1 00:00:15,104 --> 00:00:16,117 (bright music) 2 00:00:16,117 --> 00:00:18,930 - [Announcer] "Defense News" is proudly sponsored 3 00:00:18,930 --> 00:00:21,360 by Navy Federal Credit Union. 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,910 If you're a member of our Nation's Armed Forces, 5 00:00:23,910 --> 00:00:25,500 the Department of Defense, 6 00:00:25,500 --> 00:00:29,433 or if your family is, we'd be proud to serve you too. 7 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:32,430 - [Host] On this episode of "Defense News Weekly", 8 00:00:32,430 --> 00:00:35,280 we literally cannot stop talking about drones. 9 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,540 The transformative tech 10 00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:38,400 and how it has defined current warfare 11 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:39,480 and humbled armies 12 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:42,060 continues to dominate the defense industry. 13 00:00:42,060 --> 00:00:43,950 Up first, we check in on Dedrone 14 00:00:43,950 --> 00:00:45,450 and how they're using software 15 00:00:45,450 --> 00:00:48,420 and man portable sensors to offer a range of detection, 16 00:00:48,420 --> 00:00:50,670 identification, and defense options 17 00:00:50,670 --> 00:00:52,380 for militaries and governments. 18 00:00:52,380 --> 00:00:54,180 We also get analysis from an expert 19 00:00:54,180 --> 00:00:55,740 on how artificial intelligence 20 00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:57,960 has supercharged the drone revolution 21 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,270 and the need to adapt to armed troops with drone 22 00:01:00,270 --> 00:01:01,950 and other tech faster. 23 00:01:01,950 --> 00:01:04,950 Finally, a conversation on the challenge of the Arctic 24 00:01:04,950 --> 00:01:06,870 and how the U.S. and European nations 25 00:01:06,870 --> 00:01:08,670 need to adapt to the evolving North 26 00:01:08,670 --> 00:01:10,380 as a potential battlefield. 27 00:01:10,380 --> 00:01:12,330 Wrapping up our reporting trip to London 28 00:01:12,330 --> 00:01:13,890 for the DSEI conference, 29 00:01:13,890 --> 00:01:15,900 it's the latest in news and analysis 30 00:01:15,900 --> 00:01:17,820 from the Pentagon to the platoon 31 00:01:17,820 --> 00:01:19,569 here on "Defense News Weekly". 32 00:01:19,569 --> 00:01:22,152 (upbeat music) 33 00:01:36,090 --> 00:01:38,190 Welcome back to "Defense News Weekly". 34 00:01:38,190 --> 00:01:39,660 When it comes to drone defense, 35 00:01:39,660 --> 00:01:40,860 militaries and governments 36 00:01:40,860 --> 00:01:43,110 are faced with a complicated problem. 37 00:01:43,110 --> 00:01:46,170 How do you identify and target enemy UAVs quickly 38 00:01:46,170 --> 00:01:49,590 and accurately when designs change almost by the week? 39 00:01:49,590 --> 00:01:52,740 At DSEI 2025, we caught up with Dedrone 40 00:01:52,740 --> 00:01:54,090 about their solutions. 41 00:01:54,090 --> 00:01:55,352 Have a look. 42 00:01:55,352 --> 00:01:57,935 (gentle music) 43 00:01:59,370 --> 00:02:00,660 - So I'm here for "Defense News". 44 00:02:00,660 --> 00:02:02,790 I'm with Mary-Lou Smulders, 45 00:02:02,790 --> 00:02:05,160 who is the chief marketing officer of Dedrone, 46 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,610 and Dedrone is providing some of the counter UAS security 47 00:02:08,610 --> 00:02:13,610 here at the DSEI UK defense show that we're at today. 48 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,670 Can you explain a little bit about what Dedrone is 49 00:02:17,670 --> 00:02:20,220 and, yeah, how it works? 50 00:02:20,220 --> 00:02:22,530 - Absolutely. And thank you for having me today. 51 00:02:22,530 --> 00:02:24,780 I appreciate you guys stopping by. 52 00:02:24,780 --> 00:02:29,490 Dedrone by Axon is the global leader in airspace security. 53 00:02:29,490 --> 00:02:30,960 In very simple terms, 54 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,320 what that means is we stop the bad drones 55 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,600 and we enable the good drones to fly. 56 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:38,670 If you think about it, drones are just tools. 57 00:02:38,670 --> 00:02:39,503 - [Rudy] Yeah, sure. 58 00:02:39,503 --> 00:02:41,880 - And so when we're here at a defense show, 59 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,750 one of the primary focuses is indeed counter drones 60 00:02:45,750 --> 00:02:47,790 or stopping the good drones, 61 00:02:47,790 --> 00:02:51,570 or sorry, stopping the bad drones from flying. 62 00:02:51,570 --> 00:02:56,280 So what we think about is, in different kinds of scenarios, 63 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,680 how do we stop those drones? 64 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,790 Dedrone is the most installed airspace security company 65 00:03:02,790 --> 00:03:03,623 in the world. 66 00:03:03,623 --> 00:03:06,330 We protect almost a thousand sites 67 00:03:06,330 --> 00:03:09,450 around the world in 33 countries. 68 00:03:09,450 --> 00:03:12,180 And we do that on both the public safety side, 69 00:03:12,180 --> 00:03:14,610 you think more about policing like airports, 70 00:03:14,610 --> 00:03:18,570 critical infrastructure, large mass gatherings, 71 00:03:18,570 --> 00:03:20,910 and also on the national defense side, 72 00:03:20,910 --> 00:03:23,250 the focus here at DSEI. 73 00:03:23,250 --> 00:03:27,480 - Right. And that's in Ukraine and the United States. 74 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,340 Can you talk about something about the clients, 75 00:03:29,340 --> 00:03:31,737 the military clients for Dedrone? 76 00:03:31,737 --> 00:03:35,550 - Yeah, so across those 33 countries, 77 00:03:35,550 --> 00:03:37,080 we work with the governments 78 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,830 of six of the seven G7 nations. 