DIB Innovators

EP 59 — Lt. Gen. Nahom (USAF, ret) Commander David Nahom on Why Predictability Matters More Than Money in Military Readiness

In a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, Lt. Gen. Nahom, (USAF, ret), brings invaluable perspective on how Arctic security, budget realities, and emerging technologies are reshaping military strategy. In this episode of DIB Innovators, Lt. Gen. Nahom offers Dave unique insights into why the Arctic has become a critical frontier for national security while climate change creates new opportunities for competition between major powers. 
 
His experience as the Air Force A8 provides a candid look at why the military struggles to rapidly adopt innovative technologies despite having seemingly large budgets and highlights the difficult trade-offs between maintaining aging fleets and investing in modernization. Lt. Gen. Nahom's firsthand account of the Chinese surveillance balloon incident reveals significant domain awareness gaps in detecting unconventional threats, while his strategic advice for small defense companies — partner directly with combatant commands rather than individual services — offers a practical roadmap for navigating the "valley of death" in defense innovation. 
 
Topics discussed:
How climate change is transforming the Arctic into a strategic battleground as retreating sea ice creates new shipping lanes that cut 10-14 days off transit between Asian and European ports, opening economic opportunities that bring competition and potential crisis.
The misconception about military budgets illustrated through the "pass-through" phenomenon, where intelligence agency funding appears in Air Force numbers but isn't actually controlled by the service, leaving single-digit percentage budget flexibility for innovation.
Why maintaining multiple aging aircraft fleets creates unsustainable weapon system sustainment costs, forcing difficult decisions about vertical fleet cuts to enable modernization.
The domain awareness challenges exposed by the Chinese balloon incident, highlighting gaps in detecting and responding to unconventional threats that don't match traditional expectations of attack vectors.
The cost asymmetry problem in modern warfare where adversaries deploy $1,000 drones that require $500,000 missiles to defeat, necessitating more cost-effective counter-UAS solutions.
Why small defense companies struggle to cross the "valley of death" from initial AFWERX/SBIR funding to program of record, requiring partnerships between combatant commands and OSD to secure additional funding pathways.
The critical need for predictability in maintenance and training schedules for aging fleets, which can dramatically improve aircraft availability and readiness virtually overnight when implemented correctly.
How data integration rather than new platforms will transform warfare by 2030, enabling legacy systems like B-52s to work seamlessly with advanced platforms by closing hundreds if not thousands of kill chains inside a vulnerability period.
The strategic imperative of reducing fleet types from seven distinct fighter fleets to four to cut maintenance and logistics costs while enabling faster modernization.
The contrasting lessons from Ukraine and Israel conflicts versus the "ultimate away game" in the South China Sea, where geographic distances create fundamentally different operational challenges that many technological solutions from current conflicts won't address.

EP 58 — Advanced Space’s Bradley Cheetham on Using Orbital Mechanics to Cut Mission Costs

Advanced Space CEO & President Bradley Cheetham's journey from a PhD student at CU Boulder to successfully putting a satellite around the moon demonstrates how small, innovative companies can lead space exploration with minimal capital. In this episode of DIB Innovators, Bradley shares with Dave how his 14-year journey began with a purpose to enable the sustainable exploration, development, and settlement of space. 
 
Rather than building hardware, his team focused on creating technologies, capabilities, software, and mission design solutions that didn't require giant rocket factories or satellite production facilities. This approach led to operating the CAPSTONE mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation experiment): a microwave-sized satellite that's been orbiting the moon for over two years in a novel orbit never used before, pathfinding NASA's Artemis program for under $30 million without outside investment.
 
