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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
Neros Technologies
Ukraine Conflict
Aerospace
Drone Swarms
Spacex

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes90Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Artwork for The Drone Ultimatum

Latest Episodes

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 on ... more

YouTube

Brett Velicovich is the founder of Powerus and a former intelligence professional who spent years supporting special operations and drone missions before working alongside frontline units in Ukraine.

Brett on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/b... more

YouTube

Yadin Soffer, co-founder and CEO of Traysar Industries, joins Steve to discuss why the future of warfare may be shifting beneath the surface.

Yadin on X: x.com/yadinsoffer

Yadin on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/yadinsoffer/

Traysar... more

YouTube

Defense venture capital has entered a new era.

In this episode, Steve Simoni speaks with Vardan Gattani, Partner at 645 Ventures, about why investors are increasingly focused on national security, how defense startups are evaluated, and what founder... more

YouTube

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

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
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
John Parkes
Founder and CEO of Parry Labs
Parry Labs
Episode: The Future of Defense Integration, Open Systems, and Edge Computing | John Parkes & Amber Walker, Parry Labs
Zane Mountcastle
Co-founder and CEO of Picogrid
Picogrid
Episode: Picogrid and the Defense Integration Problem | Zane Mountcastle
Ben Cipperley
Chief Strategy Officer at Havoc AI
Havoc AI
Episode: How Drones and Autonomous Boats Are Reshaping Maritime Warfare | Ben Cipperley, HavocAI

Host

Steve Simoni
Host of The Drone Ultimatum

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 66 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 States4 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 Statesa year 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
#246
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#51
Austria/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
Picogrid and the Defense Integration Problem | Zane Mountcastle
Q: For the audience, tell us what Picogrid is.
Picogrid is building the foundational hardware and software infrastructure to fuse sensors, drones, cameras, robotics, and weapons systems into a scalable, connected network so data can be shared and decisions can be coordinated across multi-domain theaters.
Defense Investing in the Age of AI, China, and Industrial Competition | Weston Moyer & Jonathan Rue
Q: What stage do you typically invest in Skyways and similar ventures?
We tend to invest early, with Skyways at the seed stage, preferring pragmatic founders who can execute and scale quickly.
Defense Investing in the Age of AI, China, and Industrial Competition | Weston Moyer & Jonathan Rue
Q: How do you source deals for defense tech investments?
We take a data-driven approach and built our own sourcing software, Jarvis, which has been instrumental in finding about 80% of our portfolio companies.

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
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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. Drone Wars Podcast
2. Irregular Warfare Podcast
3. War on the Rocks
4. Modern War Institute
5. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

How many episodes of The Drone Ultimatum are there?

The Drone Ultimatum launched 2 years ago and published 90 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. Stephen Ziegenfuss
2. Yadin Soffer
3. Vardan Gattani
4. Dennis DeMeyere
5. Jason Zins
6. Amber Walker
7. John Parkes
8. Zane Mountcastle

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