79 00:03:40,830 --> 00:03:44,100 We do obviously work for the U.S. government. 80 00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:47,100 We have been installed in Ukraine since April 81 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:48,960 when the war broke out. 82 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,010 And we have our Dedrone portable solution, 83 00:03:53,010 --> 00:03:54,600 which I'll show you later, 84 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,520 but it's a simple solution, 85 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,350 comes in two Pelican cases, 86 00:03:58,350 --> 00:04:00,060 and you have everything you need 87 00:04:00,060 --> 00:04:02,910 to set it up in 15 minutes or less. 88 00:04:02,910 --> 00:04:06,360 With that solution, over 200 units, 89 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,110 we're able to help Ukraine protect their entire front line 90 00:04:10,110 --> 00:04:12,840 by networking all of those nodes together. 91 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:14,130 - [Rudy] So networking the sensors? 92 00:04:14,130 --> 00:04:17,190 - Right, to give you a clear picture 93 00:04:17,190 --> 00:04:19,170 of the area of interest, 94 00:04:19,170 --> 00:04:20,460 in that case, the front line. 95 00:04:20,460 --> 00:04:24,270 - And Dedrone works with an AI-enabled database 96 00:04:24,270 --> 00:04:25,770 to recognize the drones, 97 00:04:25,770 --> 00:04:28,440 whether it's a friendly drone or an enemy drone. 98 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,180 How do you deal with all the innovation 99 00:04:30,180 --> 00:04:34,080 that's going on in Ukraine where you see a lot of, you know, 100 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,500 DYI, home-manufactured drones, so to say? 101 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:38,333 - Right. 102 00:04:38,333 --> 00:04:40,350 So when you think about a drone incident, 103 00:04:40,350 --> 00:04:42,210 there are four basic steps. 104 00:04:42,210 --> 00:04:44,580 Detect the drone, you have to know it's there, 105 00:04:44,580 --> 00:04:47,220 with enough time to be able to react. 106 00:04:47,220 --> 00:04:49,440 Track the drone, fancy word for locate. 107 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,950 Where is the drone, and often, where is the pilot? 108 00:04:52,950 --> 00:04:55,500 And identify what you mentioned there. 109 00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:56,460 It's actually interesting. 110 00:04:56,460 --> 00:04:58,500 You have to do that on two vectors. 111 00:04:58,500 --> 00:05:01,050 The one is very simply friend or foe. 112 00:05:01,050 --> 00:05:03,390 You don't wanna be shooting down your own drones. 113 00:05:03,390 --> 00:05:07,050 The other one is, to your point, what kind of drone is it? 114 00:05:07,050 --> 00:05:10,920 Because that will inform you on how you need to mitigate 115 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:12,960 that specific drone. 116 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:14,130 - And then mitigation, 117 00:05:14,130 --> 00:05:16,800 is that soft kill solutions 118 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,740 like this jammer that we're seeing here? 119 00:05:19,740 --> 00:05:23,190 Or does that also include kinetic solutions? 120 00:05:23,190 --> 00:05:24,540 - At Dedrone by Axon, 121 00:05:24,540 --> 00:05:29,400 we have, in our philosophy, a core solution 122 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,563 that is open architecture. 123 00:05:32,430 --> 00:05:34,620 Just like this mitigation system 124 00:05:34,620 --> 00:05:37,290 or any of the sensors, 125 00:05:37,290 --> 00:05:40,500 different sensors and mitigation systems are required 126 00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:41,823 for different scenarios. 127 00:05:41,823 --> 00:05:44,406 (gentle music) 128 00:05:46,410 --> 00:05:47,370 - Mary-Lou, you were talking 129 00:05:47,370 --> 00:05:49,197 about the mobility solution for Dedrone. 130 00:05:49,197 --> 00:05:51,690 Can you show us a little bit about what we're seeing here? 131 00:05:51,690 --> 00:05:56,340 - Yes. We can present our solution in many different ways. 132 00:05:56,340 --> 00:05:59,700 And what we're seeing with this cat-and-mouse game 133 00:05:59,700 --> 00:06:01,830 is that we need more and more protection. 134 00:06:01,830 --> 00:06:02,663 - [Rudy] Yeah. 135 00:06:02,663 --> 00:06:05,820 - One of the solutions that we offer beyond fixed site 136 00:06:05,820 --> 00:06:07,230 where you have walls and poles 137 00:06:07,230 --> 00:06:09,270 that you can put the sensors on 138 00:06:09,270 --> 00:06:12,570 is let's say frontline or quick deployment. 139 00:06:12,570 --> 00:06:15,990 So we offer our solution in simple cases 140 00:06:15,990 --> 00:06:17,880 that are man carryable, 141 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,600 that can be opened and set up in 15 minutes or less. 142 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,380 - And that basically contains all the software 143 00:06:23,380 --> 00:06:25,167 that pulls together the sensors, 144 00:06:25,167 --> 00:06:27,757 the AI recognition of drones? 145 00:06:27,757 --> 00:06:28,590 - Yes. 146 00:06:28,590 --> 00:06:32,430 It also includes the physical attributes that you need. 147 00:06:32,430 --> 00:06:36,150 You have the mast, the battery power packs, the sensors, 148 00:06:36,150 --> 00:06:39,180 and optional Starlink should you need that connectivity. 