Our favorite weapons of 2024: Weapon of the Week

[Ryan]

OF THE THINGS WE’VE LEARNED OVER THE PAST YEAR IS THAT OUR VIEWERS REALLY LIKE OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK SEGMENT. THOSE VIDEOS CONSISTENTLY GARNER SOME OF THE HIGHEST VIEWS. AND THAT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? SINCE IT’S 1/3 OF OUR NAME, WEAPONS AND WARFARE. SO LET’S DO THIS IN REVERSE ORDER FROM LAST TO FIRST. THAT MEANS DAKOTA, YOU’RE GONNA LEAD US OFF. SINCE YOU WERE THE LAST ONE AND THE DEBRIEF, GO AHEAD AND LEAD US OFF. YOUR FAVORITE WEAPON OF THE WEEK.

[DAKOTA]

THIS ONE I DID PICK FOR THE GRAPHICS, BUT NOT THE GRAPHICS I DID. I’M GOING WITH EPISODE 38 THE ANDREWS ANIME LAUNCH TRAILER. SURE, WHERE THEY HAD THAT SWEET, I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE, A MINUTE, MINUTE AND A HALF ANIME STYLE THING, WHERE THEY WERE LIKE, FIGHTING AND BUILDING THE MISSILES ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE, AND THEY ALL LIKE, KIND OF FLY OFF AT THE END. IT WAS CLASSIC. ONE THING THAT ALSO STUCK OUT TO ME WAS LIKE, HOW SIMPLE THE ACTUAL MISSILES ARE. THEY SAID SOMETHING LIKE 50% LESS PARTS THAN A NORMAL MISSILE OF THAT SIZE, AND THEN IT COULD BE ASSEMBLED WITH 10 OR LESS TOOLS LIKE THAT. SEEMS CRAZY, LIKE IF I COULD BUILD IT MY GARAGE. BASICALLY, THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING SHOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE. SO HATS OFF TO THE TEAM THAT MADE THE ANIME TRAILER. AND THEN HATS OFF TO THE ENGINEERS THAT MADE A VERY SIMPLE MISSILE THAT PROBABLY WORKS VERY WELL.

[RYAN]

ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS DAKOTA PITEO’S FAVORITE WEAPON OF THE WEEK, BASICALLY. AND EARL’S LAUNCH PROMO FOR ITS ITS ARSENAL, I THINK, IS WHAT THEY CALL IT. IT’S, YOU KNOW, AUTONOMOUS FACILITY TO MAKE ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT’S NOT BUILT YET, BUT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY GOING TO BE AT SOME POINT SOMEDAY. SO YEAH, DAKOTA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. WE’LL KEEP THIS TRAIN GOING A LITTLE BIT MORE. BRIAN, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU HAVE BROUGHT SOME IDEAS FOR US FOR WEAPON OF THE WEEK. YOU GOT A GREAT EYE FOR FOR FINDING THINGS THAT JUST KIND OF STAND OUT. SO REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT YOUR YOUR FAVORITE WEAPON OF THE WEEK.

[BRIAN]

SO MINE IS ACTUALLY IT’S A DRONE. BUT IT’S NOT JUST BECAUSE IT’S A DRONE. IT’S ACTUALLY IT’S FUEL SOURCE THAT MAKES IT INTERESTING. IT’S FROM HEAVEN DRONES COMPANY, AND THEY USE HYDROGEN INSTEAD OF ELECTRICITY. AND I PERSONALLY PREFER HYDROGEN AS A FUEL SOURCE FOR THESE TYPES OF THINGS OVER ELECTRICITY, BECAUSE IT’S THE MOST ABUNDANT RESOURCE IN THE WORLD, AND YOU CAN PULL IT STRAIGHT FROM THE AIR. YOU DON’T HAVE THE MIND FOR IT. AND BUT WHAT’S REALLY COOL IS, WHILE THEY’RE UP THERE, SINCE IT’S IN THE AIR, THEY CAN JUST MAKE MORE FUEL WHILE THEY’RE UP THERE. AND HEAVEN DRONES JUST PRETTY COOL DIRECTION TO DIVERSIFY THE TOOLS AND WEAPONS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE MILITARY IN SOME FUTURE. AND WHILE IT’S NOT AN APPLICATION THAT PROBABLY CAN BE FOLDED IN EXACTLY RIGHT NOW, BUT IT’S REALLY COOL EXPERIMENT FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.

