Steve Blank has Mapped the Pentagon

Silicon Valley Entrepreneur, Author and Stanford Professor Steve Blank has published a phone book of sorts for the Pentagon - at least when it comes to the trickier issue of understanding how the Pentagon buys things – which is a crucial component of future U.S. national security. Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly talks to Blank about his new ‘phone book’ for businesses trying to sell into the DoW.

As tensions rise globally, so does the risk of conflict. Poland’s Prime Minister has recently warned that Poland is closer to war than at any time since WWII.  And while Russia’s war against Ukraine escalates with no clear path to peace in sight, other incidents such cyberattacks and drone incursions across NATO airspace are fueling growing uncertainty among European leaders. At the same time, U.S.–China competition is intensifying across economic, military, and technological fronts with some arguing that the risk of military conflict between Washington and Beijing is rising.  But some experts argue the U.S. is already engaged in a “Gray War” with Beijing - without realizing it. In this episode of The State Secrets Podcast, guest host Brad Christian speaks with former CIA officers Dave Pitts and Chip Usher, authors of a recent Cipher Brief article called China’s Gray War on America. Together, they unpack Beijing’s doctrine of “Unrestricted Warfare,” explore the six strategic fronts of China’s current strategy against the U.S., and assess America’s vulnerabilities and options. From the fight for AI supremacy to the dangers of strategic defeat, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone concerned with the future of U.S. power and security.

Former CIA Director General David Petraeus (Ret.) doesn’t mince words: Russia’s 19-drone incursion into Polish airspace was no accident — it was a deliberate test of NATO’s resolve. Joining The State Secrets Podcast from Kyiv, Ukraine, General Petraeus lays out Ukraine’s   breathtaking innovation in drone warfare, noting that units now fly thousands of missions daily, with entire regiments springing up to meet demand. But the Russians are innovating, too.  So, what does that mean for the future of this war and those to come?

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited a warship off the coast of Puerto Rico this week, telling Marines and sailors that they are on the “front lines” of a critical counter-narcotics mission. Exactly what that mission is – remains murky but the statement itself was a clue to the administration’s intent. The U.S. has been beefing up military assets in the region and last week, a U.S. military attack on a boat in international waters raised concerns that rippled through Venezuela and the U.S. Congress. In this edition of The State Secrets Podcast, The Cipher Brief is talking with Renee Novakoff, former Deputy Director of Intelligence for Sensitive Activities and Special Programs at the Office of the Secretary of Defense about what we know and what we still don’t - about the Pentagon’s mission off the coast of Venezuela

In this wide-ranging conversation, former CIA senior leader Sheetal Patel warns about the vulnerabilities the U.S. faces from evolving drone threats, drawing lessons from Ukraine’s successful deep-strike operations against Russia. She highlights the lack of clear authorities, resources, and interagency coordination for defending against small drone swarms in America. Patel also stresses the crucial role of the private sector in rapidly advancing both drone and counter-drone technologies and underscores the growing counterintelligence risks U.S. companies face from foreign adversaries like China. The discussion extends to U.S.–India relations, where recent tariffs threaten to undermine years of strategic progress against Chinese influence.

Writing a book was something former senior CIA Officer Rob Dannenberg never thought he’d do, but as he started reflecting on the ways he and his former colleagues would celebrate the successful recruitment of a new agent or the end of an operation that he couldn’t talk about, he started thinking about the cocktails he and his colleagues would order to mark the occasion.  Dannenberg recruited former colleague Joseph Mullin, CSW to help him compile not only the best recipes for the cocktails that defined their careers, but also for the stories that make them all the tastier.  

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainians have used every resource available to fight back. From aid packages and weapons systems acquired from western allies to mobilizing every sector of society to bring innovation to the fight, Ukraine has stayed alive largely because of its adaptations of technology and its ingenuity on the battlefield. As part of a special delegation that visited Kyiv last month – led by former CIA Director General David Petraeus, The Cipher Brief met senior Chief Warrant Officer Joey Gagnard, who retired from the U.S. Special Operations Community earlier this year.  As part of that delegation, Gagnard’s unique take on where Ukraine is today when it comes to its use and development of war technologies like unmanned systems – provided some ground truth about where it may be headed.

Beijing has long said that it aims to be the world’s technology leader but the rate at which it is building data centers – and how it’s using them - is raising alarms in national security circles. State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly is talking with SCSP Senior Director of Intelligence Chip Usher, SCSP Director of Intelligence Libby Lange and Principal Intelligence Advisor at Strider Technologies, Chris Gregg about what a major new report tells us about just how quickly and effectively China is using AI and why that should concern you.

CIA veteran Sheetal Patel helped stand up and then lead the spy agency’s Transnational and Technology Mission Center in 2022, at a time when there was no longer any denying that more outreach to the private sector and a better grasp of the technologies that were available had to become more of a focus if the Agency was to maintain its strategic advantage.  Patel retired earlier this year after a 25-year career at the Agency and State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly caught up with her to find out how the Agency’s technology mission has evolved.

Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth sits at the helm of the Intelligence Agency that is helping war fighters and Intelligence analysts better understand the world and what’s beyond it.  The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) works intensely with the private sector to bring the most critical technological advances to the mission – not just here on Earth, but in Space as well.  Join us for this State Secretsconversation with Cipher Brief Honoree VADM Frank Whitworth on why getting the technology right – is so important to the broader national security mission.