149 00:06:39,180 --> 00:06:40,380 - And is that man portable 150 00:06:40,380 --> 00:06:42,120 or would you need it on a vehicle such as this? 151 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,780 - These are suitcases that are man portable, ready to go. 152 00:06:45,780 --> 00:06:48,180 And also, many of our clients use them. 153 00:06:48,180 --> 00:06:50,700 You can load them on airplanes very easily 154 00:06:50,700 --> 00:06:52,800 for VIP protection 155 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:57,420 when you are coming to a new potentially contested area. 156 00:06:57,420 --> 00:06:58,253 - Can you say something 157 00:06:58,253 --> 00:07:01,050 about what a Dedrone does for the cost? 158 00:07:01,050 --> 00:07:02,730 - Yes, 100%. 159 00:07:02,730 --> 00:07:03,810 And you're exactly right. 160 00:07:03,810 --> 00:07:04,770 Let's be clear. 161 00:07:04,770 --> 00:07:07,800 You have a $500 FPV drone that can fly over 162 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,190 and take out an $82 million fighter jet. 163 00:07:11,190 --> 00:07:12,720 You will not win that war. 164 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,090 By definition, you will lose, right? 165 00:07:15,090 --> 00:07:17,520 Similarly, in the beginning of Ukraine war, 166 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,130 they were launching Shaheds 167 00:07:20,130 --> 00:07:23,460 that were being fought back with million dollar missiles. 168 00:07:23,460 --> 00:07:28,460 Again, the price and equity will surely guarantee failure. 169 00:07:28,530 --> 00:07:33,530 So you need to meet that low cost, low training challenge, 170 00:07:33,540 --> 00:07:35,610 with a similar low cost 171 00:07:35,610 --> 00:07:38,550 and easy learning curve defense system, 172 00:07:38,550 --> 00:07:40,530 which is exactly what we've done. 173 00:07:40,530 --> 00:07:42,660 So if you look at the vehicle behind me, 174 00:07:42,660 --> 00:07:45,270 you see the two sensors at the top 175 00:07:45,270 --> 00:07:49,290 that are offering a 360-degree view of the sky 176 00:07:49,290 --> 00:07:52,230 with a simple tablet mounted inside 177 00:07:52,230 --> 00:07:55,770 that tells you what kind of drone it is, where it is, 178 00:07:55,770 --> 00:07:58,290 potentially where the pilot is, 179 00:07:58,290 --> 00:08:03,290 and how close to or time to point of interest, which is you, 180 00:08:04,170 --> 00:08:06,750 the incoming drone might be. 181 00:08:06,750 --> 00:08:09,660 - So if you've got the system on a vehicle, 182 00:08:09,660 --> 00:08:12,510 you're pulling together the data from various sensors, 183 00:08:12,510 --> 00:08:15,150 which may have different sensitivities, 184 00:08:15,150 --> 00:08:18,180 so how do you recognize all the drones 185 00:08:18,180 --> 00:08:20,790 that are out there if you've got, you know, 186 00:08:20,790 --> 00:08:22,833 varying quality sensors, shall we say? 187 00:08:24,097 --> 00:08:26,670 - That is the best question of the day. 188 00:08:26,670 --> 00:08:28,200 The core of our solution 189 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:33,200 is indeed our software command and control system, or C2. 190 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,650 We have tens of millions of flights already collected. 191 00:08:37,650 --> 00:08:41,820 And to that, we've added synthetic data that's made of data 192 00:08:41,820 --> 00:08:44,130 for different kinds of edge cases. 193 00:08:44,130 --> 00:08:46,339 Like this is actually a helicopter- 194 00:08:46,339 --> 00:08:47,738 - [Rudy] To train the AI recognition. 195 00:08:47,738 --> 00:08:48,747 - Yes. 196 00:08:48,747 --> 00:08:53,747 And what you get from that is multi-sensor fusion. 197 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,107 Some of our competitors will say, 198 00:08:56,107 --> 00:08:58,200 "This is where the radar thinks it is. 199 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,840 This is where the acoustics thinks it is. 200 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:02,460 This is where the camera thinks it is. 201 00:09:02,460 --> 00:09:05,400 I'll do an average dot in the middle." 202 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,950 We've trained the software to the point 203 00:09:07,950 --> 00:09:11,799 where you are getting a true picture of the sky above you. 204 00:09:11,799 --> 00:09:14,382 (gentle music) 205 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:18,163 - [Host] When we come back, 206 00:09:18,163 --> 00:09:20,400 a look at protecting Arctic sovereignty 207 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,310 and how Europe needs to respond in a changing north. 208 00:09:23,310 --> 00:09:24,256 Stay tuned. 209 00:09:24,256 --> 00:09:26,839 (upbeat music) 210 00:10:30,717 --> 00:10:33,300 (upbeat music) 211 00:10:37,889 --> 00:10:39,499 Welcome back. 212 00:10:39,499 --> 00:10:40,920 With waterways opening fast 213 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,170 and terrain shifting as conditions warm, 214 00:10:43,170 --> 00:10:45,210 the Arctic is an evolving battlefield 215 00:10:45,210 --> 00:10:47,040 for the world's major powers, 216 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:48,830 but how should Europe and the U.S. respond 217 00:10:48,830 --> 00:10:51,210 politically and militarily? 218 00:10:51,210 --> 00:10:55,053 We caught up with a panel at DSEI 2025 to look at the issue. 219 00:10:56,370 --> 00:10:59,070 - What are your views on the Alliance of Northern Nations 220 00:10:59,070 --> 00:11:02,400 to protect Arctic sovereignty? 221 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,320 What does that look like in terms of the border? 222 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,080 It's an issue to some degree being litigated back 223 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,610 where I come from in the United States 224 00:11:08,610 --> 00:11:09,930 and increase interest, of course, 225 00:11:09,930 --> 00:11:12,390 from the incumbent administration 226 00:11:12,390 --> 00:11:15,000 on Greenland access to the Arctic Circle. 