The Drone Ultimatum
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 & President of Allen Control Systems
Recent Episodes
Nov. 28, 2025
The Rare Earths Problem: Inside America’s Supply Chain Fight | Drew Horne
Drew Horne, founder and CEO of GreenMet, joins the show to break down the rare earth crisis and what the United States needs to do to remain competitive. He previously led critical minerals policy work inside the White House,...
Nov. 14, 2025
Defense Production, China, and American Power | Morgan Murphy
Morgan Murphy joins the show to talk national security, defense manufacturing, and why he’s running for U.S. Senate in Alabama. Murphy is a 26-year Navy Reserve captain, former Pentagon press secretary, and national security ...
Nov. 8, 2025
Why True Drone Swarms Don't Exist Yet | Emma Bates
Emma Bates, co-founder and CEO of Cachai, joins the show to break down what true drone swarming actually means and why almost no one has achieved it. Drawing from her background in defense modernization and distributed system...
Oct. 31, 2025
How to Redefine Battlefield Logistics with 3D Printing | Dan Magy
Dan Magy, co-founder and CEO of Firestorm, returns to the show for a live episode recorded at Battlefield 2027. Firestorm is building deployable, modular 3D printing systems that can manufacture drones, parts, and tools direc...
Oct. 25, 2025
Jet Engines & Reinventing Oil Systems for Next-Gen Weaponry | Rob Sladen
Rob Sladen is the Chairman and CEO of Zulu Pods, a company pioneering next-generation lubrication and fluid delivery systems for aerospace and defense. Before founding Zulu Pods, Sladen spent 13 years at Pratt & Whitney desig...
Oct. 17, 2025
The GovCon Game: Relationships and Red Tape | John Ferry
John Ferry returns to the show for one of the most blunt conversations yet about the defense startup ecosystem. From the realities of selling to government and surviving the “valley of death” to the cultural dysfunction insid...
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