[RYAN]

ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS OUR VIDEO EDITOR, BRIAN AND HIS PICK FOR WEAPON OF THE WEEK, HIS FAVORITE WEAPON OF THE WEEK, HEAVEN DRONES AND THEIR HYDROGEN POWERED DRONES. AND I’M GONNA SAY THIS AGAIN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE DID WHEN THIS SHOW ORIGINALLY AIRED, I’M SURE THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SEE THAT AND THINK HYDROGEN POWERED THAT’S GOT, THAT’S REALLY BAD IDEA. THAT’S A BOMB JUST FLOATING AROUND OUT THERE. THE FOLKS AT HEAVEN DRONES HAVE ASSURED US THAT THEY HAVE DONE THE TESTING AND DONE THE DROP TESTS AND ALL THAT, AND IT’S SAFE. IT’S NOT GOING TO BLOW UP. EVEN IF YOU SHOOT IT, IT WON’T BLOW UP. SO I’M GOING TO TAKE THEIR WORD ON IT, BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE A BUNCH OF HYDROGEN TO GO SHOOT. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WE’LL GO AHEAD AND KEEP THINGS GOING. SUPER PRODUCER. BRETT BAKER, YOU ARE WITH ME ON THESE TRIPS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN. YOU OBVIOUSLY DO A LOT OF THE WRITING. THING THAT BRINGS THE SHOW TOGETHER. SO YOU’RE SOME OF THE THE FIRST EYES THAT HAS A LOOK AT WHAT WE’RE GOING TO BE MAYBE DOING FOR OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK. SO YOUR FAVORITE THIS YEAR WAS,

[BRETT]

ODDLY ENOUGH, IT’S NOT A PIECE OF HARDWARE, IT’S NOT A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY. IT’S IT’S A UNIT THAT THE ARMY IS PUTTING TOGETHER. THEY’RE THEY’RE WATCHING WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE UKRAINE, AND WE’RE LEARNING LESSONS. THEY’RE LEARNING LESSONS REAL TIME, AND THEY’RE GOING AHEAD AND PUTTING THOSE INTO EFFECT. AND THEY CAME UP WITH SOMETHING CALLED, AND I HAVE TO LOOK THIS UP, BECAUSE IT’S AN, YOU KNOW, A MILITARY THING. IT’S TOO LONG FOR ME TO REMEMBER THE MULTI FUNCTIONAL RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY. WHAT IT IS, IT’S ABOUT EQUIPPING SMALL UNITS OF OF RECONNAISSANCE TEAMS WITH THE TECH AND THE EQUIPMENT TO PERFORM DIFFERENT OPERATIONS, DIFFERENT MISSIONS. THEY’VE ALL GOT THEIR OWN SPECIAL, UH, TARGETS AND OBJECTIVES. BUT I THOUGHT AS A WEAPON OF THE WEEK, THE SOLDIER REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, THE ULTIMATE WEAPON AND PUTTING THE RIGHT TOOLS IN THEIR HANDS, AND THE ARMY LOOKING FORWARD, AND THEIR ATTEMPTS TO MODERNIZE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHATEVER OUR NEXT CONFLICT IS WITH THESE UNITS, I THINK IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE, AND I THINK IT’S ONLY GOING TO EXPAND FROM, OBVIOUSLY, WHERE THEY’RE JUST TESTING IT NOW, AND IT’S GOING TO BECOME A BIG THING.

 [RYAN]

BRETT, ALL RIGHT, BRETT BAKER, SENIOR PRODUCER, BRETT BAKER’S PICK FOR WEAPON OF THE WEEK. BRETT, YOU LOOKED IT UP SO THE OFFICIAL NAME ONE MORE TIME,

[BRETT]

AND I JUST CLICKED OUT MY SCREEN. HERE IT IS, THE MULTI FUNCTIONAL RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY, OR THE MFRC.

