The Afghanistan War Commission’s mission: Weapons and Warfare

Sep 03, 2025 at 03:30 AM CDT

Ryan Robertson, Brett Baker

This week on Weapons and Warfare, host Ryan Robertson takes a look at the work of the Afghanistan War Commission. — Image credit: Staff Sgt. Clay Lancaster via DVIDS

This recording was made using enhanced software.

This week on Weapons and Warfare, host Ryan Robertson takes a look at the work of the Afghanistan War Commission. He explores their mission to uncover lessons learned from two decades of conflict, aiming to enhance future military strategies and operations.

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We’ll hear from members of the commission as they work to reveal how these lessons could shape the U.S. military’s approach in future engagements.

Also featured in this episode:

USAF top boss calls it a career.
Spain scraps F-35 plans.
Hurricane Hunters fly into the eye of the storm.
Weapon of the Week: We’re highlighting the cutting-edge Cummings Aerospace Hellhound S3. We’ll take a look at its innovative design, capabilities and potential impact on modern warfare.

You can subscribe to the Weapons and Warfare podcast on the platform of your choosing here.

Ryan Robertson is the anchor of the Straight Arrow News video podcast Weapons and Warfare. He wore many hats in his career — from photographer to news director — and firmly believes honest journalism will save our Republic.

Brett Baker

Brett Baker is a senior producer at Straight Arrow News, where he oversees the production of Weapons and Warfare. An Air Force veteran with more than 35 years in broadcast journalism, Brett combines his military experience and passion for storytelling to serve SAN's audience.

Tags: Afghanistan, Air Force, hurricane, Spain, U.S. Army, Weapons

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[RYAN ROBERTSON]

TWO YEARS INTO A FOUR-YEAR TERM, THE AIR FORCE’S TOP FOUR-STAR UNEXPECTEDLY CALLS IT A CAREER. WHAT’S BEHIND THE DECISION?

PLUS, SPAIN SCRAPS PLANS TO BUY THE F-35. WHAT THAT MEANS FOR LOCKHEED MARTIN AND NATO.

AND, BUCKLE UP, WE’RE GOING FOR A RIDE WITH THE HURRICANE HUNTERS AS THEY FLY INTO THE EYE OF HURRICANE ERIN.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO WEAPONS AND WARFARE. A SHOW MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE.

OUR GOAL IS TO HELP YOU HAVE AN INFORMED CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH AMERICA’S MILITARY.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M YOUR HOST, RYAN ROBERTSON, AND WE START THIS WEEK WITH A LOOK BACK AT AMERICA’S WAR IN AFGHANISTAN. IN 2021 CONGRESS TASKED A BIPARTISAN COMMISSION WITH DOCUMENTING THE STORIES OF WARRIORS WHO SERVED IN AMERICA’S LONGEST-RUNNING WAR. WHILE THE COMMISSION’S FULL REPORT WON’T BE RELEASED UNTIL NEXT YEAR, WE ARE HEARING FROM SOME OF THOSE ENTRUSTED TO DO THE JOB.

AND THAT’S THE SUBJECT OF THIS WEEK’S DEBRIEF.

38 DAYS.

THAT’S ALL THE TIME THAT STOOD BETWEEN THE HORRIFIC EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11th, 2001, AND THE FIRST AMERICANS SETTING FOOT IN AFGHANISTAN ON OCTOBER 19th.

7,255 DAYS LATER THE LAST AMERICAN MILITARY CONTINGENT WOULD LEAVE.

IT IS AMERICA’S LONGEST WAR, AND NOW, VETERANS FROM THE UNITED STATES’ 20-YEAR INVOLVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN ARE TELLING THE COMMISSION REVIEWING THE DECISIONS THAT SHAPED THE WAR IT WAS INDEED HELL, BUT ALSO CONFOUNDING, DEMORALIZING, EVEN HUMILIATING FOR THEM.

[Shamila Chaudhary, Co-Chair Afghanistan War Commission]

“One thing that’s particularly important to us is to tell a human story of the war. We know that the media has covered the issues and conflicts of Afghanistan extensively, but oftentimes the stories of the individuals who served on the ground get lost.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE REPORT WILL ANALYZE KEY STRATEGIC, DIPLOMATIC, MILITARY, AND OPERATIONAL DECISIONS MADE BETWEEN JUNE 2001 AND THE CHAOTIC WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN IN AUGUST 2021.

