Midrats

Summary In this conversation, Chris Brose, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Anduril, joins Sal and Mark to discuss the company’s mission to revolutionize defense technology by integrating commercial innovations into military applications. He emphasizes the need for mass-producible military capabilities, the importance of adaptability in modern warfare, and the challenges posed by the curren...

Summary In this episode of Midrats, the hosts discuss a range of topics related to national security, military strategy, and current events. They reflect on the 25th anniversary of the USS Cole attack, analyze the ongoing dynamics in the Middle East, and explore the implications of military presence and partnerships. The conversation also delves into submarine capabilities, logistics challenges, a...

For decades, while the rest of the world’s powers have distracted and tangled themselves with wars of choice and blunder, the People’s Republic of China has been watching, learning, and building. To what end? Returning to Midrats to discuss this and more will be Dean Cheng. Dean is a Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace; Non-resident Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies;...

Yes, September is Australian Appreciation Month on the Midrats Podcast. Building on our discussion earlier this month with Liz Buchanan , we are returning to the perspective from the Antipodes with returning guest Gray Connolly. From Afghanistan, to the Antarctic, to the approaches to the Arctic through the Pacific, we’ll have a broad-reaching discussion of allied national security concerns from t...

Waves of different groups seeking new homes from east and west have arrived and disappeared on Greenland’s hostile shores for thousands of years. In the modern era of nation states, it is Greenland’s unique location and potential resources that are drawing attention once again as her strategic position once again brings her to the front. Today’s Midrats Podcast is going to start there with our gue...

This summer, the fourth summer of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in the winter of 2022, we find the first serious and determined effort towards a genuine negotiation to end this grinding war in Eastern Europe. The experiences and lessons of this war aren’t only changing how nations throughout the world prepare for their next war, it has forced even greater changes on both combatants how they...

There is no better way to stay out of the summer heat than to take an hour to join us for a Midrats Podcast melee! Summary In this episode of Midrats, hosts discuss a range of topics related to maritime and national security, including the importance of civil discourse in political discussions, Australia's acquisition of Japanese frigates, cybersecurity threats, and the geopolitical tensions in th...

Show Links Navy’s Plan for Unmanned Systems Department of Crazy Ideas: How about a cheap inshore fleet ? Mark Tempest, 2009. Buy Fords, Not Ferraris, Jerry Hendrix , 2008 Droning on About Drones , CDR Salamander, 2013 Building the Navy’s Hybrid Fleet , Lieutenant Commander Jack Rowley, Proceedings, July 2025. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress , Robert A. Heinlein The Mote in God’s Eye , Larry Niven and...

On today’s Midrats, we have returning guest Craig Whiteside and his co-author Ian C. Rice joining us to discuss one of the nightmares we all have in the new book coming out this month. He co-authored it with Ian Rice, Non-state Special Operations: Capabilities and Effects . From the abstract: Building on previous research on Islamic State special operations, the book develops a theoretical framewo...

Take a break from the heat today to discuss some of the hidden history, and importance, of the Presidential retreat at Camp David with the author of the book, Presidential Seclusion: The Power of Camp David , Charles Ferguson. After graduating from Georgia Tech and earning his commission, Charles Ferguson served for 11 years in the Submarine force onboard the USS Louisville and as Weapons Officer...

Show Link InfantryDort’s comment mentioned at start of the show Summary The conversation explores the themes of cultural assimilation, national identity, freedom of speech, and the challenges of civil discourse in contemporary society. The hosts discuss the implications of cultural integration on national security and the importance of leadership in fostering a healthy societal environment. They r...

What can the world’s most capable maritime and aerospace power do? The world was reminded this weekend. There is no other place this week’s Midrats could start but the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Summary The conversation delves into the recent Operation Midnight Hammer, discussing its implications for U.S.-Iran relations, the threat of Iranian retaliation, and the strategic military oper...

Today we’re going to take a friend’s Substack post and turn it into one of the best podcast hours you’ll have this summer…and maybe give you some ideas about books you need to take with you for the July 4th weekend. From Claude’s May 23rd Substack : From the gun decks of HMS Indefatigable to the command chair of a futuristic starship, the portrayal of naval officers in fiction has evolved alongsid...

