Cogs of War

The Quantum Stack and the Countdown to Q-Day

Quantum's hype obscures a reality with real geopolitical stakes: the technology works and is advancing every day. Cameron Chehreh (IonQ), JD Dulny (Booz Allen), and Ben G

Contested Logistics and the "Last Unmanned Mile"

In a Pacific war, the U.S. military cannot assume uncontested access to its depots and supply lines for munitions, spare parts, food, water, and energy. Jonathan is joine

A Conversation with the Pentagon's Chief Buyer, Under Secretary Michael P. Duffey

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey joins Jonathan to discuss the Pentagon's ongoing acquisition transformation. Their conversati

Rebuilding America's Critical Minerals Base

There's a clear consensus that America hollowed out its critical minerals base. How to rebuild it is less settled. Alex Grant of Magrathea Metals and Wes Spurlock of Prin

The Pentagon's Sprint to Get Tech Out of the Lab and to the Warfighter

Joe Jewell left academia and his role directing hypersonic wind tunnels to oversee the Pentagon's science and technology enterprise. He wants more researchers to make the

AI Agents and the Unseen Work of War

Armies run on more than what happens at the front. Behind every operation is a vast amount of coordination, administration, logistics, and judgment. Bill Pessin, senior v

The Lawmakers Fighting to Modernize the Pentagon

Congress rarely moves fast, but Reps. Rob Wittman and Pat Ryan are trying to change that. The two lawmakers founded the bipartisan House Defense Modernization Caucus in 2

Synthetic Biology, Drones, and AI: The Risks of Dual-Use Technologies

Is it too late to stop criminals and American adversaries from exploiting AI to conduct cyberattacks or design novel pathogens? Has regulation kept pace with the threat c

Meet the New Host of Cogs of War

Ryan sits down at the Cogs of War mic for the last time to introduce Jonathan Panter, the new host and executive editor of Cogs of War. Jonathan shares his background, fr

Why Booz Allen is Partnering With One of the World's Most Important VC Firms

What happens when one of the defense industry's leading technology integrators partners with one of Silicon Valley's most influential venture firms? Bryce Pippert of Booz

The Future Soldier Loadout: Smarter Gear or Dead Weight?

The tech soldiers carry will shape their performance in combat, missions, and their safety and health. If you care about any of those things, you will love this episode.

Countering Drones and the Pace of Modern War

This episode is about far more than countering drones. It is about how America prepares for and fights its wars. With three leaders from three companies at the forefront

Agentic AI and the Pentagon's Integration Challenge

Agentic AI is quickly moving from demo to deployment inside the Department of Defense. But what does it actually mean to give AI "agency" — and what does it take to make

SkyFoundry and the Future of American Drone Production at Scale

China and Russia are churning out millions of drones while the United States has little capacity to build them at scale. Rep. Pat Harrigan of North Carolina introduced th

Building an Academic Arsenal

Since World War II, America's universities have been part of the nation's arsenal, forging the ideas, technology, and talent that underpin national defense. That engine o

The Tech and Tradecraft Behind Open Source Intelligence

Open-source intelligence has matured into a complex blend of technology, access, and tradecraft. Ryan is joined by Ryan Curran of ZeroFox, Tucker Moore of Booz Allen Hami

Missiles and the Math of Modern Warfare

When it comes to missiles, America lacks the magazine depth for a long fight, especially against a peer competitor like China. A major part of the problem: Traditional U.

What it Takes for Dual-Use Tech Companies to Truly Succeed

Sherman Williams, the co-founder of AIN Ventures, joins Ryan at the bar to discuss the hard realities of dual-use investing. They dig into inflated valuations, the danger

Rockets, Politics, and Power: A Conversation with Tory Bruno of ULA

Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, joins us to talk about the hard business of getting things into space. He reflects on competition, what it took t

Moving at the Speed of War: A Conversation with Horacio Rozanski of Booz Allen

The future fight won't be won by those with the biggest budgets, most polished strategies, or largest armies. It will be won by those who can translate breakthrough techn