[Chris Molino, Afghanistan War Commission]

“I think Afghanistan, like any war, is full of coming-of-age stories when you get down to the very individual level. And those are, as Bob said, those are gut-wrenching, those are very personal things.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ACCORDING TO NUMBERS FROM THE A-MARK FOUNDATION, MORE THAN 832,000 AMERICANS SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN THROUGHOUT OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM AND FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. NEARLY 21,000 WERE WOUNDED, WHILE 3,923 MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.

ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF THE COMMISSION IS TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC, DIPLOMATIC, AND OPERATIONAL CHOICES MADE BY THE U.S. DURING THE WAR, AS WELL AS GATHER LESSONS LEARNED AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE.

[Shamila Chaudhary, Co-Chair Afghanistan War Commission]

“Our work is not just about what the U.S. did in Afghanistan, but what the US should be doing in any country where it deems it has a national security interest.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

TO DATE, THE COMMISSION CONDUCTED MORE THAN 160 INTERVIEWS WITH CABINET-LEVEL OFFICIALS, MILITARY COMMANDERS, DIPLOMATS, AFGHAN AND PAKISTANI LEADERS, AND OTHERS,

[Robert Ashley, Afghanistan War Commission]

“This isn’t just us talking to Americans. We’re talking to allies, partners, we are talking to Afghans about their experience and try to understand how they saw the decisions and our actions over the course of the war.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE COMMISSION IS ALSO HOSTING FORUMS FOR VETERANS, INCLUDING A RECENT ONE AT A NATIONAL VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS CONVENTION.

[Robert Ashley, Afghanistan War Commission]

“The reason we’re in Columbus today is to talk with those coming to this VFW convention, one is to educate them on the purpose of the commission, but it also allows them to have a voice and express their concerns, tell their stories about their experience in Afghanistan.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE GROUP RELEASED ITS SECOND INTERIM REPORT IN AUGUST..

IT DRAWS NO CONCLUSIONS YET, BUT IDENTIFIES THEMES EMERGING FROM DOCUMENTS, INTERVIEWS, AND VETERAN FORUMS.

THE COMMISSION’S FINAL REPORT IS DUE TO BE MADE PUBLIC BY AUGUST 22, 2026.

I’M JOINED NOW BY SENIOR PRODUCER, AND AIR FORCE VETERAN, BRETT BAKER.

BRETT, I’M REALLY GLAD WE DID THIS STORY ON THE COMMISSION’S FINDINGS SO FAR–BECAUSE WHATEVER CRITICISMS AMERICANS HAVE OF THEIR GOVERNMENT IN THE HANDLING OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR–

THE SERVICE MEMBERS DOING THE ACTUAL WORK ON THE GROUND AND IN THE AIR PERFORMED ADMIRABLY.

[BRETT BAKER]

ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. IT’S REALLY CRITICAL THAT THEIR VOICES ARE PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD, AND IT HELPS INFORM LEADERSHIP. YOU KNOW WHAT’S NEXT GOING FORWARD, WHENEVER THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENS AGAIN,

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ALRIGHT, LET’S GET TO SOME HEADLINES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

JUST TWO YEARS INTO A FOUR-YEAR ASSIGNMENT, THE AIR FORCE’S CHIEF OF STAFF IS CALLING IT A CAREER. IN A SURPRISING MOVE, GENERAL DAVID ALLVIN ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT. HE WILL REMAIN AS CHIEF OF STAFF UNTIL A REPLACEMENT IS CONFIRMED AND EXPECTS TO LEAVE AROUND NOVEMBER 1, TWO YEARS INTO HIS FOUR-YEAR TERM.

OF HIS DECISION TO END HIS 39-YEAR CAREER, GENERAL ALLVIN SAID:

“More than anything, I’m proud to have been part of the team of Airmen who live out our core values of integrity, service and excellence every day as we prepare to defend this great nation.”

ALLVIN IS AN AIR FORCE ACADEMY GRADUATE AND COMMAND PILOT WITH MORE THAN 4,600 FLYING HOURS

BRETT–GENERAL ALLVIN’S DEPARTURE IS SURPRISING…AND MARKS ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF TOP COMMANDERS TO QUIT OR BE FIRED SINCE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP NAMED PETE HEGSETH DEFENSE SECRETARY.