Topics discussed:
 
The counterintuitive approach of focusing on enabling technologies instead of hardware manufacturing, allowing Advanced Space to grow from 12 to 100 people and reach the moon without venture capital by reinvesting customer revenue into strategic capability development.
How Advanced Space's focus on advanced astrodynamics reduced mission costs by 75%, transforming what would have been a $120M+ traditional mission into a sub-$30M pathfinder by designing transfer orbits that accommodate smaller spacecraft with less fuel.
How the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS) solves the Deep Space Network's bandwidth limitations by establishing satellite-to-satellite communication, successfully demonstrated by linking with the decade-old Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that was never designed for such interaction.
Why this unprecedented orbit solves multiple lunar mission challenges simultaneously, providing constant Earth visibility, minimizing solar eclipses to prevent spacecraft freezing, enabling access to any point on the lunar surface, and facilitating efficient Earth-Moon transfers.
How Advanced Space recovered from two near-mission-ending anomalies by leveraging NASA partnerships and attempting never-before-tried techniques, including successfully freezing and thawing propellant in space when conventional recovery methods failed.
Advanced Space's years-long development of machine learning and neural networks for satellite operations, moving beyond theoretical applications to successfully demonstrating these technologies in lunar orbit two years before the current AI boom.
Why the future of lunar exploration depends less on individual mission capabilities and more on developing autonomous operations, communications networks, and navigation systems that can overcome Earth-based infrastructure limitations as mission frequency increases.

EP 57 — Cyber Resilience at the Crossroads [Webinar]

The security landscape has radically transformed from counter-terrorism to strategic competition with nation states who are actively positioning cyber assets to disable American infrastructure during potential conflicts. In this vital discussion examining National Security Memorandum 22 (NSM-22), Gen. VanHerck, former Commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, shares that 80% of force projection in any global crisis flows from homeland facilities dependent on civilian infrastructure — from local energy grids to transportation networks, creating an unprecedented vulnerability that adversaries are exploiting daily. 
 
Kevin Phillips, Chairman of the Board of ManTech, provides a rare insider perspective on how nation states have spent decades mapping defense industrial base networks, explaining that it's safe to assume that no matter what size you are, you're on somebody's radar and detailing his 10-year journey implementing zero trust architecture to counter these threats. 
 
Mark Montgomery, Sr. Director & Sr. Fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, delivers the most alarming assessment: China's Volt Typhoon campaign has already embedded malware throughout rail, aviation, ports, and power grids as operational preparation of the battlefield. All this and more on this special episode of DIB Innovators! 
 
Topics discussed:
 
The transition from cyber espionage to operational battlefield preparation by nation-state actors targeting the 80% of military deployment capabilities that rely on civilian infrastructure, creating a dual vulnerability where domestic critical systems become frontline targets.
Implementing a decade-long zero trust architecture strategy that systematically eliminates technical debt, narrows network footprints, and implements micro-segmentation before attempting advanced security measures—a methodology proven successful at Mantech.
Why China's Volt Typhoon operation represents a fundamental shift in cyber warfare tactics, embedding dormant capabilities throughout transportation, energy and communications networks as part of a deliberate 25-year strategy following the 1995-96 Taiwan Strait crisis.
The critical flaw in NSM-22's approach to critical infrastructure protection through its failure to establish mandatory prioritization criteria for the approximately 500 most vital national assets, while simultaneously dismantling effective public-private collaboration frameworks.
How living off the land attack techniques have evolved to mimic legitimate network traffic patterns, requiring organizations to make network penetration prohibitively expensive through comprehensive identity management and application control rather than relying on detection.
The operational reality that SMBs face existential threats from cyber incidents with only 4-8 weeks of financial float while remediation typically requires 3-4 weeks, exemplified by the $4 billion emergency Medicare advance during the Change Healthcare attack that still resulted in $1 billion taxpayer losses.
The strategic use of cloud services and infrastructure-as-a-service models to maintain current patching and upgrades when internal operations lack capacity, creating resilience against nation-state threats that specifically target update delays and technical vulnerabilities.
Addressing the asymmetric security gap where government would respond to physical attacks on critical infrastructure but companies are left to defend themselves against sophisticated cyber attacks from the same actors, potentially requiring National Guard cyber response teams instead of relying solely on CISA hurt teams.
Brought to you by RADICL — Cybersecurity-as-a-Service purpose-built for small and mid-sized businesses in the Defense Industrial Base. Starting your CMMC journey? RADICL guides and accelerates your compliance—while reducing ransomware and other cyber risks—with a transparent, turn-key solution.
radicl.com/cmmc_solved