[RYAN]

ALL RIGHT, GREAT CONCEPT, AND YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THE THINGS THAT WE’RE LEARNING RIGHT NOW FROM THE WAR IN UKRAINE IS JUST INFORMING SO MUCH OF WHAT OUR OWN ARMED FORCES ARE DOING AND WILL BE DOING AS THEY PREPARE FOR POTENTIALLY GREAT POWER COMPETITION AGAINST CHINA, RUSSIA, AND POTENTIALLY THEIR ALLIES, ALL RIGHT, SO MY FAVORITE, OR MY PICK FOR WEAPON OF THE WEEK, IS PRETTY TIMELY. THIS SHOW, OBVIOUSLY, IS COMING OUT ON CHRISTMAS DAY, DECEMBER 25 IF YOU’RE ON THE EAST COAST, IF YOU’VE WATCHED NEWS AT ALL, YOU KNOW ABOUT DRONES IN NEW JERSEY, RIGHT? SO THIS, THIS PIECE OF TECH IS CALLED THE ENFORCE AIR TWO FROM DEFEND AND IT’S A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT NOT ONLY DOES IT ALLOW THE USER TO TRACK A WIDE RANGE OF DRONES WITHIN ITS AIRSPACE, IT ALSO ALLOWS THEM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN IDENTIFY THE DRONE, LIKE, YES, THAT’S A DRONE. THIS IS WHAT KIND OF DRONE IT IS. THIS IS WHERE THE PILOT OR THE OPERATOR OF THAT DRONE IS. AND, OH, BY THE WAY, LET’S GO AHEAD AND JUST TAKE OVER THE DRONE, AND NOW WE CONTROL IT. IT’S, IT’S A PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT IS, IS VERY MUCH IN NEED US. LAWS HAVE TO CHANGE IN ORDER FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHERS TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT. BUT IT’S IT’S A VITAL PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY. IT EXISTS TODAY, AND PRETTY SOON, IT’S PROBABLY GOING TO BE PRETTY WIDESPREAD.

[RYAN]

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT WAS MY PICK FOR MY FAVORITE WEAPON OF THE WEEK, AND THAT WAS THE QUAD FATHERS. QUAD FATHERS WAVE SAY, SAY HELLO TO OUR AUDIENCE AND GOODBYE. THAT’S GOING TO DO IT FOR THE GROUP PORTION OF THIS WEEK’S EPISODE. BUT BEFORE WE CUT YOU GUYS OFF, ANY FINAL THOUGHTS THAT ANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.

[BRETT]

IT’S JUST, IT’S, IT’S BEEN A GREAT RIDE SO FAR. YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT THAT WE WERE TASKED WITH, AND I COULDN’T IMAGINE THREE BETTER GUYS TO BE DOING IT WITH THE FACT THAT IT WORKS SO WELL AND IT LOOKS SO GOOD, AND THAT WE’RE ALL REMOTE, AND WE NEVER, ACTUALLY HARDLY SEE EACH OTHER IS IS PRETTY, PRETTY IMPRESSIVE TO ME.

[BRIAN]

YEAH, I’LL JUST GO NEXT. THE COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE FROM EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THIS HAS BEEN PRETTY GREAT, AND WE PICK EACH OTHER UP WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH. AND SO IT’S BEEN A PRETTY COOL YEAR, AND ONWARD, IN 2025.

[DAKOTA]

YEAH, I THINK IT’S BEEN A GREAT YEAR. THE PRODUCT IS AMAZING, AND THANKS TO YOU GUYS FOR WATCHING AND SHARING AND ALL OF THESE STUFF THAT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. AND YOU KNOW, WE WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MORE STUFF WITH YOU GUYS IN THE COMING YEAR.

[RYAN]

ABSOLUTELY, GUYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE SHOW, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, FOR THE SHOW, FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, LIKE BRETT SAID, COULDN’T IMAGINE DOING THIS WITH ANYBODY ELSE. SO YEAH, BIG THINGS ARE IN STORE FOR 2025 INCLUDING MAYBE THE FOUR OF US GET TOGETHER IN A. BEER HALL SOMETIME, MAYBE, I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE.

[BRETT]

IN 3D, REAL WORLD.