Claim OwnershipThe Drone Ultimatum
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© Allen Control Systems (ACS)
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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 and President of Allen Control Systems.
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Weston Moyer and Jonathan Rue of MVP Ventures join The Drone Ultimatum to discuss defense tech investing, AI, robotics, aerospace, manufacturing, and what it takes for startups to scale in national security.00:00:00 — Intro00:02:13 — Anthropic and Pentagon AI concerns00:07:16 — Saronic and defense manufacturing scale00:08:46 — Guam and Pacific logistics00:12:25 — Shahed drones and counter-UAS economics00:14:04 — How defense sales actually work00:29:38 — Anduril, Lattice, and defense software00:31:10 — Rebuilding American manufacturing00:33:12 — Freeform and advanced manufacturing00:41:28 — Why overcapitalized startups fail00:43:43 — Ukraine lessons and preparing for China00:52:09 — AI warfare and Taiwan scenarios00:53:19 — Wartime industrial mobilization00:54:21 — Apple, China, and manufacturing risk01:04:33 — SpaceX and industrial scaleThey break down why capital can be a weapon in defense tech, how startups should think about government sales, why congressional and departmental strategy both matter, and what separates serious defense companies from companies chasing momentum.The conversation also covers Saronic, Skyways, Valinor, Anduril, Freeform, Cambium, SpaceX, China, Taiwan, industrial mobilization, and the future of American manufacturing.This is a wide-ranging discussion on venture capital, defense production, government go-to-market, and the companies trying to rebuild the industrial base.Follow Weston (X)MVP VenturesFollow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Nick LaRovere is the co-founder and CEO of Pryzm, a startup building an AI-powered operating system for defense business development and procurement.00:00 - Intro01:19 - AI coding, “vibe coding,” and hiring engineers04:27 - What Pryzm does and the future of defense procurement10:35 - AI, CRMs, and the changing defense sales process18:00 - Raising from Andreessen Horowitz and building Pryzm24:36 - Scaling manufacturing in defense tech27:12 - “Every company becomes a defense company”32:28 - Startup culture, engineers, and product building35:01 - “Startups are war”40:13 - Palantir culture, Alex Karp, and defense tech talent48:11 - How defense procurement is changing59:49 - Anthropic, AI companies, and defense partnerships01:02:18 - Closing thoughtsIn this episode, Nick and Steve talk about why selling into government is still so relationship-driven, how defense companies can use better data to find the right opportunities, and why the traditional CRM stack falls short for companies selling to the Department of Defense.They also get into AI-assisted coding, the challenge of evaluating engineers in the age of “vibe coding,” how startups should think about product management, and why defense tech may still be underinvested despite all the recent hype.The conversation covers Pryzm’s work with both defense companies and government customers, the future of acquisition reform, and how the changing battlefield is forcing the procurement system to move faster.Follow Nick (LinkedIn)Pryzm (Website)Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
David Michelson, former Army Ranger, DIU autonomy leader, and current Drones Thesis Leader at Re:Build Manufacturing, discusses what’s actually working and not working in drones and autonomy today.Learn more about our sponsor, Cushman and Wakefield.This conversation covers:Why autonomy is a spectrum, not a switchLessons from Ukraine that the U.S. may be misreadingThe reality of drone operations vs. “swarm” hypeManufacturing constraints and scaling challengesWhy design for manufacturability matters earlyThe role of competition in defense acquisitionWhat it takes to actually field systems at scaleFollow David (LinkedIn)Re:Build Manufacturing (Website)Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Cheap drones are reshaping warfare in real time.In this episode, Soren Monroe-Anderson, co-founder and CEO of Neros Technologies, breaks down what it actually takes to build low-cost, scalable FPV drone systems for modern combat. Learn more about our sponsor, Cushman and Wakefield.From Ukraine battlefield lessons to manufacturing tens of thousands of drones per month, this is a ground-level view of how drone warfare is evolving.We get into production scale, electronic warfare, autonomy, and why most people misunderstand how drones are actually used in real-world operations.Follow Soren (Twitter/X)Neros Technologies (Website)Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Nathan Mintz, founder and CEO of