EP 56 — SkyRunner’s Stewart Hamel on How Their Unmanned, Multi-Domain Aircraft Enhances Strategic Capabilities for Special Ops

Stewart Hamel, CEO, took an eccentric side project for his ranch and transformed it into SkyRunner, a revolutionary air utility transport vehicle that's changing the future of defense sector mobility. In this episode of DIB Innovators, Stewart tells Dave how a viral CNN Money video caught military attention, leading to design input from special operations teams that transformed his vehicle into a tactical platform with dual-engine redundancy, field-serviceable components, and the ability to operate even after taking direct fire. 
 
With a deployment speed of seven minutes versus a Blackhawk's 30 minutes and a price point 1% of traditional aerial systems, SkyRunner can run missions like deliver medical supplies faster than helicopters in 10-mile scenarios while providing ground and air domain flexibility that traditional aircraft can't match. Now with 130+ vehicles in production for four countries and growing interest in unmanned capabilities for GPS-denied environments, Stewart shares his insights on navigating defense partnerships and preparing for acquisition in order to be of even greater impact.
 
Topics discussed:
How a recreational flying vehicle project intended for family use evolved into a tactical solution after a CNN interview resulted in calls from SEAL Team 6 looking to solve specific operational mobility challenges.
SkyRunner's space shuttle-inspired redundancy engineering ensures continued operation even after catastrophic damage — including maintaining mobility with a damaged engine block, lost coolant, or compromised axles.
SkyRunner's intuitive control system allows operators to become certified pilots in just two weeks versus 8-9 months for traditional aircraft, reducing the training barrier for tactical aviation.
All critical components use cannon plug connections and interchangeable parts, enabling quick repairs without specialized training and addressing a critical need for forward deployment scenarios.
The dual-engine system enables 70 mph ground speed with wheels and 85+ mph using just the propeller system if ground components are compromised, providing multiple mobility options in contested areas.
SkyRunner's adaptation to autonomous operation specifically designed to function in GPS-denied and jammed environments, addressing vulnerabilities exposed in Ukraine and other contested domains.
How demonstrating at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show rather than traditional defense expos provided market validation and an alternative path to military adoption.
Building relationships with major defense contractors like Collins Aerospace, Raytheon, and AeroVironment to integrate existing military systems rather than competing, creating win-win scenarios.
Brought to you by RADICL — Cybersecurity-as-a-Service purpose-built for small and mid-sized businesses in the Defense Industrial Base. Starting your CMMC journey? RADICL guides and accelerates your compliance—while reducing ransomware and other cyber risks—with a transparent, turn-key solution.
radicl.com/cmmc_solved

EP 55 — Piasecki Aircraft’s John Piasecki on Their Answer to Extended-Range Combat Logistics

Vertical lift aviation is on the cusp of its biggest revolution since the helicopter itself, and John Piasecki, President & CEO of Piasecki Aircraft, is at the forefront with game-changing technologies that could cut operational costs in half while meeting complex military requirements. 
 
In this episode of DIB Innovators John walks Dave through how his family's aerospace legacy is evolving from the iconic tandem rotor helicopter (now the Chinook) to hydrogen-powered compound helicopters and tilt-duct VTOL platforms. 
 
The discussion illuminates the strategic shift from pure R&D to production capability with their acquisition of Sikorsky's Heliplex facility, while exploring how their innovations directly address the challenges of Ukraine's contested airspace and the vast distances of Indo-Pacific operations.
 
