Defense One Radio

An Army researcher unpacks new initiatives to expand research into human performance. Guest: Army Heat Center See also Patrick Tucker's related recent reporting on the topic, here.

Guest: Matthew DelmontHalf American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad Until the Last Gun Is Silent: A Story of Patriotism, the Vietnam War, and the Fight to Save America's Soul

Guests: Peter W. SingerWired for WarGhost FleetBurn-InLikeWar: The Weaponization of Social MediaAugust ColeGhost FleetBurn In Both authors have teamed up again for a new monthly series on Defense One called "Fictional Intelligence," which explores the future of technology and warfare through the lens of short speculative fiction. The first story, "Mission ahead, heavens above," was published in February.

A scholar of civil wars warns against repeating the past mistakes from U.S. military interventions abroad. Guest: Monica Duffy Toft, director of the Center for Strategic Studies and a professor of international politics at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; her essay "Can the US 'run' Venezuela? Military force can topple a dictator, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy" was published earlier this month in The Conversation.

CFR's Paul Stares unpacks the latest annual survey of foreign policy experts bracing for what might lie ahead. Guest: Paul Stares Read the 2026 Preventive Priorities Survey results published this week at CFR here.

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 ScharreFour Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial IntelligenceArmy 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 2025 movie got right and wrong when it comes to 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 NasawThe 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: 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: Defense One Defense One

A researcher unpacks recent adaptations in drone technology after more than three years of Russia's ongoing Ukraine invasion. Guests: Sam BendettDefense One

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: Alpine Eagle

Guest: Angus FletcherPrimal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know

Guest: Defense One Read Tucker's recent reporting on the topic below: Related reading: New Golden Dome details emerge from industry dayPete Hegseth Doesn’t Want to Talk About Golden DomeThe AtlanticLockheed Martin aims to test a missile-killing satellite by 2028Effects of Lower Launch Costs on Previous Estimates for Space-Based, Boost-Phase Missile DefenseTrump wants a Golden Dome over America. Here's what it would take 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: Kevin Maurer Read Maurer's report for Rolling Stone, “Here's What Trump's Mexico Invasion Plan Could Look Like.”

Panelists: Defense One View more of this year's Tech Summit discussions on YouTube here.

Panelists: Government Executive View more of this year's Tech Summit discussions on YouTube here.

Speakers: Defense One View more of this year's Tech Summit discussions (registration required) here.