Episode #397: Tech at the Front Lines: How Consumer-Scale Innovation is Shaping War

Crazy Wisdom

In this episode of Crazy Wisdom, I'm Stewart Alsop, and my guest is Nathan Mintz, CEO and co-founder of CX2. We explore the fascinating world of defense technology, the evolution of electronic warfare, and how consumer tech is reshaping the battlefield. Nathan shares insights from his experiences, including his work with CX2, a company focused on building affordable, scalable electronic warfare systems for modern conflicts. We also touch on military tech's impact on broader societal trends and dive into the complexities of 21st-century warfare. You can find more about Nathan and CX2 at CX2.com. Nathan also writes on his Substack, Bow Theseus, which you can access via his LinkedIn.

Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation!

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:23 The Gundo vs. El Segundo Debate

01:32 Tech Hubs in the US: San Francisco vs. LA

02:41 Deep Tech and Hard Tech in Various Cities

04:59 Military Tech: Software vs. Hardware

09:54 The Rise of Consumer-Scale Warfare

13:32 Nathan Mintz's Background and Career

22:17 The Evolution of Military Strategies

26:57 The Evolution of Air Combat Tactics

28:29 Vietnam War's Impact on Military Strategy

29:23 Asymmetric Warfare and Modern Conflicts

31:43 Technological Advances in Warfare

34:16 The Role of Drones in Modern Combat

38:38 Future of Warfare: Man-Machine Teaming

45:13 Electronic Warfare and CX2's Vision

46:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Key Insights

1. The Rise of Consumer-Scale Warfare: Nathan Mintz discusses how warfare has reached a "consumer scale," with small, affordable, and widely available technologies like drones playing a massive role in modern conflicts. In Ukraine, for instance, inexpensive drones are regularly used to take out much larger, multi-million-dollar military assets. This shift shows how accessible tech is transforming the nature of warfare.
2. The Importance of Spectrum Dominance: A central theme of the conversation is the increasing importance of controlling the electromagnetic spectrum in modern warfare. Mintz explains that the ability to maintain secure communications, disrupt enemy signals, and ensure the operation of autonomous systems is critical. As battlefields become more technologically complex, controlling the spectrum becomes as important as physical dominance.
3. Hard Tech's Role in Military Innovation: Nathan highlights the growing importance of hard tech—physical hardware solutions like satellites, drones, and electronic warfare systems—in the defense industry, especially in regions like LA. While software has dominated in areas like San Francisco, LA has become a key hub for aerospace, space tech, and hard tech innovations, crucial for the future of defense technology.
4. Dual-Use Technologies in Defense: A significant insight is the role of dual-use technologies, where products developed for consumer or commercial markets are adapted for military use. Technologies like drones, which have everyday applications, are being repurposed for the battlefield. This shift allows for more cost-effective, scalable solutions to military challenges, marking a departure from traditional defense industry practices.
5. The Future of Manned-Unmanned Teaming: Nathan describes how the future of military operations will involve manned-unmanned teaming, where humans will act as "quarterbacks" managing a fleet of autonomous drones and systems. This strategy is designed to leverage the strengths of AI and automation while keeping humans in the loop to make critical decisions in contested or unpredictable environments.
6. Electronic Warfare as a Key Battlefield Domain: One of Nathan’s key points is that electronic warfare is becoming a primary battlefield domain. Modern warfare increasingly involves not just physical attacks but also the disruption of enemy communications, navigation, and targeting systems. This form of warfare can neutralize advanced technologies by jamming signals or launching cyber-attacks, making it a vital aspect of future conflicts.
7. Innovation in Warfare through Startups: Nathan discusses how small defense tech startups like CX2 are becoming crucial to military innovation. These companies are building nimble, affordable solutions for modern challenges, contrasting with the traditional defense contractors that build massive, expensive systems. This shift allows for quicker development and deployment of technologies tailored to the changing face of warfare.