Topics discussed:
 
How Ukraine's battlefield realities have driven an "asymptotic" increase in air defense lethality, forcing a shift toward unmanned vertical lift systems for logistics in contested environments.
The strategic advantages of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells that deliver 5x the energy density of batteries and require significantly fewer maintenance-intensive components than turbine engines.
Why hydrogen fuel propulsion could reduce vertical lift operational costs by 50% compared to conventional turbine helicopters while enabling units to generate their own fuel with just water and energy.
How the Ares tilt-duct VTOL platform solves the critical gap between V22 Osprey capabilities (300+ mile range) and conventional helicopter support that can't match this extended operational radius.
The potential for additive manufacturing to transform dynamic component production, reducing 12+ month lead times for critical parts like gearbox castings and cutting development cycles significantly.
How software-enabled "cyber rotorcraft" technology could extract 15-20% more capability from identical hardware by replacing traditional safety margins with real-time adaptive flight control systems.
The challenges of transitioning from SBIR program success to production at scale, prompting Piasecki's acquisition of Sikorsky's Heliplex facility after 60+ years as a pure R&D company.
The shift toward mission-manager operators instead of traditional pilots, potentially solving the commercial and military pilot shortage while broadening access to vertical lift mobility.

EP 54 — Slingshot Aerospace’s Erik Ekwurzel on Low-Cost Optical Alternatives for Space Radar Systems

In Dave’s latest conversation on DIB Innovators, he uncovers how Slingshot Aerospace has become one of the few major entities globally collecting space data at scale, alongside superpowers like the US, China, and Russia. Erik Ekwurzel, CDIO, explains how their patented optical sensor technology, which is deployed across 22 global sites, can detect objects as small as CubeSats while collecting critical photometric data that radar systems can't capture. 
 
As space becomes increasingly contested and congested, and with satellite numbers projected to grow from 12,000 today to potentially 100,000 in less than a decade, Slingshot's mission to deliver "decision-valued data" for safe space operations has become crucial for both government and commercial operators. 
 
Topics discussed:
 
How Slingshot's physics-true AI training environment gives them an edge in space domain awareness, allowing their AI to immediately focus on patterns rather than wasting time learning basic physics principles.
How Slingshot's global network of optical sensors generates over 1 billion space observations every six months (8-10 million daily), making them a major global entity collecting space data at scale.
The competitive advantage of using staring arrays versus traditional cueable sensors, including the ability to monitor large sections of space simultaneously without needing to be repositioned, which allows them to detect both known and previously unidentified objects.
How Slingshot applied AI to develop GPS jamming and spoofing detection capabilities for the US Space Force, identifying ground-based interference with satellite signals.
The significant cost efficiency of Slingshot's optical sensor approach: sub-million dollar deployable systems versus traditional radar installations that require football-field-sized infrastructure and massive power supplies.
The exponential challenges of space traffic management as orbital congestion increases, illustrating why AI-assisted decisions will soon become essential for satellite operators facing ever more risks.
The tension between intellectual property rights and government procurement in the DIB, with agencies often wanting to purchase rather than license proprietary technology, creating sustainability challenges for innovative companies.
The critical need for real-time data processing at scale, with Slingshot working to minimize latency from sensor observations to actionable intelligence while maintaining 99.999% system uptime.

EP 53 — Skydweller Aero’s Robert Miller on Transforming Solar Aircraft into Military-Grade Assets

Imagine aircraft that can stay aloft for weeks, transforming how militaries conduct surveillance across vast distances — that's the game-changing reality Robert Miller, Co-founder & CEO at Skydweller Aero, shares with Dave in this episode of DIB Innovators. 
 