CX2 and former founding CEO of Epirus, joins the show to break down how electronic warfare is reshaping modern drone defense.Nathan Mintz (LinkedIn)CX2 WebsiteWe cover the origin of Epirus, the moment the drone threat became impossible to ignore, and how soft kill systems fit into a layered approach to counter-UAS. Nathan also explains what it actually looks like to build a defense company today, from working inside legacy primes to launching and scaling startups in a system that rewards access, alignment, and execution.This episode is a practical look at electronic warfare, soft kill vs kinetic solutions, and how companies like CX2 are thinking about the future of drone defense. • Electronic warfare and soft kill systems • The rise of the drone threat • Epirus origin story and lessons learned • From legacy primes to startups • Building CX2 and modern defense companies • Counter-UAS strategy and layered defenseFollow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Kurt Freshley, Chief Growth Officer of Valinor Enterprises, joins the show to break down the company's strategy and portfolio companies while sharing what it actually takes to scale in defense and advanced manufacturing. Kurt Freshley on LinkedInValinor (LinkedIn)Valinor (Twitter/X)From navigating procurement and aligning with real customer demand to building sustainable growth inside a complex ecosystem, this conversation gets into the operational reality behind the headlines.We discuss how defense companies think about growth differently, where most startups get it wrong, and what separates companies that win programs from those that stall out. Kurt also shares perspective on aligning incentives across government, primes, and startups, and what it takes to build something that actually gets fielded.Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Jamie Goettler (CRO, BTX Precision) breaks down what’s actually happening inside U.S. advanced manufacturing right now.Demand across defense, aerospace, semiconductors, and medical devices is surging at the same time, but the real story is on the supply side. Can U.S. manufacturing actually scale to meet it?We cover reshoring, tariffs, precision manufacturing constraints, and what it takes to rebuild the industrial base.Topics include:Why demand is rising across multiple industries at onceThe real bottlenecks in U.S. manufacturing capacityWhat reshoring looks like in practiceThe role tariffs play in accelerating domestic productionWhy precision manufacturing is uniquely difficult to scaleQuestions answered in this episode:Why is U.S. manufacturing demand increasing?Can the U.S. reshore production at scale?What are the biggest constraints in advanced manufacturing?LINKSFollow Jamie on LinkedInBTX Precision WebsiteFull episode transcriptFollow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Rick Harlow, founder of NovaSpark Energy, joins the show to break down how his company turns water into hydrogen for military drones, backup power, and off-grid energy systems.The conversation covers defense use cases, disaster response, critical infrastructure, data center demand, and why on-site hydrogen production could eliminate major supply chain bottlenecks. Rick also shares his path from telecom and early IoT into startups, defense, and energy entrepreneurship. This is a practical discussion about resilience, logistics, and where hydrogen may actually make sense in the real world.Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifyNewsletterApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Patrick Blumenthal (Investor at Anomaly Fund) returns to break down how venture capital actually works in defense, what makes founders worth backing, and how geopolitical realities shape investment decisions.Subscribe to our newsletter: https://thedroneultimatum.substack.com/Follow Pat on X: https://x.com/PatrickJBlumThe conversation spans Iran, great power competition, and the second-order effects of U.S. strategy on global markets and startups. Patrick also shares how he evaluates companies, why certain founders consistently outperform, and where defense tech is still misunderstood by investors.Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Jocelyn Kinsey, Partner at DFJ Growth, joins us for a deep dive into defense tech investing, startup strategy, and the realities of building in the national security ecosystem.Subscribe to our newsletter: https://thedroneultimatum.substack.com/Jocelyn Kinsey on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-kinsey/DFJ Growth Website:https://dfjgrowth.com/DFJ Growth has been investing in deep tech for decades, including early bets on SpaceX. In this conversation, Jocelyn explains how the firm approaches growth-stage investing—and why defense is fundamentally different from traditional venture categories.We cover: Why defense is a hit-driven industry, not SaaSThe surge of capital into defense and whether it’s a bubbleLessons from SpaceX and Palantir on working with governmentHow modern drone warfare is reshaping defense prioritiesThe need for layered counter-drone systemsWhy detection remains one of the hardest problemsWhat investors look for in defense founders and teamsThe importance of marketing, lobbying, and go-to-marketIf you’re building or investing in defense tech, this episode is a clear look at how the game actually works.Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Sign up for our newsletterJim's book, With My ShieldFormer U.S. Army Ranger James Lechner joins the podcast to discuss modern warfare, drone combat, and the lessons the West should be learning from Ukraine.Lechner shares experiences from Mogadishu to advising Ukrainian units near the front lines, explaining how urban combat works in practice and why counter-drone systems are becoming essential on the modern battlefield. The conversation explores drone swarms, fiber-optic drones, AI targeting, and the limits of airpower in modern conflicts.We also discuss NATO, the future of warfare in the Pacific, and what Western militaries must learn from Ukraine’s battlefield innovations.Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Sign up for our newsletter Isaiah Taylor, founder and CEO of Valar Atomics, joins the show to discuss why energy is becoming a national security issue. Valar is building small modular nuclear reactors designed to deliver scalable, grid-independent power for industrial infrastructure, military installations, and emerging technologies like AI.In this episode, Isaiah explains why energy production is falling behind advances in AI, robotics, and manufacturing and why that gap matters for both economic competitiveness and defense readiness. He also breaks down Valar's approach to radically simplifying reactor design so they can be manufactured and deployed at scale.We discuss the global nuclear race with China, how modular reactors could power military bases and industrial capacity, and why the real opportunity isn’t selling reactors, it’s producing abundant electricity.Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Sign up for our newsletterClayton Swope, Deputy Director of the Aerospace Security Project and Senior Fellow in the Defense and Security Department, joins us to break down the real state of U.S. space and missile defense. We dig into how the Pentagon is thinking about space resilience, missile warning, and emerging threats from China and Russia. Clayton explains where policy, budget, and strategy are aligned and where gaps still exist.We also get into the industrial base behind space systems, acquisition friction, and what “resilience” actually means in practice. If you work in defense, space, or national security policy, this conversation connects the dots between strategy and execution.LINKSFollow Clayton on LinkedInWould Airstrikes Against Iran Work? (article by Clayton Swope)The Pentagon Should be a Better Customer (article by Clayton Swope)Follow the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Today we’re joined by Charles Acknin and Isaac Roberts from Skyways, the Austin-based aerospace company building long-range autonomous cargo aircraft for real logistics missions. We dig into why Skyways went defense-first, how they turned early Marine Corps interest into a long-running Navy contract pipeline, and what it takes to fly autonomous VTOL cargo off ships in rough conditions. The conversation gets tactical on the tradeoffs of VTOL and hybrid propulsion, plus what “scale” actually means when you’re building a 1,000+ mile range platform. We also zoom out into startup execution versus fundraising, the realities of selling into DoD, and how automation is reshaping internal ops across defense tech.LINKSSkywaysFollow Charles on LinkedInFollow Isaac on LinkedInFollow the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Chandler Luzsicza, Founder and CEO of Galadyne, joins us to break down why he’s betting on liquid propulsion to reinvent long-range missile production. A former SpaceX engineer who started working on liquid rockets as a teenager, Chandler is now building containerized, scalable missile platforms designed to bypass the bottlenecks of traditional solid rocket motors.We get into supply chain fragility, why ammonium perchlorate is a strategic constraint, and how commercial space engineering culture can modernize missile development. Chandler also explains Galadyne’s 1,000km-class strike platform, recruiting tactics to pull “new space” talent into defense, and why production at scale — tens of thousands per year — is the real deterrent.It’s a candid conversation about