Arsenal of Democracy – Details, episodes & analysis

Matthew Kroenig and Dan Negrea, authors of We Win, They Lose: Republican Foreign Policy and the New Cold War, do not wonder whether a new cold war against the Chinese Communist Party is afoot. Instead, they join the show to explain that when it arrives, America will need a fusion of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump foreign policies to ensure complete and total victory. Whether it’s kinetic military capabilities, diplomatic willpower, or economic maneuvering, defeating China will require a whole-of-country approach.

Co-founder and CEO of Roadrunner Venture Studios, Adam Hammer, joins host Marshall Kosloff to explain what "deep tech" is, why the Arsenal of Democracy is often fought and won by people in white lab coats, and how the spoils of defense innovation are shared commercially.

America's critical infrastructure has been vulnerable, and subsequently under attack by peer-adversaries like China, for decades. That reality hinders the strength of our defense industrial base and ultimately our ability to deter conflict. Nadia Schadlow joins the show to investigate whether the long-standing problems are structural or not, and offers four key recommendations for policymakers and leaders to right the industrial ship going forward. 

Read Nadia's piece from Breaking Defense.

We're already seeing the application of artificial intelligence in our daily lives. Our phones are powered by it, our social media experience, and our daily transportation. So how will AI impact the Department of Defense? Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of Govini, and Dr. Jeb Nadaner, SVP of Goverment Affairs at Govini, joined host Marshall Kosloff to demonstrate how AI can and will transform national security by bringing efficiency to industrial base in arenas like acquisitions and supply chains. 

War is rapidly changing. Countries like China are already moving force structure and planning towards a new type of conflict, all while the U.S. overspends and delays production of systems like aircraft carriers that could soon fall into the category of "a weapon that you can't afford to lose." The Sagamore Institute's Dr. Jerry Hendrix joins the show to explain how the U.S. and it's industrial base can change course to prepare for future conflicts before a dangerous "comeuppance" shocks us into action.

War today is being fought drastically different than it was even 20 years ago. While manpower still matters, future conflicts will call for warfare centered around technological advances, with AI as the lynchpin. Armada CEO Dan Wright joins the show this week to discuss how AI will enhance both military and civilian industries with advancements like edge computing.

Shield AI Co-founder and President, Brandon Tseng, joins the show to explain why the current state of America's industrial base needs to be seen as a national security emergency. Tseng argues we lack government finances and mobilization capabilities to bring mass defense systems online if needed, but thankfully we don't lack is the technology, of which his company Shield AI as a perfect example.  

Read Tseng's article in the First Breakfast Newsletter: https://www.firstbreakfast.com/p/the-imperative-of-emergency

Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of Hudson's Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, joins the show to explain why an emphasis on software-centric innovation is needed to keep America's defense tech at the cutting edge in an era of great power competition. He illustrates how Ukraine is an example of resourceful software-centric warfare, and why the United States urgently needs to resolve its development issues now to stop China from invading Taiwan.

What if Xi Jinping owned a controlling stake in CNN? Or the New York Times? This week's guest Geoffrey Cain argues that TikTok's dominance over the flow of information and news to America's population should be seen as a direct threat to our digital sovereignty and digital infrastructure, all on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. Cain and host Marshall Kosloff discuss what can be done about this and why Section 230 is the wrong frame for this debate. 

Neil Keegan, co-managing partner and CEO of Marlinspike, a DC-based venture capital firm, joins Marshall Kosloff to give a glimpse into the private sector side of defense innovation and marketplace challenges. Keegan explains how companies like Space X are creating a new blueprint for private-public partnerships on defense innovation that are cost-effective and impactful. Such efforts can ultimately lead to a safer America.