-affairs bottleneck, and his priorities for the upcoming spending bills. Guest: Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, in conversation with Defense One Executive Editor Bradley Peniston.

A veteran of the National Security Council shares what the movie got right and wrong on U.S. missile defense and nuclear command and control. Guest: Jon Wolfsthal , Director of Global Risk at the Federation of American Scientists.

Patrick Tucker explains what he learned during a recent trip to Eastern Europe.

A celebrated historian shares years of research into the quiet and not-so-quiet struggles of millions of American veterans returning home from World War II. Guest: David Nasaw , historian, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and author of " The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After World War II ."

The EU's ambassador to the U.S. underscores the importance of the bloc's $910 billion defense plans known as Readiness 2030. Guest: European Union Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupšienė .

Our editors explore the vibe, the headlines, the aircraft, the drones, and the other news coming out of the Air Force Association's big annual conference at National Harbor, Maryland. Guests: Tom Novelly, Defense One senior reporter covering air and space warfare; And Lauren C. Williams, Defense One senior editor.

A researcher unpacks recent adaptations in drone technology after more than three years of Russia's ongoing Ukraine invasion. Guests: Sam Bendett , advisor in Russia Studies at the Virginia-based research organization CNA; And Patrick Tucker, Defense One science and technology editor.

A Munich-based developer with a new air-to-air counter-drone system shares insights into Europe's growing defense industry and recent lessons from Russia's Ukraine invasion. Guest: Jan-Hendrik Boelens, co-founder and CEO of Alpine Eagle .

A researcher uses his work with U.S. special operations forces to explain a new neuroscientific approach to intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense. Guest: Angus Fletcher , Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University's Project Narrative. His latest book is called, " Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know ," from Penguin Random House.

Guest: Patrick Tucker, Defense One science and technology editor. Read Tucker's recent reporting on the topic below: Related reading: " New Golden Dome details emerge from industry day ," Tucker reported on August 14; " Pete Hegseth Doesn't Want to Talk About Golden Dome ," former Naval War College professor Tom Nichols wrote for The Atlantic on August 8; " Lockheed Martin aims to test a missile-killing satellite by 2028 ," also via Tucker, reporting August 5; " Effects of Lower Launch Costs on Previous Estimates for Space-Based, Boost-Phase Missile Defense ," May 5, via the Congressional Budget Office with an estimated total price tag for Golden Dome somewhere between $831 billion to $542 billion; See also, " Trump wants a Golden Dome over America. Here's what it would take ," via NPR's Geoff Brumfiel, reporting April 22. Watch the futuristic, satirical news clips from 1987's "Robocop," via YouTube, here . And you can find a trailer for the 1985 film, "Real Genius," also via YouTube, here .

Guest: Journalist and writer Kevin Maurer , whose work focuses on U.S. special operations forces around the world. Read Maurer's report for Rolling Stone , " Here's What Trump's Mexico Invasion Plan Could Look Like ."

Panelists: Susanne Hake, General Manager of U.S. Government Business for Maxar Intelligence; Greg Little, Senior Counselor at Palantir Technologies; Sarah Pearson, Director of Commercial Engagement at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU); David Rothzeid, Principal Investor at Shield Capital; And moderator Lauren Williams, Senior Editor at Defense One . View more of this year's Tech Summit discussions on YouTube here .

Panelists: Derek M. Tournear, Ph.D., Director, Space Development Agency; Bill Vass, CTO, Booz Allen; And Frank Konkel, Editor-in-Chief, Government Executive . View more of this year's Tech Summit discussions on YouTube here .

Speakers: Christian Brose, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Anduril Industries; And Patrick Tucker, Defense One 's science and technology editor. View more of this year's Tech Summit discussions (registration required) here .

Panelists: Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Piper, Deputy Director of Operations at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD); Masao Dahlgren, fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project; Doug Loverro, president of Loverro Consulting; And Patrick Tucker, Defense One 's science and technology editor. View any of this year's Tech Summit discussions (registration required) here .

Guests: Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov in conversation with Defense One 's Patrick Tucker on the sidelines of the GLOBSEC 2025 conference in Prague. Defense One is media partner for this year's 20th edition of the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague.

Guests: Philippe Lavigne, a retired French general, was Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force from 2018 to 2021, then NATO's transformation chief for three years. As media partner for this year's 20th edition of the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague, Defense One is sharing a series of special pre-conference interviews exploring the future of defense, technological innovation, the changing battlefield and geopolitical upheaval.

Guests: Brandon Tseng , co-founder and president of Shield AI, in conversation with Defense One 's Patrick Tucker. As media partner for this year's 20th edition of the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague, Defense One is sharing a series of special pre-conference interviews exploring the future of defense, technological innovation, the changing battlefield and geopolitical upheaval.

Guests: Col. Joshua Gaspard, commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy. Learn more about exercises Swift Response and African Lion 2025 here and here , respectively.

Guests: Marine Lt. Gen. Roger B. Turner of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and the 3D Marine Division's Maj. Gen. Christian F. Wortman, in conversation with Defense One 's Jennifer Hlad . You can view our other 2025 State of Defense interviews here .

Guests: Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Nauman , Command Senior Enlisted Leader of Army Special Operations Command, in conversation with Defense One 's Meghann Myers and Ben Watson. Related reading: " Army establishes new fitness test of record to strengthen readiness and lethality ," published April 21, 2025; " Setting Higher Close Combat Standards for the Army Combat Fitness Test ," via RAND researchers, published Dec 20, 2024; And " Independent Review of the Army Combat Fitness Test ," also via RAND, published Mar 23, 2022.

Guests: Defense One 's Meghann Myers and Lauren C. Williams .

Guest: U.S. Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George, interviewed by Defense One 's Patrick Tucker. Catch our full State of Defense agenda and future events, here .

Guest: U.S. Space Force commander Gen. Chance Saltzman, interviewed by Defense One 's Audrey Decker. Catch our full State of Defense agenda and future events, running through the end of March, here .