227 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,120 What does defense and readiness for Europe look like 228 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,780 in that theater, so to speak, of the conversation? 229 00:11:21,780 --> 00:11:24,660 - We do a lot of work in that part of the world. 230 00:11:24,660 --> 00:11:26,850 And I think that the state of readiness, 231 00:11:26,850 --> 00:11:29,160 and I think that the capability there is exceptional. 232 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,620 I think that they really reacted extremely quickly. 233 00:11:31,620 --> 00:11:34,260 I think that they're really driving in the right way 234 00:11:34,260 --> 00:11:36,150 and they're working in a truer line. 235 00:11:36,150 --> 00:11:38,070 So I think that's in a pretty good shape 236 00:11:38,070 --> 00:11:40,380 if I look at that in comparison, say, other parts 237 00:11:40,380 --> 00:11:41,340 of Europe maybe. 238 00:11:41,340 --> 00:11:43,140 So I think it's a pretty good state. 239 00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:47,850 - The balance between focusing on the Baltic 240 00:11:47,850 --> 00:11:49,350 and controlling the Baltic, 241 00:11:49,350 --> 00:11:53,130 and I mean the Arctic, 242 00:11:53,130 --> 00:11:55,503 it used to defend itself 'cause it was ice. 243 00:11:57,510 --> 00:11:59,130 And now we're in a condition 244 00:11:59,130 --> 00:12:01,650 where suddenly it's potentially a highway. 245 00:12:01,650 --> 00:12:02,483 - Yeah. 246 00:12:02,483 --> 00:12:06,450 - And whether it would be used for commercial purposes, 247 00:12:06,450 --> 00:12:07,680 and I mean commercially, 248 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:10,470 the people that were really interested in it are Chinese. 249 00:12:10,470 --> 00:12:11,303 Yeah. 250 00:12:11,303 --> 00:12:14,010 And whether it's necessary 251 00:12:14,010 --> 00:12:17,520 that we have some dominant military power that controls it, 252 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,910 or whether there is some agreement that it's the high seas 253 00:12:20,910 --> 00:12:24,510 and there shouldn't be, you know, anybody that's particular, 254 00:12:24,510 --> 00:12:25,920 that's an open area. 255 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,570 I'm not qualified to speak about it, 256 00:12:27,570 --> 00:12:30,123 but I do know in terms of balance of effort, 257 00:12:31,860 --> 00:12:34,140 you know, that the extent 258 00:12:34,140 --> 00:12:36,060 to which northern European countries think 259 00:12:36,060 --> 00:12:38,880 they have to devote naval resources to the Arctic 260 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,070 and the extent to which they focus on the Baltic, 261 00:12:41,070 --> 00:12:42,240 that's a question 262 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:46,950 that it's a policy question first for them, 263 00:12:46,950 --> 00:12:50,085 and then the industrial consequences will follow. 264 00:12:50,085 --> 00:12:50,918 - Can I chime in? 265 00:12:50,918 --> 00:12:52,560 One thing I'd just like to bring in about the Arctic 266 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:55,080 as an operating environment, 267 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:56,430 one of the things we have to think about, 268 00:12:56,430 --> 00:12:58,070 I mean, I'm going back to my hobbyhorse here 269 00:12:58,070 --> 00:12:59,820 of the electromagnetic spectrum, 270 00:12:59,820 --> 00:13:02,400 but fighting in the spectrum 271 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,620 in that part of the world can be difficult. 272 00:13:04,620 --> 00:13:06,630 Because of where you are, 273 00:13:06,630 --> 00:13:08,940 you start getting things like the ionosphere, 274 00:13:08,940 --> 00:13:09,900 which we depend on, 275 00:13:09,900 --> 00:13:11,571 the high frequency communications 276 00:13:11,571 --> 00:13:13,620 starts doing very strange things. 277 00:13:13,620 --> 00:13:16,140 Satellite communications, believe it or not, 278 00:13:16,140 --> 00:13:18,350 is not as comprehensive as it should be 279 00:13:18,350 --> 00:13:19,803 in that part of the world. 280 00:13:20,850 --> 00:13:22,560 Previous years, we very much focused 281 00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:25,500 to having understandably a global coverage 282 00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:28,560 of, for example, for military sat call. 283 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:30,990 But one things we've done is we've often omitted the polls 284 00:13:30,990 --> 00:13:32,700 because there was no real reason 285 00:13:32,700 --> 00:13:34,290 to have a lot of coverage up there. 286 00:13:34,290 --> 00:13:35,400 That is changing now. 287 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,530 The U.S., for instance, is pouring investment 288 00:13:37,530 --> 00:13:40,350 into satellite communications in the Arctic. 289 00:13:40,350 --> 00:13:41,400 We've got the Canadians 290 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:42,630 who are doing some interesting things. 291 00:13:42,630 --> 00:13:45,390 We are looking at Over-the-Horizon Radar in the Arctic. 292 00:13:45,390 --> 00:13:46,500 So to be able to see the threat 293 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:48,330 before it appears on the horizon. 294 00:13:48,330 --> 00:13:50,723 But we need to be aware that the spectrum 295 00:13:50,723 --> 00:13:53,820 can be a difficult resource to fight through 296 00:13:53,820 --> 00:13:54,810 in that part of the world. 297 00:13:54,810 --> 00:13:57,150 So we need to think about what we're gonna do about that, 298 00:13:57,150 --> 00:13:58,770 whether that's a spectrum-led approach 299 00:13:58,770 --> 00:13:59,940 or whether that's more conventional. 300 00:13:59,940 --> 00:14:01,530 You know, I'm gonna sound very boring, 301 00:14:01,530 --> 00:14:02,363 very old fashioned here. 302 00:14:02,363 --> 00:14:04,950 Paper maps and compasses and grease pencils, 303 00:14:04,950 --> 00:14:05,910 that kind of thing. 