[BRETT BAKER]

YEAH, AND YOU KNOW THIS GUY, WE’VE SEEN HIM SPEAK A FEW TIMES AT DIFFERENT SYMPOSIUMS THAT WE’VE BEEN TO. HE IS A COMPELLING FIGURE, LIKE HE CAN COMMAND A ROOM. YOU LISTEN WHEN HE’S TALKING. SO WHATEVER HIS REASONS ARE, WHATEVER THE MOTIVATIONS WERE, WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT IS, IT’S, I THINK IT’S A BLOW TO AIR FORCE LEADERSHIP THAT HE’S STEPPING OUT THIS EARLY. YOU KNOW, IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE A FOUR-YEAR COMMITMENT, AND YOU KNOW, HALFWAY THROUGH, HE’S PULLING THE EJECTION HANDLE. I DON’T THINK IT’S GOOD FOR THE AIR FORCE. I DON’T THINK IT’S GOOD FOR THE DOD, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

SO EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A SHORTENED TIME IN OFFICE THERE AS CHIEF OF STAFF THE AIR FORCE, HE DEFINITELY MADE A MARK ON THE SERVICE, FOR SURE.

THANKS, BUT NO THANKS. THAT’S THE WORD FROM SPANISH MILITARY OFFICIALS AS THEY PUT A STOP TO A DEAL WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN FOR A FLEET OF F-35 FIGHTER JETS, INSTEAD, SPAIN IS TURNING ITS FOCUS TO EUROPEAN-MADE OPTIONS, LIKE THE EUROFIGHTER AND THE FUTURE COMBAT AIR SYSTEM. SPAIN HAD SET ASIDE MORE THAN €6 BILLION TO UPGRADE ITS AGING NAVY AND AIR FORCE FLEETS. BUT, WITH RISING TENSIONS OVER DEFENSE SPENDING TARGETS AND POLITICAL FRICTION BETWEEN MADRID AND WASHINGTON, THE U.S. JETS ARE OFF THE TABLE FOR NOW.

CANADA WAS LOOKING AT A SIMILAR DEAL–BUT WILL PROBABLY STAY WITH THE F-35…BRETT, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS?

[BRETT BAKER]

IT’S INTERESTING, FOR SURE. I THINK IT’S MORE OF A SIGN OF THE TIME WE’RE IN RIGHT NOW THAN IT IS ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE ITSELF. BECAUSE YOU’RE RIGHT, THEIR FLEET IS MOSTLY HARRIERS AND F-18, SO YOU’RE TALKING 50 TO 30 YEAR OLD TECHNOLOGY, AND NOW THEY’RE GOING TO WAIT FOR SOMETHING THAT IS STILL IN DEVELOPMENT. SO WHO KNOWS WHEN THOSE SIX GEN FIGHTERS ARE GOING TO BECOME AVAILABLE? WHEREAS YOU HAVE A FIFTH-GENERATION FIGHTER THAT THEY’RE STILL FULLY REALIZING ITS CAPABILITIES AVAILABLE NOW. SO I DO THINK IT’S A BIT OF THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE AMERICA FIRST POLICY, EUROPEAN UNITS OR COUNTRIES ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THEMSELVES AND SAYING, OKAY, WELL, MAYBE WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO OPERATE WITHIN THIS. AND SO I THINK THAT’S PROBABLY LIKE THE BIGGEST PART OF THIS PIECE IS, LET’S KEEP IT WITHIN EUROPE, AND THAT’LL HELP WHATEVER HAPPENS DOWN THE ROAD.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

YOU BET, YEAH, THERE’S SOME FEARS THAT, WHETHER THEY’RE FOUNDED OR UNFOUNDED, THEY EXIST, THAT IF THE YOU IF EUROPEANS BUY A LOT OF AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY, THAT THE AMERICANS MIGHT BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TURN OFF A FUNCTION OF THAT VEHICLE, OR A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO EUROPEANS WANT TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND ENSURE THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN. WE SAW THIS IN UKRAINE WHEN STARLINK WAS KIND OF SHUT DOWN FOR A LITTLE BIT, WHEN UKRAINE WAS TRYING TO LAUNCH A COUNTER OFFENSIVE INTO RUSSIA. THAT COUNTER OFFENSIVE WAS ULTIMATELY CALLED OFF BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE.

TALK ABOUT A TURBULENT DAY AT WORK. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE 53RD WEATHER RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON, AKA THE HURRICANE HUNTERS, TRACKING HURRICANE ERIN. FLYING A W-C-130-J SUPER HERCULES OUT OF KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISSISSIPPI, THE CREW DEPLOYED OCEAN BUOYS TO COLLECT REAL-TIME MEASUREMENTS OF WAVES, CURRENTS, AND ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE. AND OH YEAH, THEY FLEW INTO THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE, YIELDING SOME AMAZING VIDEO.

BRETT, I WILL NOT EVER DO THIS, WHAT SAY YOU?