With decades of aerospace experience from Stanford to leading classified projects at Northrop Grumman, Robert walks through how his team is revolutionizing military surveillance by transforming the record-breaking Solar Impulse 2 into an unmanned warfare platform that can fly for weeks without landing. He also cuts through industry hype with battle-tested expertise, emphasizing the critical distinction between flashy demonstrations and real operational capabilities in the defense sector. "There's a lot of noise in the system these days," he explains, detailing how Skydweller has secured airworthiness certifications from European authorities, FAA, and NAVAIR while already flying operational missions for SOUTHCOM. With multiple beyond-line-of-sight data links integrated and working, the platform represents a genuine capability to maintain persistent surveillance far beyond the 1,500 nautical mile limitation of current systems.
 
Topics discussed:
 
The conversion of Solar Impulse 2 from a manned aircraft to a fully autonomous unmanned system with fly-by-wire capabilities and why this represents an operational leap beyond mere technical demonstrations.
How Skydweller's 236-foot wingspan aircraft can maintain continuous flight for weeks at a time, addressing the critical capability gap in persistent ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) beyond 1,500 nautical miles.
The significant cost advantage of Skydweller's platform, with maintenance costs approaching those of small general aviation aircraft rather than traditional military assets.
The strategic implementation of advanced weather prediction technologies and autonomous mission planning to navigate around environmental hazards using mathematics similar to those used for avoiding enemy radar systems.
The platform's potential for electronic warfare applications given its 200+ kilowatt-hour energy storage capacity and the ability to house substantial power apertures.
Why Skydweller's unique design offers survivability advantages over traditional aircraft, including reduced heat signatures and acoustic profiles that make detection more difficult.
The business challenges of securing private investment while navigating the complex Department of Defense acquisition process toward becoming a program of record. 

EP 52 — HTX Labs' Scott Schneider on Meeting Students Where They Are with Multi-Platform VR

In this episode of DIB Innovators, Scott Schneider, CEO & Co-founder of HTX Labs, takes us from his early days working on classified government programs at Texas Instruments to building a revolutionary virtual reality platform transforming military training. Scott highlights how they unexpectedly pivoted from corporate active shooter training to becoming a key partner with the US Air Force, creating immersive "digital classrooms" where aircraft can be made transparent to visualize complex systems in action. 
In his conversation with Dave, Scott doesn't sugarcoat the journey, sharing both exhilarating wins (securing a $90 million IDIQ contract) and sobering challenges of building a defense tech startup without venture capital. His insights into navigating SBIR funding, achieving cybersecurity compliance, and the elusive pursuit of becoming a "program of record" offer a masterclass in achieving meaningful impact within the complex defense procurement landscape.
Topics discussed:
 
The strategic pivot from corporate active shooter training to military aviation training, showcasing how serendipitous relationships with Air Force innovation leaders created unexpected paths to success.
How HTX Labs' platform delivers immersive "digital classrooms" that allow trainees to practice procedures repeatedly before touching real equipment, cutting training time by approximately 50% while maintaining or improving competency.
The importance of building a platform rather than standalone VR experiences, enabling deployment across headsets, tablets, laptops, and mobile devices to reach 100% of potential users.
Navigating the SBIR funding process as a bootstrapped company, leveraging non-dilutive government capital without taking traditional venture funding.
The significant challenge of transitioning from innovation contracts to becoming a Program of Record, requiring simultaneous bottom-up adoption and top-down leadership buy-in.
How generative AI is transforming content creation for VR training, reducing the labor-intensive process of building digital environments.
The integration of badging systems and performance metrics to capitalize on warfighters' natural competitiveness while generating actionable learning analytics.
Strategic approaches to cybersecurity compliance and ATOs, balancing stringent security requirements with the need for rapid innovation. 

EP 51 — Pindel Global Precision’s Bill Berrien on How Military Training Models Can Transform Manufacturing Skills

Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision, has discovered a fascinating parallel: both special operations and advanced manufacturing rely on highly cohesive, highly trained teams enabled by cutting-edge technology to punch above their weight. In this episode of DIB Innovators, he reveals how he's revolutionizing manufacturing by adopting military principles, from creating a model for workforce training called "forward skilling" to implementing special operations team dynamics on the factory floor. 
 