304 00:14:05,910 --> 00:14:09,150 - As we have this robust conversation on military readiness, 305 00:14:09,150 --> 00:14:11,640 a question about our political readiness, 306 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,100 maybe it's about political will a bit more. 307 00:14:14,100 --> 00:14:16,230 Do we currently have the political will across Europe 308 00:14:16,230 --> 00:14:20,010 that is prepared to respond to the threats at play? 309 00:14:20,010 --> 00:14:20,843 - I mean, personally, 310 00:14:20,843 --> 00:14:22,620 I think in some parts of Europe, yes. 311 00:14:22,620 --> 00:14:27,295 And as we've been speaking on the panel about just now, 312 00:14:27,295 --> 00:14:30,450 that there is, you know, certainly in the north of Europe, 313 00:14:30,450 --> 00:14:32,700 there is a very keen awareness of the threat. 314 00:14:32,700 --> 00:14:35,310 You do see more of a whole of society approach 315 00:14:35,310 --> 00:14:38,310 in places like Sweden, Finland, the Baltic, et cetera. 316 00:14:38,310 --> 00:14:40,623 If it goes up, we're all gonna be involved. 317 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,860 But I think in other parts of Europe, that's not the case. 318 00:14:43,860 --> 00:14:45,460 I think in other parts of Europe 319 00:14:46,350 --> 00:14:47,910 and in other parts of policies, 320 00:14:47,910 --> 00:14:50,970 there is a keenness to avoid conflict. 321 00:14:50,970 --> 00:14:52,980 Part of that I think is driven to an extent 322 00:14:52,980 --> 00:14:56,160 by Afghan and Iraq and our experiences in those theaters. 323 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:01,110 But we mustn't count Russian disinformation, 324 00:15:01,110 --> 00:15:05,400 hybrid warfare approaches that if you have, for instance, 325 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,620 where I live, in France, there's some very strong voices 326 00:15:07,620 --> 00:15:09,750 against involvement in Ukraine. 327 00:15:09,750 --> 00:15:10,650 But you have to look 328 00:15:10,650 --> 00:15:12,043 at who is propelling those voices, you know, 329 00:15:12,043 --> 00:15:14,400 and who is propelling those arguments. 330 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:15,233 So I think that's- 331 00:15:15,233 --> 00:15:16,066 - If you don't mind me asking, 332 00:15:16,066 --> 00:15:18,030 you mean who's propelling those political arguments 333 00:15:18,030 --> 00:15:18,960 within the country? - Correct. Yeah. 334 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:19,793 Absolutely. 335 00:15:19,793 --> 00:15:20,970 I mean, I'm not trying to say, 336 00:15:20,970 --> 00:15:22,680 sort of, Russia's behind everything, 337 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:24,420 but I'm saying there are resources there 338 00:15:24,420 --> 00:15:27,180 to help amplify viewpoints that may be saying, 339 00:15:27,180 --> 00:15:28,470 let's have less defense spending 340 00:15:28,470 --> 00:15:29,790 or whatever it might be. 341 00:15:29,790 --> 00:15:31,020 And as an add on to that, 342 00:15:31,020 --> 00:15:32,580 I think the challenge we face in Europe 343 00:15:32,580 --> 00:15:36,090 is that in many ways you can't have more defense spending 344 00:15:36,090 --> 00:15:37,890 at the expense of something else. 345 00:15:37,890 --> 00:15:40,680 People understandably will still want healthcare, 346 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,090 education provision, 347 00:15:42,090 --> 00:15:43,530 and, yeah, pensions, whatever it is. 348 00:15:43,530 --> 00:15:46,200 So that's why, as you are all saying earlier on, 349 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,900 you have to get imaginative about how you spend the money. 350 00:15:48,900 --> 00:15:50,640 You have to get collaborative. 351 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,570 And that's, I think, how you can sort of square that circle. 352 00:15:54,570 --> 00:15:55,738 - Yeah, I mean, in the UK, 353 00:15:55,738 --> 00:16:00,330 the government has sort of accepted 354 00:16:00,330 --> 00:16:04,350 that the way to, if you like, popularized, 355 00:16:04,350 --> 00:16:06,390 but make acceptable more defense spending 356 00:16:06,390 --> 00:16:09,000 is to emphasize its economic benefits 357 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,000 and its economic benefits across the country, 358 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,263 including the less well endowed parts of the economy. 359 00:16:18,030 --> 00:16:19,710 And it's pushing that. 360 00:16:19,710 --> 00:16:24,090 I mean, in the UK, there is an acceptance. 361 00:16:24,090 --> 00:16:25,770 It's almost where you're looking in government, 362 00:16:25,770 --> 00:16:27,633 there's a readiness to spend more. 363 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,090 And the Ministry of Defence is pressed for that 364 00:16:33,090 --> 00:16:35,190 amongst our defense ministers. 365 00:16:35,190 --> 00:16:38,610 But there's a words of caution coming from the treasury 366 00:16:38,610 --> 00:16:40,323 and other parts of government. 367 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,310 But you know, I mean, I think there is the spending 368 00:16:44,310 --> 00:16:45,540 for Ukraine, for instance, 369 00:16:45,540 --> 00:16:47,580 which I think is about 3 billion, 370 00:16:47,580 --> 00:16:48,960 three and a half billion pounds a year, 371 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,560 which is a chunk of the defense budget, that's unquestioned. 372 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:55,410 Yeah. That's not debated at all. 373 00:16:55,410 --> 00:16:58,500 - Yeah. I think the political will is a great question. 