defense
#107 Robert Rose, Reliable Robotics: Congressional testimony and conveyor belts in the sky
In this episode we reconnect with Robert Rose, CEO of Reliable Robotics, fresh off his testimony before Congress on the state of advanced air mobility. Robert shares what most people misunderstand about FAA certification...
#101 Ryan Gury, PDW: Drones, Innovation, and Lady Gaga
Welcome to episode 101 of The Vertical Space. In this conversation, we sit down with Ryan Gury, Co-founder and CEO of Performance Drone Works (PDW). Ryan argues that “commercial is eating aerospace,” and shows why the ce...
#100 Chris Hewlett, Project ULTRA: Why DoD will lead UAS integration
In this 100th episode, we sit down with Chris Hewlett, former Navy Commander and Director of Project Ultra, for a candid conversation about the realities of UAS integration. Chris challenges the industry’s rush toward co...
#98 Ryan Graves, ASA: UAPs as a wake-up call for airspace safety and innovation
Ryan Graves is a former U.S. Navy F/A-18F pilot and the first active-duty pilot to publicly report regular UAP sightings. In this episode, we explore what these encounters reveal about gaps in our airspace sensing and sa...
#96 Chad Sweet, ModalAI: Small, smarter, safer UAS - made in USA
In this episode, Chad Sweet, co-founder and CEO of ModalAI, joins us to explore the evolving drone landscape and what’s driving the next wave of innovation. Chad shares his perspective on the rising importance of FPV (fi...
#95 Serhii Kupriienko, Swarmer: Building swarms in Ukraine’s drone war
Drone swarms are no longer science fiction - they're becoming one of the most disruptive technologies on the modern battlefield. In this episode, we speak with Serhii Kupriienko, founder and CEO of Swarmer, a Ukrainian s...
#92 Richard Aboulafia: Supply chain bottlenecks and the New Aerospace Order
Welcome back to The Vertical Space for our second conversation with Richard Aboulafia, an insightful voice on all things aerospace and defense. This episode dives deeper than ever into the aerospace and defense supply ch...
#90 Chris Gentile, Merlin: Inside the race for trusted tactical autonomy
In this episode we sit down with Chris Gentile, General Manager for Tactical Autonomy at Merlin, for an in-depth look at the evolving role of autonomy in defense. Chris outlines the value proposition of autonomy as a too...
#87 Arnaud Thiercelin, Orqa: Cutting through the gimmicks and winning the drone marathon
In this episode, we sit down with Arnaud Thiercelin, Chief Product Officer at Orqa, for a bold and eye-opening conversation about the present and future of drones and mobile robotics. Arnaud challenges the status quo, ur...
#82 Bobby Sakaki, UAS Nexus: Drone industrial base, NDAA, Blue UAS
In this episode, we sit down with Bobby Sakaki, an expert in small UAS technology and CEO of UAS Nexus. Bobby shares his insights on the critical role drones play in defense, particularly in light of their impact in Ukra...