Venue: Tim Talks Politics podcast
Hosts: Tim Milosch
Summary: In this wide ranging discussion, Kerry introduces us to some of the major developments and debates surrounding emerging and disruptive technologies in the national security realm. We discuss the use of drones by non-state actors and the geopolitical implications of that development, Kerry briefs us on quantum computing and its potential impact on intelligence and operational security, and works to separate fact from fiction or reality from hype on a lot of these technologies.
Venue: Irregular Warfare Initiative
URL: https://irregularwarfare.org/podcasts/agile-adaptable-afsoc-building-edge-in-contested-skies/
Hosts: Laura Jones and Henry Lavacude-Cola
Summary: Episode 129 examines how Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is recalibrating for great-power competition while still answering today’s crisis-response and counter-VEO demands. Lieutenant General Michael E. Conley and Dr. Kerry Chávez join the Irregular Warfare Podcast to unpack strategy, technology, and talent development at the sharp edge of irregular warfare. Our guests begin by outlining AFSOC’s new strategic guidance—“Raise Air Commandos, Win Tonight’s Fight, and Sustain Relevance through Adaptation”—and describe how it builds on earlier reforms to balance crisis-response duties with preparation for peer competition. They then explore the “democratized skies” created by low-cost uncrewed aircraft systems, discussing implications for pallet-dropped drone swarms, counter-UAS, and agile acquisition. Finally, the conversation turns to force design and human capital, offering insights on cultivating Air Commandos who can integrate AI-enabled decision aids and out-cycle adversaries inside the OODA loop.
Venue: DW News Desk
URL: https://www.youtube.com/live/iHKIf58eAHw
Hosts: Alex Forrest Whiting and Jared Reed
Summary: Will the 21st century become known as the drone age? Drones have long been used in warfare -- from WWI to the present day. But in recent times, UAVs have become a game-changing technology in several conflict zones. Production and innovation around the world are skyrocketing, as countries and nonstate actors race for any advantage in surveillance and surprise. Anyone with a bit of know-how can turn cheap drones into weapons that evade sophisticated military defense systems. So how big a risk is the drone "one-up-manship" to global stability?
Venue: Irregular Warfare Initiative
Co-panelist: COL (ret) Bill Edwards
Hosts: Laura Jones and Nathan Kaczynski
Summary: The episode explores the use of the full range of UAS technology by both state and nonstate actors. The guests unpack the democratization of air power through the proliferation of small unmanned systems and address the race to find cheaper countermeasures for the technology. Finally, they address the advent of automation and the impact of private sector involvement.
Venue: Social Science of War
URL: https://mwi.westpoint.edu/social-science-of-war-drone-proliferation-to-terrorists-proxies/
Co-panelists: LT GEN (ret) Ken Tovo, Benham Taleblu
Host: Nakissa Jahanbani
Abstract: How is increased nonstate actor access to drones impacting war today? The panel of guests with deep expertise and experience on the subject examine an especially complicated set of challenges surrounding Iranian drone proliferation to proxies—and its implications for current conflicts ranging from the Middle East to Ukraine. The conversation begins with a broad description of how violent nonstate actors adopt weapons technology, with a focus on unmanned aircraft systems. Building on this foundation, our guests discuss state actors’ weapons proliferation to nonstate partners. This includes a detailed look at how Iran sends weapons to proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Listeners will also hear a practitioner’s account of engaging with Iranian-backed actors and weapons systems during real-world operations. The conversation concludes with a discussion of prevention and interdiction of weapons proliferation.
Venue: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Producer: Erik English
Summary: Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was shocking as much for its brutality as its effectiveness. Warfare experts have noted Hamas’s use of commercially available consumer drones as a means to reduce the technological gap that exists vis a vis Israel’s military. Many have noted that Hamas implemented strategies from the ongoing war in Ukraine to make effective use of drone technology, but the situation is more complicated than that. The Bulletin spoke with Kerry Chávez, an expert on modern warfare, to understand how Hamas could use drones to level the playing field against a much stronger adversary. While many of the tactics that Hamas applied have been used in Ukraine’s war with Russia, in Sudan, Myanmar, and beyond, those tactics were initially pioneered by the Islamic State terror group and its highly effective propaganda machine. As drones become cheaper and more popular every day, the threat that this consumer technology can pose is growing. Experts are worried about drones being used not just in war zones, but to attack critical infrastructure and widely attended public events around the world.
Venue: Revolution in Military Affairs
Host: Amos Fox