374 00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:00,330 When you look at these arms-lengths conflicts 375 00:17:00,330 --> 00:17:03,420 where you can, if you can field your capabilities 376 00:17:03,420 --> 00:17:07,377 through a third party, it's quite interesting. 377 00:17:07,377 --> 00:17:09,630 Committing your own resources, 378 00:17:09,630 --> 00:17:10,710 I think that's something else. 379 00:17:10,710 --> 00:17:12,060 And I think the political will 380 00:17:12,060 --> 00:17:14,070 is not consistent across Europe. 381 00:17:14,070 --> 00:17:16,367 I have a quite deep strong view about that. 382 00:17:16,367 --> 00:17:20,280 But it is varied. It's very strong. 383 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,100 Maybe up north, there's a quite a cohesive view. 384 00:17:23,100 --> 00:17:25,590 For further east you go, there's a cohesive view. 385 00:17:25,590 --> 00:17:29,310 Maybe these border states, border countries, 386 00:17:29,310 --> 00:17:31,800 Turkey, for example, they'll think differently 387 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,760 because they, you know, are right the East and the West. 388 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,440 I think one thing to come back to as well 389 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:42,440 is thinking of what might propel that cohesiveness 390 00:17:42,810 --> 00:17:46,890 is that China is involved supporting Russia perhaps 391 00:17:46,890 --> 00:17:51,890 with technologies that are eye-wateringly available. 392 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,123 And we must not ever lose sight of that. 393 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,276 - Yeah, that is one of the, 394 00:17:58,276 --> 00:18:03,276 I felt with China and Russia and the Ukraine conflict, 395 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,020 China does not want the Russians to lose. 396 00:18:07,020 --> 00:18:07,853 - Correct. 397 00:18:07,853 --> 00:18:10,322 - But it does not want the Russians to win either. 398 00:18:10,322 --> 00:18:14,910 And I mean, that's a judgment call 399 00:18:14,910 --> 00:18:16,170 about from what you observed, 400 00:18:16,170 --> 00:18:18,871 but when you think of the long-term implications, 401 00:18:18,871 --> 00:18:22,350 it's a big question that- 402 00:18:22,350 --> 00:18:23,190 - Yeah. 403 00:18:23,190 --> 00:18:24,023 - Yeah. 404 00:18:24,023 --> 00:18:25,230 - The only thing I would like to add is, 405 00:18:25,230 --> 00:18:26,160 goes back to what we were saying 406 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:27,930 right at the beginning is about the speed element. 407 00:18:27,930 --> 00:18:30,000 Because I think that the longer that this goes on, 408 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,760 then the political will or the public support, 409 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:34,800 I think is only gonna probably deteriorate 410 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:36,570 because people get a little bit fatigued 411 00:18:36,570 --> 00:18:37,403 with things going on. 412 00:18:37,403 --> 00:18:40,560 Like Tom, I live in France and, you know, it's palpable. 413 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:42,750 You can see the way that that's declined. 414 00:18:42,750 --> 00:18:46,530 So I think this is about industry striking pretty quickly 415 00:18:46,530 --> 00:18:48,210 and really, you know, try to make the most 416 00:18:48,210 --> 00:18:49,590 of the opportunity that we have. 417 00:18:49,590 --> 00:18:52,230 Exactly as Trevor said, you know, I think the smart way 418 00:18:52,230 --> 00:18:54,570 is to make this a benefit to the business, 419 00:18:54,570 --> 00:18:57,780 to the economy and to really do it in that way. 420 00:18:57,780 --> 00:19:00,603 Otherwise, I think there's gonna be some challenges. 421 00:19:02,130 --> 00:19:02,963 - [Host] When we return, 422 00:19:02,963 --> 00:19:04,830 our financial expert is back with tips 423 00:19:04,830 --> 00:19:07,320 on when to ask for a credit limit increase. 424 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:08,777 Don't go away. 425 00:19:08,777 --> 00:19:11,360 (upbeat music) 426 00:20:03,738 --> 00:20:06,321 (upbeat music) 427 00:20:09,334 --> 00:20:10,782 (air whooshing) 428 00:20:10,782 --> 00:20:11,970 Welcome back. 429 00:20:11,970 --> 00:20:13,950 If you've got your financial feet under you, 430 00:20:13,950 --> 00:20:15,810 it may be time to take a step forward 431 00:20:15,810 --> 00:20:17,670 with a credit limit increase. 432 00:20:17,670 --> 00:20:19,050 On this edition of "Money Minute", 433 00:20:19,050 --> 00:20:21,180 Jeanette Mack from Navy Federal Credit Union 434 00:20:21,180 --> 00:20:23,564 returns with advice on how to time it right. 435 00:20:23,564 --> 00:20:24,840 (air whooshing) 436 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,990 - Ever wonder if raising your credit limit is a smart move? 437 00:20:27,990 --> 00:20:31,350 Well, it can be, if you're doing it for the right reasons. 438 00:20:31,350 --> 00:20:33,660 A higher limit gives you more available credit 439 00:20:33,660 --> 00:20:36,240 and lowers your credit utilization ratio, 440 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:38,370 or the percentage of credit you're using 441 00:20:38,370 --> 00:20:40,710 compared to your overall credit limit. 442 00:20:40,710 --> 00:20:42,180 And keeping that number low 443 00:20:42,180 --> 00:20:44,820 can actually boost your credit score over time. 444 00:20:44,820 --> 00:20:45,960 So when is the right time 445 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:47,850 to ask for a credit limit increase? 446 00:20:47,850 --> 00:20:48,810 It's best to try it 447 00:20:48,810 --> 00:20:51,540 when your credit has improved, your income has gone up, 448 00:20:51,540 --> 00:20:53,670 or you've had your account for a while. 