On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference this April in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Chris Servello, the cohost of the Cavas Ships podcast and Defense & Aerospace Report’s editorial strategist, joins editor Vago Muradian to discuss the Apex conference’s program; and Doug Jankovich, the executive vice president at QinetiQ who leads the company’s AUKUS efforts, discusses the role the British-American firm plans in the Australia-UK-UK partnership; updates progress on the two major focus areas of the initiative, Pillar I to furnish Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines and Pillar 2 that spans technological cooperation across cyber, AI, hypersonics, quantum computing; the key to moving fast to deliver capability including more easily moving key personnel among partner nations; the role of off-the-shelf and bespoke technologies; and the case for AUKUS as the Trump administration considers the future of the partnership.

On this innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference in Washington between April 23-24, 2025 — sponsored by Clarion Defence — Keith Flynn, the senior vice president for production at Anduril, and Dr. Zach Mears, the company’s senior vice president for strategy, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the five-million-square-foot Arsenal I engineering, development and production facility in Columbus, Ohio; production schedules and recruiting talent; how the adoption of automotive mass production techniques can accelerate arms production; adapting systems design to ensure ease of production; working with a new administration committed to expanding and speeding weapons manufacture to streamline the process of building the new plant; navigating supply chain challenges and controlling cost through design changes and deciding what to buy from vendors and what to make in-house; and the supply chain and sales implications of tariffs and strained alliance relationship; and when to expect Arsenal II. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexevents.org

On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference this April in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Bryan Clark, the director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute think tank, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his new report — Winning the Fight for Sensing and Sensemaking  — why DoD needs a strategy to degrade China’s sensing as well as command and control; how China’s seabed to cislunar sensing networks compare to US capabilities; vulnerabilities of China’s networks compared to those of the United States; how the Pentagon should connect a counter-sensing and network disruption strategy with kinetic effects; the logic of being able to counter China’s sensing and sensemaking capabilities in peacetime; progress report on US efforts to counter China’s C5ISR capabilities; scaling cyber and electronic warfare capabilities and encourage new defense economy firms to the segment; and an update on planning for the Apex innovation conference. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

On this innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next year in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Dr. Alexander Miller, the US Army’s chief technology officer and senior adviser for science and technology for Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the changes needed to better take advantage of rapidly changing innovation cycles, the future technologies that will have the biggest impact on warfighting, fielding what the Army needs more rapidly and in large quantities, how to the Army can benefit from commercial innovation and better harness car and industrial product makers to satisfy military needs at speed and scale, a more nuanced Ukraine lessons that are applicable beyond the context of the current conflict, whether the big problems posed by Chinese and Russian militaries have been framed to better guide innovation efforts to solve specific challenges, role of allied and partner S&T as well as industrial capabilities to equip US forces, and more. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

On this innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next January in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Raj Shah, the former director of the Defense Innovation Unit who is a cofounder of Shield Capital, and Dr. Chris Kirchhoff, the former director of strategic planning at the National Security Council during the Obama administration who founded the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss their new book — Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War — their concern the United States isn’t ready for a new era of warfare, the most important lessons from the Ukraine war, whether the Pentagon has identified the big problems it needs to solve to prevail in wars against China and Russia, the importance of presidential leadership in driving change across DoD, progress since DIU was founded, the venture capital environment, and role of allies and partners. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next January in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Dan Fata, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO during the Bush administration who is now the principal at the Fata Advisory consultancy, and Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the department of homeland security who is now with the new technology advisory firm Washington Office, discuss the new DC chapter of the Capital Factory in Austin — Station DC — that aims to become the nexus of the technology ecosystem in Washington, the importance of bringing together the entire tech community from small firms to heritage primes and everything in between, Station DC’s role in bringing together industry, the Pentagon as well as lawmakers, the bottlenecks innovative firms see as impediments to progress and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next January in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Gen. Dave Goldfein, USAF Ret., the US Air Force’s 21st chief of staff, who is now a Blackstone board member and Google Public Sector board chair and advisor to firms like Anduril and Shield Capital, discusses what he has learned since retirement that he wishes he new while in uniform, how to drive innovation, keys to quickly adapting commercial technologies for military needs, growing importance of data and software, the lessons from the Air Force’s decision to pick Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems as the finalists in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft contest, culture change and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.