propulsion, venture backing from Andreessen Horowitz, and the ethics of building weapons in a world where “peace through strength” is more than a slogan.Links to the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Heather Armentrout, President and General Manager of Kongsberg US, joins the show for a candid look at how a European defense leader is scaling real production inside the United States. We cover NASAMS, CROWS, and how lessons from Ukraine are shaping air defense, counter-UAS, and “affordable mass.” Heather breaks down what it actually takes to deliver programs of record: supply chain, manufacturability, and why production is the hard part. We also talk about Kongsberg’s US expansion, new facilities, and how partners think about China, export controls, and re-industrializing the arsenal of democracy. Practical, inside-baseball, and heavy on execution.Links to the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
The war in Ukraine, defense tech, procurement, and private capital are colliding in real time, and most people in the West are missing what matters. Mentions:Disinformation by Ion Mihai Pacepa (Wikipedia)Match in a Haystack (Film Trailer)Porcelain War (Prime Video)Winter on Fire (Netflix) Links to the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control SystemsFollow Perry BoyleFollow Denys GurakMITS Capital WebsiteIn this episode, we sit down with Perry Boyle and Denys Gurak, founding partners of MITS Capital, one of the most active Western capital allocators into Ukraine’s defense and dual-use ecosystem. We break down the on-the-ground state of the war, how Ukrainian buying works across decentralized units, and why cost and scale now decide outcomes. Then we get specific on what tech is actually useful, where NATO approaches break down, and what a “war economy” looks like when innovation has real urgency. We close on the geopolitics: why China’s role is central, why energy infrastructure matters, and what this conflict signals for the future of security in Europe.
Austin Gray, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Water Autonomy, returns to the show to break down what it actually takes to build large unmanned ships that can operate for months without touch maintenance. We get into why Navy shipbuilding cycles keep drifting into multi-year design spirals, and how unmanned platforms change the math on payload, endurance, and scale. Austin walks through the USV market landscape, including the split between “real ships” vs smaller craft, and why peace-time TAM and price-times-quantity matters for defense startups. We also cover the Navy’s acquisition reorg and what it means for autonomy buyers on the inside. The conversation closes on carrier strike group integration, loyal wingman concepts for destroyers, and why missile capacity and sustainment are the real constraints.Austin Gray on XBlue Water Autonomy Links to the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Olaf Hichwa joins the podcast to break down the reality of modern drone warfare, FPVs, and why small drones now drive the majority of battlefield casualties.Drawing on direct exposure to Ukraine and deep experience building real systems, Olaf explains why drone-on-drone combat, cost-imposing weapons, and industrial-scale manufacturing matter more than hype around autonomy or directed energy.Olaf is the co-founder and CTO of Neros Technologies.Olaf on XNeros Technologies WebsiteWe discuss why China’s component ecosystem still outpaces the West, how U.S. drone dominance efforts are evolving, and what actually works in contested EW environments.The conversation also digs into ITAR, exportability, component-level industrial base gaps, and why deterrence depends on building weapons that actually function at scale.This is a grounded, unfiltered look at where drone warfare is headed and what the defense tech ecosystem keeps getting wrong.Links to the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10), former Army Special Forces officer and defense manufacturer, joins the show to talk about why he ran for office after the fall of Afghanistan and what that moment signaled to adversaries. We dig into the economics of modern conflict, why the West keeps ending up upside down on cost, and how cheap mass systems are changing the battlefield. Rep. Harrigan explains “Skyfoundry,” a new approach aimed at building US drone production capacity without betting everything on uncertain future appropriations. We also break down how authorization, appropriations, and reconciliation actually work, and what the $2.5B small UAS injection could mean for industry.Links to the show:YouTubeSpotifySubstackApple PodcastsInstagramX (Twitter)LinkedInFollow Steve:LinkedInX (Twitter)Allen Control Systems
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