[BRETT BAKER]

I MEAN, THEY’RE NOT GONNA GO FLY IT IF THEY DON’T PLAN ON COMING HOME.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THAT’S TRUE. THEY SAY TURBULENCE DOESN’T USUALLY DOWN PLANES–

THESE CREWS REALLY PUT THAT THEORY TO THE TEST.

[BRETT BAKER]

YEAH, IT’S AMAZING WORK THEY’RE DOING, REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY IS CATCHING UP TO WHERE NOW THEY CAN PUT THINGS INTO THESE STORMS, COVER THAT PUT THINGS INTO THESE STORMS THAT, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM STUDY WHERE THEY’RE GOING, HOW THEY’RE DEVELOPING ALL THAT STUFF. I COULDN’T EVEN BEGIN TO COMPREHEND WHAT IT ALL IS, BUT I DO THINK IT’S FASCINATING THAT THEY’RE LIKE, OPENING THE BACK OF THAT PLANE AND JUST CHUCKING STUFF OUT. YEAH, GO TO WORK!

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

DEFINITELY SOME AMAZING TECHNOLOGY. HOPEFULLY THEY LEARN A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF. ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW IF HUMANITY WILL EVER BE ABLE TO STOP A HURRICANE, BUT IF WE CAN PREDICT PATHS AND THAT SORT OF THING, THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET PEOPLE OUT OF HARM’S WAY.

BUT BRETT, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR STICKING IT OUT THIS WEEK. OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM SOME SEASONAL ALLERGIES, BUT YOU KNOW, GET SOME HONEY, GET SOME HOT TEA IN YOUR SYSTEM, AND WE’LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

INNOVATION IS AT THE HEART OF THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY.

PEOPLE WITH A VISION FOR WHAT’S POSSIBLE PUSHING THINGS FORWARD. AND AS AMERICAN LEADERSHIP TURNS ITS ATTENTION TOWARD THE INDO-PACIFIC, THEY ARE ASKING THEIR DEFENSE INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO BRING NEW IDEAS TO THE TABLE AT A PACE NOT SEEN IN DECADES..

WHILE THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN THE BUSINESS MODEL, RECENTLY THERE’S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. WHERE THEY ONCE WANTED BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER, THEY’RE NOW ASKING FOR SMALLER, SMARTER, AND MORE COST EFFICIENT. THAT’S WHY THE CUMMINGS AEROSPACE HELLHOUND IS OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.

AS THE VIDEO EVIDENCE SHOWS, THE HELLHOUND S3 IS A BIT OF A HEAD TURNER.

THIS MAN-PORTABLE, 3D PRINTED, TURBO JET POWERED DRONE IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING ON A WIDE RANGE OF LOITERING MUNITION MISSIONS.

[Sheila Cummings, President/CEO, Cummings Aerospace]

“So through flight tests, we’ve demonstrated a top speed of 384 miles per hour to date. In addition to that, it gives you rapid time to target so where you, the operator, can use that speed to really execute a target quickly.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

SHEILA CUMMINGS IS THE FOUNDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CUMMINGS AEROSPACE. SHE TELLS US THE S3 WAS DESIGNED WITH PORTABILITY IN MIND.

[Sheila Cummings, President/CEO, Cummings Aerospace]

“Well, the vehicle itself is approximately 12 pounds. It’s 3D printed, so it makes it very light and effective solution. Overall, the launch canister, the vehicle, ground control system. You’re looking at a total system weight of about 40 pounds. And so it’s integrated onto a rucksack to demonstrate that main portability”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

CUMMINGS SAYS ONCE TRAINED, AN OPERATOR CAN HAVE THE SYSTEM UP AND READY TO GO IN AS FEW AS TWO MINUTES. BUT IT’S REALLY IN THE SKIES OVER THE BATTLESPACE THAT SHE SAYS THIS VARIANT OF THE HELLHOUND REALLY OFFERS THE USER A LOT OF BANG FOR THE BUCK.