The results speak for themselves, as he tells Dave: employees mastering advanced automation have seen their wages double or triple, while the company has evolved from making ventilator components during COVID to producing sophisticated rocket engine parts. But Bill’s vision extends beyond his company: he's on a mission to transform Wisconsin from #30 to top 10 in defense industrial base contribution by helping manufacturers bridge the gap to defense contracts through innovative training and technology adoption.
 
Topics discussed:
How military NCO development principles can transform manufacturing workforce training, including the creation of "forward skilling" — a shared economy model for upskilling that leverages unused resources across companies to accelerate training capabilities.
The strategic positioning of CNC Swiss technology for complex, high-precision parts at production volumes, enabling the company to serve demanding aerospace clients.
Strategic implementation of CMMC certification through targeted CUI data segregation, full Microsoft GCC High deployment, and CSP partnership for continuous compliance monitoring.
Transforming manufacturing careers through substantial wage increases (2-3x over 10 years) for employees mastering advanced automation, demonstrating the potential for high-skill, high-wage manufacturing jobs.
Building Wisconsin's defense industrial base by increasing the state's contribution from #30 to top 10 through the Wisconsin Defense Industry Council's initiatives to connect manufacturers with defense primes.
Strategy for integrating AI and automation while maintaining workforce growth — focusing on compressing "white space" in manufacturing processes rather than replacing workers.
The parallel between special operations and advanced manufacturing: both rely on highly cohesive, highly trained teams enabled by advanced technology. 

EP 50 — Inneos’ Brian Peters on Building the Nervous System for Autonomous Military Vehicles

In the early 1990s Brian Peters, Founder/CEO of Inneos recalls, "lasers were a solution looking for a problem. Today, Inneos is transforming military platforms by replacing traditional copper wiring with advanced fiber optic solutions, significantly reducing weight and enhancing security across air, land, and sea vehicles. In this compelling episode of DIB Innovators, Brian walks Dave through how this technology is revolutionizing military platforms through dramatic weight reduction and enhanced security. 
 
Inneos, named by combining "innovation" and "Eos," the goddess of dawn, has developed a way to combine multiple signals onto a single fiber using different wavelengths of light, effectively replacing traditional copper wiring in defense systems. The impact is significant: where a 747 contains approximately 700,000 feet of copper wire weighing 15 tons, fiber optic alternatives can reduce this to just one ton while improving performance. This technology is proving crucial for autonomous military vehicles, where weight directly impacts operational range and power consumption. Beyond weight savings, these fiber optic solutions offer enhanced security against electromagnetic interference and physical tampering.
 
Topics discussed:
The critical SWAP-E (size, weight, power, and EMI) advantages of replacing copper wiring with fiber optics in military platforms.
Inneos's innovative approach to combining multiple signals onto a single fiber strand using different wavelengths, enabling up to 16 different channels without interference.
The parallel between autonomous military vehicles and the human nervous system, with fiber optics serving as the "spinal cord" that efficiently transmits sensor data to the vehicle's "brain" (CPU).
The company's strategic decision to maintain in-house manufacturing and acquire their own semiconductor fab facility for laser production, ensuring supply chain control and enabling development of high-temperature capable components.
Specific security advantages of fiber optics over copper in military applications, including immunity to EMI-based surveillance and physical tapping attempts, particularly crucial for command and control centers.
The business strategy of bootstrapping after buying back the company and maintaining profitability through disciplined "spending behind revenues" rather than seeking venture capital.
The emergence of unmanned and autonomous vehicle applications as a major growth area, where fiber optics' weight and power advantages directly translate to extended range and enhanced capabilities.
Defensive business strategy in the defense industry, including building sustainable competitive advantages or "moats" rather than just focusing on product offerings.