In August of this year, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced the “Replicator Initiative” a new program to field thousands of less costly autonomous weapon systems. Aimed directly at offsetting China’s growing advantages in the Pacific, the ambitious program is set to deliver all within the next 18-24 months. Replicator is part of a growing concern that, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Q. Brown framed the issue while still Chief of the Air Force, the Pentagon must, "Accelerate, change or lose."

But is the defense industry able to deliver on that promise? With new defense programs taking sometimes a decade or more to reach the battlefield, what is needed to transform the way the pentagon develops new technology? Can it keep up with the accelerating pace of change especially drones and AI?

To answer these questions and more, host John Sorensen speaks with:

Mike Brown who served as the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit at the Department of Defense. He also led the DoD-sponsored investment group, National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) to fund dual-use technology companies. Prior to working in government, Brown served as the CEO of Symantec, Quantum, and Chairman of EqualLogic. He is currently a partner at the dual-use venture capital firm, Shield Capital and a visiting scholar at Stanford University.

Retired Rear Admiral Lorin Selby, who until this year was the Navy’s Chief of Naval Research. He has also served as a submarine officer, in acquisitions, as a nuclear engineer, and as Deputy Director in the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs, for the House.

And Steve Blank, adjunct professor at Stanford and a co-founder of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. He is an entrepreneur and founder of multiple startups in Silicon Valley, the author of “The Four Steps to the Epiphany” credited with launching the Lean Startup movement, and most recently, “The Startup Owner’s Manual.”

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On today’s episode we return to an interview with Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the author of “Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War”. Host John Sorensen and RealClearDefense editor David Craig spoke with Schanzer in November of 2021 about an attack from earlier that year when Hamas launched more than four thousand rockets and mortars toward Israel killing 12 and injuring more than 100. Retaliatory Israeli air strikes resulted in the deaths of more than 200, including at least 129 civilians, and nearly 2000 injured, according to the United Nations. Schanzer details how the media covered the 2021 conflict, Iran's critical support for Hamas, and what Hamas’ strategy in Gaza means for the region.

As China’s military capabilities grow, discussions about the US posture in the Pacific often return to the question how large a force does the US need to deter or possibly confront the Chinese Navy? If China were to launch an attack on Taiwan, how do the US and Chinese navies match up?

To find out, “Hot Wash” host John Sorensen speaks with Tom Shugart an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. During his twenty-five years in the US Navy, Shugart served as a submarine warfare officer on both fast attack and ballistic missile submarines, including as commander of the attack submarine USS Olympia from 2013 to 2016. He also served on the Joint Staff as the principal officer responsible for nuclear strike planning, as well as in the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment. 

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Note this episode contains explicit language and discussion of self-harm.

On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash” John Sorensen and RCD contributor John Waters speak with Miles Lagoze, the documentary filmmaker behind “Combat Obscura” a gripping unfiltered look at the war in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 during his time as an eighteen year-old Combat Camera with the 1st Battalion 6th Marines. Most recently he is the author of a new book about his experiences in Afghanistan and returning home. It’s called, “Whistles From the Graveyard: My Time Behind the Camera on War, Rage, and Restless Youth in Afghanistan”

"Whistles From the Graveyard" is available for pre-order.

Look for RCD Contributor John Waters’ new novel “River City One” published this fall.

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Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash"

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On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash,” host John Sorensen speaks with Dr. Peter Feaver, a long-time researcher of civil-military affairs about his new book, a comprehensive study of public attitudes towards the military called, “Thanks for Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military.” He is also a professor of political science and public policy at Duke University, has served twice on the National Security Council staff, and as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserves.

"Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd

Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash"

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John Waters speaks with entrepreneur, Army veteran, and author Mike Erwin about applying lessons from the military to positive leadership off the battlefield. Erwin is a graduate of West Point and served as an Intelligence officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars. After studying positive psychology and leadership at the University of Michigan he founded “Team Red, White, and Blue” a nonprofit connecting veterans through physical and social activity. He is also the author of two books on leadership, “Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leaders Through Solitude” and most recently, “Leadership is a Relationship: How to Put People First in the Digital Age.”

Team Red, White, and Blue

"Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd

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As Republican candidates prepare for the first debate, does the GOP have a China strategy? In a recent piece for the Wall Street Journal, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin)  challenges the candidates and the party to confront what he calls “America’s greatest geopolitical threat.” RealClearDefense contributor John Waters and guest columnist Stephen Young speak with Gallagher about developing a clearer strategy to deter China.  

Read Rep. Mike Gallagher's article in the Wall Street Journal, "GOP Presidential Candidates Need to Talk About China"

Read Stephen Young's opinion piece on RealClearDefense.com, "How Xi Jinping Thinks"

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The war in Ukraine has rapidly reshaped how strategists think about the modern battlefield, especially the use of drones, cyber, social media, and the importance of electronic warfare. Looking at a potential conflict with China, what would a military confrontation over Taiwan look like in this new technological era?

On this episode of “Hot Wash,” host John Sorensen speaks with Retired Australian Major Gen Mick Ryan. Ryan is a frequent commentor on the transformation of warfare, and is a 35-year veteran of the Australian Army, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the US Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the USMC School of Advanced Warfare, and is an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.. He is also the author of the nonfiction book “War Transformed,” and most recently the author of a new fiction book, “White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan”

"Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd

Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash"

Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.