Former Australian diplomat John Fowler joins Mike Benitez to unpack international relations. What is it? Why does it matter? Why is China being so ambitious? What are they doing in South America? How’s a Taiwan invasion looking? All that and more! For those who like #military #technology #strategy #diplomacy   ---- Links • Sign up for the Merge’s ⁠amazing newsletter⁠! • Support us on ⁠Patreon⁠! • ⁠Mike Benitez LinkedIn • International Intrigue newsletter • @intintrigue X • Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 ---- Follow us on... • ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠Facebook⁠ • ⁠X⁠ • ⁠LinkedIn⁠ • ⁠Website⁠ ---- Show Notes (01:28) intro (04:35) what is diplomacy? (09:31) military connection (13:27) Monroe Doctrine (21:19) Changing view on China (22:52) Belt & Road Initiative (26:54) BRI in Latin America (30:34) Davidson Window (33:52) Ukraine’s impact on China (43:18) Impact of decoupling chip industry (46:26) US policy on Taiwan (52:00) outro

Mike and Jake host Varda Delian Asparouhov, Founders Fund partner and co-founder of Varda Space Industries, to talk about venture capital investing, Varda’s efforts to make drugs in space, and why the Air Force is interested in using their orbiting pharmaceutical lab to help test hypersonic weapons. For those who like #military #technology #airforce #aviation #aerospace #space ---- Links • Sign up for our ⁠amazing newsletter⁠! • Support us on ⁠Patreon⁠ • ⁠Mike Benitez LinkedIn⁠ • Jake Chapman X (Twitter) • Delian Asparouhov X (Twitter) ---- Follow us on... • ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠Facebook⁠ • ⁠X (Twitter)⁠ • ⁠LinkedIn⁠ • ⁠Website⁠ ---- Show Notes (00:47) intro (05:00) Varda’s connection to Palantir and Anduril  (06:22) Varda’s origin story (08:58) how to find a co-founder (11:42) why drugs (13:23) naming the company (15:39) the space capsule (17:08) Falcon 9 launched into space (19:00) why Ritonavir (22:19) patent a space drug? (26:47) stuck in orbit? (28:27) how it comes back to Earth (30:20) how the Air Force became a customer (33:40) China’s hypersonic news (34:23) Varda’s Air Force STRATFI contract (37:14) Varda’s mission (39:17) Silicon Valley and Congress (42:48) Defense tech investing (47:31) lightning round (56:00) outro

Mike brings Matt back on the show to help unpack the raging debate about which engine should power the F-35 fighter jet into the future. This episode covers all the details about the technology at the center of the debate, as well as the politics, history, and strategy in play. Fence in for some education and entertainment! For those who like #military #technology #airforce #aviation #aerospace ---- Links • Sign up for our ⁠amazing newsletter⁠! • Support us on ⁠Patreon⁠ • ⁠Mike Benitez LinkedIn⁠ • ⁠Matt MacGregor LinkedIn⁠ • Pete & Matt’s ⁠Defense Acquisition Substack⁠ ---- Follow us on... • ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠Facebook⁠ • ⁠Twitter⁠ • ⁠LinkedIn⁠ • ⁠Website⁠ ---- Show Notes (00:44) intro (02:15) the F-35 engine problem (06:33) power & cooling (08:38) cooling (14:29) the 2 engine choices (14:48) option 1: engine core upgrade (19:32) sharks with lasers (22:38) option 2: new adaptive engine (33:16) adaptive engine history with the F-22 (35:12) 20 years of bad blood (40:47) the feud goes public (47:17) Congress weighs in (49:26) impacts on industry (50:36) 6th gen fighter engine program (53:55) Mike's spicy take (57:42) outro

Mike, Jake, and Tim break down how the US military spends $850+ BILLION PER YEAR. Where does it all go? Who gets what? What are the trends to track? Is it too much money…or not enough? Tune in to find out. We'll make you smart on the defense budget—we guarantee it. ---- Links * SUBSCRIBE to our amazing newsletter * SUPPORT us on Patreon ---- Follow us on... * Instagram * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Website   ---- Show Notes (00:30) intro (02:39) joke time (04:24) Jon Stewart’s interview (05:54) the budget basics (08:19) slices of the pie, by branch (11:49) slices of the pie, by use (12:47) RDT&E slice (17:21) procurement slice (26:37) personnel slice (36:00) O&M slice (37:10) Why O&M is so high (39:10) innovation in production (43:51) how much is enough? Toplines (46:37) GDP (51:25) NATO GDP (54:16) balancing the budget (56:32) defense vs. non-defense (59:48) sequestration lessons not learned ( 1:02:17) outro

Mike hosts Air Force Colonel Don “Stryker” Haley to talk about how the US military predicts the future. Learn about how future concepts are created and war-gamed, and how that determines which technology should be prioritized for development to solve the right problems. ----Links* Sign up for our amazing newsletter https://www.themerge.co * Support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/the_merge * Don “Stryker” Haley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-stryker-haley/----Follow us on...* Instagram https://www.instagram.com/merge_newsletter * Facebook https://www.facebook.com/themergenews * Twitter https://twitter.com/MergeNewsletter * LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/themerge * Website https://www.themerge.co ----Show Notes(00:44) intro(04:32) setting the stage(09:16) 2018 NDS(12:06) JWC 1.0(16:10) what wargames are for (19:20) JWC 2.0 and Integrated Deterrence(19:40) 4 functional battles – CJADC2 (23:17) JWC 3.0(24:04) the problem with near-term wargaming(26:27) Top Secret(28:13) who looks at the future(31:36) wargaming(32:19) white/blue/red teams(40:59) what operators get wrong(45:10) a blitz may be a mistake(47:30) Globally Integrated Wargames (GIWG)(48:33) lots of secrets(54:01) learning no one’s in charge(57:17) what happens after wargaming(1:00:46) the budgeting realities(1:02:36) Agile Combat Employment (ACE)(1:08:34) cruise missiles from cargo planes(1:15:12) AI-powered drones (CCAs)(1:19:13) outro----#wargame, #wargames #airforcefutures #jointwarfighting #airforce #militaryplanning #militarytechnology #china #CCA #rapiddragon #collaborativecombataircraft #nationalsecurity #drones #cruisemissile #military #usmilitary #pentagon# strategy #technology #mil tech #military tech #airforce #air force #army #navy # marine corps #secrets