449 00:20:53,670 --> 00:20:55,860 Lenders look at your payment history, income, 450 00:20:55,860 --> 00:20:57,780 and how long you've had your card. 451 00:20:57,780 --> 00:20:59,160 If you've been paying on time 452 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,950 and keeping balances low, you're in a good spot. 453 00:21:01,950 --> 00:21:03,270 But here's the catch: 454 00:21:03,270 --> 00:21:05,190 more credit means more spending power, 455 00:21:05,190 --> 00:21:07,170 but it doesn't mean you should spend more. 456 00:21:07,170 --> 00:21:09,960 It's easy to feel like you've got extra money to play with, 457 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:11,610 but that can lead to trouble. 458 00:21:11,610 --> 00:21:13,800 If you raise your limit and start charging more, 459 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,380 you could end up hurting your score instead of helping it. 460 00:21:16,380 --> 00:21:17,550 So be smart. 461 00:21:17,550 --> 00:21:20,610 Use credit to build your financial future, not break it. 462 00:21:20,610 --> 00:21:24,153 A little discipline now can lead to big rewards later. 463 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:26,250 - [Host] To get more coverage 464 00:21:26,250 --> 00:21:27,750 of military and defense topics, 465 00:21:27,750 --> 00:21:29,640 fling yourself at the back of a Chinook 466 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,367 and set your drop zone at militarytimes.com 467 00:21:32,367 --> 00:21:34,710 and defensenews.com for more headlines, 468 00:21:34,710 --> 00:21:36,680 and to be the most up-to-date guardian 469 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:38,520 in the galaxy defending business, 470 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:40,110 sign up for our early bird brief, 471 00:21:40,110 --> 00:21:41,340 compiled each morning, 472 00:21:41,340 --> 00:21:43,470 bringing you the most recent headlines. 473 00:21:43,470 --> 00:21:45,480 And if social media is how you stay up to date, 474 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:49,020 follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X. 475 00:21:49,020 --> 00:21:50,130 And we're on TikTok, 476 00:21:50,130 --> 00:21:51,900 so go follow us there as well. 477 00:21:51,900 --> 00:21:54,030 When we come back more from DSEI 478 00:21:54,030 --> 00:21:56,910 and the ever-evolving conversation about drones. 479 00:21:56,910 --> 00:21:58,334 Stay tuned. 480 00:21:58,334 --> 00:22:00,917 (upbeat music) 481 00:23:04,602 --> 00:23:07,185 (upbeat music) 482 00:23:10,475 --> 00:23:11,663 (air whooshing) 483 00:23:11,663 --> 00:23:14,220 Welcome back to "Defense News Weekly". 484 00:23:14,220 --> 00:23:16,770 With both the age of the cheap drone as a weapon 485 00:23:16,770 --> 00:23:18,540 and AI both upon us, 486 00:23:18,540 --> 00:23:21,330 it pays to look at how one supercharges the other, 487 00:23:21,330 --> 00:23:23,580 and what it means for modern defense. 488 00:23:23,580 --> 00:23:26,970 At DSEI 2025, we hosted a conversation 489 00:23:26,970 --> 00:23:30,540 to look at the impact of artificial intelligence on drones 490 00:23:30,540 --> 00:23:33,330 and how to stay ahead of adversaries in the cyber realm, 491 00:23:33,330 --> 00:23:34,680 with a dash of analysis 492 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,080 on the defense industrial pipeline thrown in. 493 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:37,913 Check it out. 494 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:40,950 - Talk to me about some of the biggest shifts you have seen, 495 00:23:40,950 --> 00:23:43,440 even in just the last, let's say, five to 10 years 496 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,480 about the way that drones are used. 497 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,760 - Well, I think, you know, really, AI, you know, 498 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:49,650 and I say AI, that's somewhat becoming 499 00:23:49,650 --> 00:23:50,670 kind of a throwaway term, right? 500 00:23:50,670 --> 00:23:54,693 There's a lot of discussion around what is defined by AI. 501 00:23:55,620 --> 00:23:56,453 I know at Red Cat, 502 00:23:56,453 --> 00:23:58,230 we're actually adding a lot of layers of it 503 00:23:58,230 --> 00:23:59,820 in our tech stack for our drones. 504 00:23:59,820 --> 00:24:01,470 It's this idea of reduction of cognitive load 505 00:24:01,470 --> 00:24:03,180 for the end user. 506 00:24:03,180 --> 00:24:05,883 But that's really, I see where the biggest, you know, 507 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:08,100 changes are in the industry 508 00:24:08,100 --> 00:24:10,680 is this adding these layers of AI, 509 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,640 whether it's aided target recognition, 3D mapping, 510 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,380 focused on the video stream. 511 00:24:16,380 --> 00:24:18,780 All of these things are now being integrated 512 00:24:18,780 --> 00:24:19,710 on a regular basis, 513 00:24:19,710 --> 00:24:21,690 and that's really what's trying to changing the battlefield. 514 00:24:21,690 --> 00:24:22,920 I think the other thing to look at too 515 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,540 is what's driving what? 516 00:24:24,540 --> 00:24:26,610 Is technology driving how battlefield operations 517 00:24:26,610 --> 00:24:28,200 are happening, or is it the other way around? 518 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,660 Or is it kind of this, like, this kind of hamster wheel? 519 00:24:30,660 --> 00:24:32,396 And I believe it's the hamster wheel, 520 00:24:32,396 --> 00:24:33,480 you know, the evolution. 521 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,850 That's why I think we've seen the evolution of drones 522 00:24:35,850 --> 00:24:36,810 happen so quickly 523 00:24:36,810 --> 00:24:39,750 because the battlefield is extremely dynamic, 524 00:24:39,750 --> 00:24:41,130 especially, again, when you look at Ukraine 525 00:24:41,130 --> 00:24:43,080 where it's changing daily. 