George Dougherty is a scientist, business strategist, senior military leader, and author of Beast in the Machine.

Dan and George cover:

- Why the largest tank battle in history (1943) was spearheaded by robot tanks.

- How Ukraine's FPV drones wiped out a British armored brigade in 2 days.

- Why Tesla invented the drone in 1898 and we're still copying it.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Illya Sekirin is a Ukrainian Canadian who volunteered to fight for Ukraine in 2022 and was trained as a drone operator. In addition to frontline service, he worked as a translator for the Ukrainian General Staff and became an unofficial advisor to several members of the Stavka [Ukrainian High Command], a body chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He advised on multiple operations; on drone strategy and tactics; and authored a paper that informed Zelensky’s decision to create Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Sekirin is more recently the author of Rise of the Machines: Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Yurii “Phoenix” is a Major and the commander of the training group of the legendary UAV unit Lasar’s Group (National Guard of Ukraine). He is one of the key representatives of the unit, responsible for the search, implementation, and combat testing of engineering solutions. Phoenix also regularly takes part in interviews and expert discussions focused on the development of defense technologies in Ukraine.

Phoenix describes being part of a specialized unit that built bomber drones from scratch starting in May 2022, growing from a small team into a unit that shares its methods with other Ukrainian forces. This is clearly not a standard infantry outfit but a purpose-built drone warfare group.

Yuri states they have a special bomber drone model capable of reaching targets at up to 65 kilometers. This is a concrete, striking number, especially contrasted with the 3km range that was standard when the war began.

Yuri describes a fixed-wing drone (an F-12 plane) that acts as a mothership, flying 60–70km out, detecting targets with a high-resolution gimbal, and then releasing FPV drones to strike with high precision.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Duane Blank is a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he held multiple command roles including Commanding Officer of Company C, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

He previously served as a Marine Officer Instructor of Military Science and Leadership at Pennsylvania State University.

This convo covers:
• His journey from a Iraq machine gunner to developing tactics for the next big fight.
• Why information warfare will decide a conflict with China.
• The leadership style that will make your team do anything for you.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Joe Musselman is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bravo Victor Venture Capital (BVVC), an early-seed and series A venture capital fund.

He also led the firm’s creation and backing of School House, a unique venture capital/ private equity platform that offers experiences dedicated to serving national security founders and broader ecosystems of support.

Joe and Dan discuss America's manufacturing problem, helping people transition from the military to civilians, the future of unmanned warfare, and how he key traits of successful founders and entrepreneurs.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Garrett Smith is the Founder and CEO of Reveal Technology, delivering a suite of AI products that generate critical intelligence, autonomy and decision dominance for tactical military and public safety users.

Garrett and Dan cover Reveal's AI-powered defense products, predictions of a new wave of consolidation in defense tech, and transitioning from the military to founding a startup.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

Troy Smothers is a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry sergeant who had the opportunity to train alongside Ukrainian soldiers and develop a deep appreciation for the people and culture of Ukraine.

Following Russia’s invasion, he traveled to Ukraine to assess the situation and consider how he could best help.

He founded American Made Freedom, a non-profit that assists Ukrainian troops with fiber-optic drones.

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.

This podcast was started to give a voice to small defense companies in an industry dominated by massive primes.

Our platform has now evolved into something more multifaceted.

We’ve expanded our conversations into a space where global geopolitics, culture, entrepreneurship, venture capital, history, military and government all intertwine.

Our mission remains the same: serve the warfighters, the innovators, the builders and the thinkers who are rewriting what’s possible within the defense ecosystem.

We’re asking the hard questions and shedding light on the real state of the industry because we believe our warfighters deserve the best tech on the market.

Join the movement➡️ subscribe now

About Drone Wars

The Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines.

Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.