Understanding Unmanned Naval Systems

Aaron Stein, President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), talks with James Swartout, VP of Strategy at Ursa Major Technologies, about his career in national security and how his company is revolutionizing aerospace and defense. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit behindthefront.substack.com

We have spent a lot of time talking about Combat Collaborative Aircraft, or CCA. On this episode, Aaron sat down with Billy Byrne, the Director of Strategy for Defense at Saildrone. The two talked about the future of unmanned naval systems, the lessons learned from Ukraine’s operations in the Black Sea, the challenges of operating in the Indo-Pacific, and the need to have both endurance and to “pack a punch” in naval combat. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit behindthefront.substack.com

Aaron sat down with Scott “FUG” Gilloon, who currently serves as the Sector Vice President of Air Force Strategic Development and Capability Assessments at GA-ASI. The two talked about General Atomics’ CCA, its origin story, how these aircraft may be used in combat, and what the future of air combat may entail. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit behindthefront.substack.com

Are drones the future of war? What lessons can be learned from Ukraine for the Taiwan contingency? To discuss these topics and more, FPRI President Aaron Stein sat down with Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion, to discuss drones and the future of war. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit behindthefront.substack.com

How might combat collaborative aircraft be used to fight a war in Europe? Or the Indo-Pacific? To discuss these questions, and the latest from the YFQ-44A, President Aaron Stein sat down with Andrew Van Timmeren, the director of air dominance systems at Anduril Industries, about what he and the company are working on. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit behindthefront.substack.com