526 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,300 And so this idea of collecting data 527 00:24:45,300 --> 00:24:48,810 to drive your innovation and your product development, 528 00:24:48,810 --> 00:24:50,700 we were fortunate enough to actually have Black Widow 529 00:24:50,700 --> 00:24:54,600 over in Ukraine for multiple times of testing. 530 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:56,220 And it wasn't until we actually had it there 531 00:24:56,220 --> 00:24:59,040 on the front lines to really gather that daily data 532 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,779 to see actually how the cat-and-mouse game is happening. 533 00:25:01,779 --> 00:25:02,910 You know, you tweak something on your end, 534 00:25:02,910 --> 00:25:04,470 the adversary then tweak something on their end, 535 00:25:04,470 --> 00:25:06,210 and it is this dance that you're doing, 536 00:25:06,210 --> 00:25:08,190 but it has to be done on a constant basis. 537 00:25:08,190 --> 00:25:09,570 If you're not iterating, you die. 538 00:25:09,570 --> 00:25:11,430 It's that simple. 539 00:25:11,430 --> 00:25:12,360 - Yeah, it reminds me 540 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:14,910 of what a lot of cybersecurity giants talk about, 541 00:25:14,910 --> 00:25:16,710 which is you want the technology in the hands 542 00:25:16,710 --> 00:25:18,690 of the proverbial good guys. 543 00:25:18,690 --> 00:25:20,730 But, you know, the bad guys oftentimes have access 544 00:25:20,730 --> 00:25:22,590 to the same underlying technology. 545 00:25:22,590 --> 00:25:24,360 And in the cybersecurity realm, 546 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:26,640 a lot of their biggest challenges is how do we ensure 547 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,070 that we are staying one step ahead. 548 00:25:29,070 --> 00:25:30,570 What does that look like for Red Cat? 549 00:25:30,570 --> 00:25:32,940 - Well, again, I think it's constant iteration. 550 00:25:32,940 --> 00:25:34,650 I mean, one thing that we've learned from Ukraine 551 00:25:34,650 --> 00:25:37,500 is this idea of urgent need driving innovation 552 00:25:37,500 --> 00:25:38,333 to get it out, 553 00:25:38,333 --> 00:25:40,530 you know, something that's built in a garage 554 00:25:40,530 --> 00:25:42,750 and try to get it fielded that day, right? 555 00:25:42,750 --> 00:25:44,280 So this idea of how fast 556 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:45,540 can we get things to the battlefield? 557 00:25:45,540 --> 00:25:47,250 I think in the United States, at least, 558 00:25:47,250 --> 00:25:48,600 I think we're looking at the industry 559 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,150 of recently with, you know, Secretary of Defense 560 00:25:51,150 --> 00:25:53,400 and a lot of initiatives that they're now, you know, 561 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:54,720 employing in the United States 562 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,250 of how can we get this technology 563 00:25:56,250 --> 00:25:58,350 in the hands of the war fighter as soon as possible? 564 00:25:58,350 --> 00:26:00,450 How do we eliminate some of the red tape that it takes? 565 00:26:00,450 --> 00:26:03,870 You know, the idea of these long extended programs of record 566 00:26:03,870 --> 00:26:04,703 that happened in the past 567 00:26:04,703 --> 00:26:07,410 that are five to eight years, those are going away, right? 568 00:26:07,410 --> 00:26:08,670 Now, we're seeing this idea 569 00:26:08,670 --> 00:26:11,340 of this iterations happening within a two-year period 570 00:26:11,340 --> 00:26:13,110 where they're recompeting every two years. 571 00:26:13,110 --> 00:26:15,210 That keeps the technology from being stale. 572 00:26:15,210 --> 00:26:17,940 But that also helps and drives our companies like us 573 00:26:17,940 --> 00:26:19,950 to constantly be innovating 574 00:26:19,950 --> 00:26:22,500 so that we can get the latest and greatest technology. 575 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:24,000 So one of the things, 576 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:25,380 the initiatives that we started at Red Cat 577 00:26:25,380 --> 00:26:26,820 was called the Red Cat Futures Initiative 578 00:26:26,820 --> 00:26:27,990 that we started last year. 579 00:26:27,990 --> 00:26:31,230 And it's basically an industry consortium where, you know, 580 00:26:31,230 --> 00:26:33,660 we know what we do best, the drone, 581 00:26:33,660 --> 00:26:35,640 but all these other layers of tech stack 582 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:36,660 when it comes to AI. 583 00:26:36,660 --> 00:26:40,213 And like I said, 3D mapping and aided target recognition, 584 00:26:40,213 --> 00:26:42,060 leave that to other companies, right? 585 00:26:42,060 --> 00:26:44,040 Let's work with and partner with best-in-breed companies 586 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,290 to bring that technology and accelerate it forward, 587 00:26:46,290 --> 00:26:47,370 and again, to get it in the hands 588 00:26:47,370 --> 00:26:48,780 of the war fighters sooner or later. 589 00:26:48,780 --> 00:26:51,690 They can be innovating and iterating on their end. 590 00:26:51,690 --> 00:26:53,427 We can be innovating, iterating on the drone, 591 00:26:53,427 --> 00:26:55,230 and we're all marching forward together, 592 00:26:55,230 --> 00:26:56,925 and it just makes it a really faster solution. 593 00:26:56,925 --> 00:26:58,200 (air whooshing) 594 00:26:58,200 --> 00:26:59,490 - [Host] Well, that's all we have time for 595 00:26:59,490 --> 00:27:00,323 in this episode. 596 00:27:00,323 --> 00:27:02,504 Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you next week. 597 00:27:02,504 --> 00:27:05,087 (upbeat music)