Inside the Machine: How Venture and Defense Collide - Chris Donaghey & James Cross | Part I

Drone Wars

In this episode of Drone Wars, Dan Magy is joined by defense investors and Silicon Valley Defense Group founders James Cross and Chris Donaghey for a high-octane discussion on the present and future of military innovation. From production bottlenecks to geopolitical realignments, the trio explores what it will take to actually deliver at scale—and at speed.
They talk about why hardware is hard, the myth of acquisition reform, and how Europe and Asia are carving out their own defense ecosystems. They also break down the real reasons VCs suddenly care about defense tech, and why manufacturing—not code—might be the ultimate moat.
Whether you're a founder, policymaker, or defense insider, this one is full of brutal truths and sharp insights.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Kicking Off with Cockroaches in D.C.
1:15 – Being Early in Defense Entrepreneurship
2:40 – Can the DoD Pick Winners?
4:30 – MRAPs, Bureaucracy, and Budget Cuts
6:20 – The ‘Cockroach’ Class and the Illusion of Reform
8:00 – Defense VCs: From SaaS to Strategic Capital
10:15 – Europe Builds for Europe
13:20 – Asia’s Next Move
15:40 – Fiction as Strategy: The Rise of 'White Sun War'
17:15 – Who Runs Out of Robots First?
19:10 – Cost-Plus Contracts and the Scaling Trap
21:00 – Final Thoughts: No Silver Bullet for Small Drones
#DroneWars #DefenseTech #MilitaryInnovation #UnmannedSystems #EmergingTech #Firestorm #Autonomy #CounterDrone #LaserWeapons #SiliconValleyDefense

About Drone Wars

Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.