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Artwork for The Drone Ultimatum

The Drone Ultimatum

Allen Control Systems (ACS)
Drones
Defense Technology
Ukraine
China
Artificial Intelligence
Drone Technology
Navy
Russia
National Security
Logistics
Ukraine-Russia Conflict
War
Drone Warfare
Military Technology
Department Of Defense
U.S. Military
Neros Technologies
Ukraine Conflict
Aerospace
Drone Swarms

The preeminent podcast for all things drones, defense tech, defense policy, and modern warfare. Featured guests include industry leaders, policy experts, military warfighters, business titans, and many more. Hosted by Steve Simoni, co-founder and President of Allen Control Systems.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes93Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Artwork for The Drone Ultimatum

Latest Episodes

Luke Allen is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Allen Control Systems.

Scott Hutchins is the Chief Product Officer at Allen Control Systems.

Allen Control Systems: www.allencontrolsystems.com/

Follow the show!

Steve on X: ht... more

Nic Adams is the Director of Government Relations at Overland AI.

Nic on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nic-adams208/

Overland AI: www.overland.ai/

Steve on X: x.com/StevenSimoni

Steve on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... more

YouTube

Omar Javaid is the CEO of Rampart Communications, a company that provides resilient wireless communications with physical layer encryption, protecting against cyber and EW threats.

Omar on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ojavaid/

Rampart Comm... more

YouTube

Stephen Ziegenfuss is the Co-Founder of Vertical Autonomy, a company building next-generation unmanned systems.

Stephen on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-ziegenfuss-6139546/

Vertical Autonomy: www.verticalautonomy.com/

Steve... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Nic Adams
Director of Government Relations at Overland AI
Overland AI
Episode: Building The Future of Autonomous Ground Warfare | Nic Adams, Overland AI
Omar Javaid
CEO of Rampart Communications
Rampart Communications
Episode: Leaving Big Tech to Build Defense Technology | Omar Javaid
Stephen Ziegenfuss
Co-founder of Vertical Autonomy, designing and building unmanned aircraft systems for defense, public safety, and remote sensing
Vertical Autonomy
Episode: How Vertical Autonomy Is Rethinking Tactical Military Drones | Stephen Ziegenfuss
Brett Velicovich
Co-founder of Powerus, defense tech entrepreneur
Powerus
Episode: The Race to Stop Drones Is Just Beginning | Brett Velicovich, Powerus
Yadin Soffer
Co-founder and CEO of Traysar Industries, defense tech company
Traysar Industries
Episode: Why the Next Battlefield Is Below Ground | Yadin Soffer, Traysar Industries
Vardan Gattani
Investment partner at 645 Ventures
645 Ventures
Episode: Building the Future of Defense: Investing in Founders, Factories, and Autonomy | Vardan Gattani, 645 Ventures
Dennis DeMeyere
Co-founder and CEO, Autonomous Production
Autonomous Production
Episode: Dark Factories, AI Agents, and Mass Production for Defense | Dennis DeMeyere, Autonomous Production
Jason Zins
Founder and Managing Partner, Nomi Capital
Nomi Capital
Episode: How Investors Evaluate Defense Startups | Jason Zins, Nomi Capital
Amber Walker
Chief Growth Officer at Parry Labs
Parry Labs
Episode: The Future of Defense Integration, Open Systems, and Edge Computing | John Parkes & Amber Walker, Parry Labs

Host

Steve Simoni
Host of The Drone Ultimatum

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 67 ratings
  • Host Cant Focus

    The host just randomly jumps from question to question often reverting back to talking about himself . Felt like I was in the basement of two 24-year-old kids who played video games and eat Ramen noodle all day and find inspiration in Beavis and Butthead

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    St. Bozman
    United States5 months ago
  • Steve you need to do a show on the battery and power systems and standardization efforts versus the proliferation of batteries across drone platforms. Please

    Podcast Addict
    5
    nholo
    a year ago
  • Great guests, important topic!

    Extremely interesting discussions about a critical topic. Keep up the stellar work.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    russo japanese
    United States2 years ago
  • Definitely worth a listen!

    Great podcast for anyone interested in defense and especially defense tech.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NicBans
    United States2 years ago
  • Great Guests and Topics!

    A great podcast. Brings a casual “Joe Rogan” feel to what’s usually an overproduced and stiff genre (defense/policy). Highly recommend to anyone interested in defense or tech!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jusherr
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Casual, interview-friendly vibe contrasts with overly polished defense discussions.
Content is accessible and pragmatic, good for listeners evaluating real-world impact.
Guests are consistently strong and relevant to defense tech.
Host cadence can be uneven, with quick topic hops in spots.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#228
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#225
Spain/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Leaving Big Tech to Build Defense Technology | Omar Javaid
Q: What are your fundraising plans and current investors?
They are pursuing a Series B, with about 44 million raised to date, engaging family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and a VC firm, while considering private equity as a potential path later for exits or scale.
Leaving Big Tech to Build Defense Technology | Omar Javaid
Q: How is the team organized and where are you located?
The core engineering team is primarily in Maryland, with leadership and executive functions distributed, including a San Diego background for the host and prior Qualcomm experience; the company operates in Maryland with a broader national and international exposure due to government contracts.
Leaving Big Tech to Build Defense Technology | Omar Javaid
Q: Tell me about Rampart and what you're building.
Rampart focuses on a unique radio system for tactical and drone use that makes drones hard to see and hard to jam. The tech works by blending into background electromagnetic noise, reducing detectability and resilience against jamming, with a long-term roadmap toward chipset miniaturization and a U.S.-based supply chain.
How Drones and Autonomous Boats Are Reshaping Maritime Warfare | Ben Cipperley, HavocAI
Q: So wait, what drew you to join Havoc?
Ben explains that his Navy background and work on navigation plans around robotic and autonomous systems aligned perfectly with Havoc's mission, and the opportunity to pivot traditional fleets toward a scalable, autonomous framework was a strong draw.
Picogrid and the Defense Integration Problem | Zane Mountcastle
Q: What are the core products and how do they work?
The core software product, Legion, solves the data integration problem by normalizing feeds from multiple sources and enabling controlled data and command handoffs between systems, while the hardware integration kits extend this capability into the field, enabling rapid, secure deployments without having to rewrite firmware on every device.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Interests
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Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Drone Ultimatum

What is The Drone Ultimatum about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A tech-forward, defense-focused series that centers on drones, autonomy, and the broader defense tech ecosystem. Conversations span hardware manufacturing, software integration, procurement, and investment, with real-world warfighting insights, geopolitical context, and practical takeaways for startups, primes, and government programs. Noteworthy angles include mass production in the U.S., open systems and edge computing, and the evolving role of government contracting as a growth driver, all blended with candid industry anecdotes and humor that keeps complex topics accessible.

Listeners likely include engineers, operators, and decision-makers in defense tech and aerospace, as well as investors and policymakers tracking how hardware, softw... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Drone Ultimatum?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Drone Ultimatum:

1. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
2. Relentless
3. Drone Wars Podcast
4. Sourcery
5. The a16z Show

How many episodes of The Drone Ultimatum are there?

The Drone Ultimatum launched 2 years ago and published 93 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Drone Ultimatum?

Recent guests on The Drone Ultimatum include:

1. Nic Adams
2. Omar Javaid
3. Stephen Ziegenfuss
4. Brett Velicovich
5. Yadin Soffer
6. Vardan Gattani
7. Dennis DeMeyere
8. Jason Zins

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