Mark and I are back from most of May taking care of business! Time for a MIDRATS! Show Links Pentagon chief tells Asian allies: Raise defence spending to 5% of GDP like Europe Tom Shugart post on PRC ship in Norfolk, from APR 2024 1980s Strategic Homeporting Initiative Claude Berube on OSS developing deep strike drone boats against Japanese bridges and tunnels in WW2 Operation Pigeon Bat bombs The...

The People’s Republic of China continues to expand its already well-established contestation of ownership, access, and control of ports throughout the world. They have done this in parallel with building the world’s largest navy and a diverse set of military capabilities clearly designed with one purpose—defeating the U.S. military in the Indo-Pacific. Returning to Midrats to discuss this and rela...

With each new administration, there is opportunity for change and reform. In the new Trump Administration, reform isn’t seen as a secondary effect of a leadership change but as a requirement. What reform options should the new Pentagon leadership explore under the Trump Administration? Joining us to discuss this and related topics is Gary Anderson, Colonel, USMC (Ret.).  A starting point for our c...

Many frustrated by the perceived lack of understanding of our nation’s maritime heritage requirements want new leaders with fresh ideas, unburdened by legacy entanglements. It is hoped that a younger cohort with military experience, preferably naval, in the House of Representatives and the Senate who bring to the job an additional background in business and industry will emerge to promote construc...

Returning for the full hour will be Dr. Sebastian Bruns. Sebastian is a seapower expert and maritime strategist. His current project as Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Policy Kiel University (ISPK) is “NATO Maritime Strategies and Naval Operations since 1985”, a multi-year effort to explore the Alliance’s maritime and naval roles between the late Cold War and today. Sebastian is th...

Summary Sal and Mark delve into the current state of the U.S. Navy, discussing the size and capabilities of the fleet, the challenges of operating as a two-ocean Navy, and the potential for utilizing alternative naval assets such as offshore supply vessels. They explore the ongoing debate between manned and unmanned aircraft. Discussed some of the lessons on how to turn around a military quickly u...

The origin story of the United States of America begins, in no small part, with maritime trade issues. Most of the declared and many of the undeclared, wars our nation has fought can be traced to the safety of our maritime commerce and unfettered access to the open seas. Look at any map, and you’ll see we have oceans to the east and west of us, between our nation and its markets, allies, and compe...

Having trouble keeping up with all the developments in the national security realm over the last two months? Well, let not your heart be troubled, Sal & Mark are here for you this week with the ever-popular Midrats Melee format! No guest this week for the podcast, just your two humble hosts, solving the world’s problems in 60-minutes. Show Links Rear Admiral William Daly , USN OPNAV N96 at Sur...

A firm and lasting peace treaty, a ceasefire, in or out of NATO, in or out of the EU, European or international peacekeeping forces, an unending slog, or Russian tanks in downtown Kyiv? What are the realistic…and unrealistic…options for Ukraine as they enter the 4th year of the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022?Is the best path for Ukrainian security instead a new security architecture based on Ukrainia...

In the first month of the new Trump Administration, much of the attention outside our borders has focused on Europe and the Middle East—the two regions that always seem to divert our focus from America’s greatest competitor, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We often think of the challenge in terms of the most obvious arena—the Pacific—but it extends from the Arctic to Africa and, increasingly...

Returning to Midrats this week to discuss his latest non-fiction novel is Seth W.B. Folsom, Colonel, USMC (Ret.). From the Amazon page: Nothing Here Worth Dying For tells the story of his command of Task Force Lion—a “purpose-built” combat advisor team—and his frenetic 2017 deployment to Iraq’s Al Anbar Province. Charged with the daunting task of advising, assisting, and enabling the Iraqi Securit...

Does the US Navy have the right number and mix of amphibious ships, and are those ships being properly maintained? The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report to Congress explored this topic in depth, and today’s Midrats Podcast will delve into it further. From the summary of the report : Amphibious warfare ships are critical for Marine Corps missions, but the Navy has struggled to...