Defense Podcasts
Defense Podcasts
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EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
In this episode of A Better Peace, host Dr. Tom Spahr interviews Russian intelligence expert Sean Wisweser about his forthcoming book, *Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War*. Wisweser explains how his CIA career, extensive Russian language skills, and collaborations with academic mentors shaped the book’s blend of heavy citation and personal anecdotes from interactions with the SVR, GRU, and FSB. He debunks popular myths that portray Russian spies as uniformly elite, highlighting endemic corruption and operational failures that hampered Russia’s campaign in Ukraine. Finally, Wisweser describes how state‑controlled media and historical narratives about World War II are used to sustain domestic support for Putin’s invasion.
In this episode, Bill Kristol talks with counterterrorism expert Tom Joscelyn about how President Trump is reshaping U.S. national security institutions to serve his agenda. They examine Trump's incendiary Truth Social post threatening war, the politicization of the Department of...
The episode dives into space cybersecurity, featuring Brandon Bailey of the Aerospace Corporation and Cass (Kaz) Vogel, Blue Origin’s Director of Cybersecurity Governance, Risk, and Compliance. They discuss the evolving threat landscape as humanity expands beyond Earth, emphasizing the need...
In this episode, host and guests discuss the growing progressive push to end U.S. military aid to Israel, focusing on the Iron Dome missile‑defense system. Representative Ro Khanna explains that while he once supported Iron Dome funding, the Gaza war and...
In this episode the host tackles three criticisms leveled at Anthropic for refusing the Pentagon’s demand to drop AI usage restrictions: hypocrisy for demanding government oversight while opposing a specific contract, naivety for challenging a powerful state, and undemocratic overreach...
In this episode, host Jack talks with University of Chicago Law School professor Kurt Bradley about whether a U.S. president can unilaterally withdraw the United States from NATO. They examine the constitutional silence on treaty termination, the historical practice of...
In this episode, former Navy pilot Ken Harbaugh breaks down the escalating conflict with Iran, challenging President Trump's claim that the war is ending and highlighting the lack of a clear U.S. strategy. Harbaugh explains the strategic importance of the...
In this episode, host Ken Miller talks with Dana Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, about the pervasive reliance on GPS and other GNSS for everything from military targeting to financial transactions and everyday timing. Goward explains...
The episode examines the shift toward "military Keynesianism," where governments increasingly use defense spending to stimulate economic growth as traditional civilian investment loses its effectiveness. The host contrasts mainstream economic theory, which assumes equilibrium and smooth cycles, with the reality...
The Wall Street Journal’s What’s News covers the United Arab Emirates’ shift toward becoming a combatant in the Iran‑U.S. conflict, as it prepares to help force‑open the Strait of Hormuz by clearing mines and supporting a U.N. resolution authorizing military action. Middle‑East...
In this episode of Pod Save the World, hosts Ilona Minkowski and Ben Rhodes discuss the escalating crisis in Iran, highlighting mixed messages from the U.S. administration, a growing military buildup, and the alarming targeting of civilian infrastructure. They also...
In this extensive interview, former CIA Black Ops operative Chip Tatum recounts his recruitment, special‑forces training, and covert missions during the Vietnam War, most notably Operation Red Rock—a clandestine raid that involved U.S. forces disguising themselves as North Vietnamese sappers...
In this episode Tom Reid of Argus discusses the escalating Hormuz crisis with Dubai‑based colleagues Nada Itayim and Bashar al‑Halabi. They examine the U.S. deployment of the USS Tripoli, the strategic importance of Iran’s Kharg Island as a major oil export...
The episode explains that Kharg Island is Iran’s primary oil export hub, handling over 90% of the country’s crude shipments—about 1.7 million barrels a day, or roughly 1.5% of global supply. Experts Humayun Falak Shahi (Kpler) and Dr. Anahita Motazad‑Rad (LSE)...
In this episode, host Jen Rubin speaks with former U.S. Middle East negotiator Ambassador Dennis Ross about the ongoing conflict with Iran, assessing the military damage inflicted on Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities and the strategic importance of the Strait...