[Sheila Cummings, President/CEO, Cummings Aerospace]

“The Hellhound S3 variant can not only hold a munition solution, but it can carry an EW payload or RF payload, or other payloads we haven’t even identified yet. And so the open systems architecture design really supports technology evolution and gives you the flexibility for changes in the mission needs.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE S3 WAS DESIGNED TO COMPETE FOR THE U.S. ARMY’S LOW ALTITUDE STALKING AND STRIKE ORDNANCE PROGRAM, ALSO KNOWN AS LASSO. AND WHILE IT WASN’T PICKED UP IN THE FIRST INCREMENT OF WEAPONS PURCHASED, THAT OPPORTUNITY WENT TO AEROVIRONMENTS SWITCHBLADE 600, THE ARMY SAYS LASSO WON’T BE A SINGLE-MANUFACTURER PROGRAM, SUGGESTING A FUTURE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUTFITS LIKE CUMMINGS AEROSPACE. DESPITE THAT INITIAL DISAPPOINTMENT, CUMMINGS SAYS HER COMPANY HAS ITS SIGHTS SET ON A MUCH BIGGER PICTURE.

[Sheila Cummings, President/CEO, Cummings Aerospace]

“The reality is, Hellhound is a family of UAS products. So the S3 variant is just one. We have others that we want to bring online to support the broader UAS market and counter UAS market.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

TO THAT POINT, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO AT THE SPACE AND MISSILE DEFENSE SYMPOSIUM, CUMMINGS AEROSPACE ROLLED OUT THE HELLHOUND S4, WHICH IS A GROUP 2 UAS THAT COULD FIT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S GOLDEN DOME PROJECT.

IF YOU LIKE A BARGAIN, GOOD NEWS. THIS IS A BOGO EDITION OF COMMS CHECK. TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE. SO LET’S GET STRAIGHT TO IT.

FIRST UP, AFTER DECADES OF FAILED ATTEMPTS, INCLUDING THE RECENT CANCELLATION OF A SECOND ROBOTIC COMBAT VEHICLES COMPETITION, THE US ARMY IS ATTEMPTING TO DEVELOP RCVs WITH A UNIT COST CAP OF $650,000, WHILE ALSO ASKING FOR PROTOTYPES OF UNMANNED GROUND COMMERCIAL ROBOTIC VEHICLES THAT CAN CARRY MORE THAN 2,200 POUNDS AND NAVIGATE ALONGSIDE SOLDIERS IN ARMORED BRIGADE COMBAT TEAMS.

THE RCVs SHOULD SUPPORT BASIC REMOTE CAPABILITIES AND INCLUDE AUTONOMOUS FEATURES FOR NAVIGATION AND VARIOUS OPERATIONAL MODES. THEY NEED TO REACH AT LEAST 34 MPH ON ROADS AND 25 MPH OFF-ROAD, WITH A RANGE OF 140 MILES, ADVANCED SENSING CAPABILITIES, AND POTENTIAL FEATURES FOR COUNTERING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AND CONDUCTING ELECTRONIC WARFARE.

ABOUT A MONTH AGO, WE FEATURED THE LOCKHEED MARTIN JAGM IN OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK. WELL, NOW THE U.S. ARMY HAS AWARDED LOCKHEED A $720 MILLION CONTRACT FOR THE JOINT AIR-TO-GROUND MISSILES AND HELLFIRE MISSILES. IT’S A DEAL THAT WILL NOT ONLY TAKE CARE OF THE ARMY AND NAVY, BUT INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS AS WELL. INCLUDING 160 JAGMS FOR THE UK AND HELLFIRE MISSILES FOR NATO ALLIES LIKE POLAND, SPAIN, CZECH REPUBLIC, ITALY, AND CANADA.

ALRIGHT FOLKS, THAT’S GOING TO JUST ABOUT DO IT FOR US THIS WEEK AT WEAPONS AND WARFARE.

IF YOU LIKED WHAT YOU SAW AND OR HEARD IN THE EPISODE AND WANT TO SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS–WE ENCOURAGE THAT.

SO GO AHEAD– LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS–AND DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.

OUR MISSION HERE IS TO TRY AND MAKE THE WORLD OF DEFENSIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND NATIONAL DEFENSE MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR YOU…

SO FOR MY WRAP THIS WEEK, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ADD SOME CONTEXT TO A STORY I SAW REUTERS PUT OUT RECENTLY. IT GOT PICKED UP BY A BUNCH OF OUTLETS…

THE HEADLINE READS “THE US NAVY IS BUILDING A DRONE FLEET TO TAKE ON CHINA. IT’S NOT GOING WELL.” WHICH IS SOMEWHAT TRUE–BUT DOESN’T GIVE ENOUGH CONTEXT

THE REUTERS REPORT DETAILS TWO NAVY TESTS WHERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNMANNED SURFACE VESSELS WERE BEING CONTROLLED BY A-I AGENTS. THINGS DIDN’T GO EXACTLY AS PLANNED–THE MISHAPS FROM ONE OF THE TESTS WAS CAUGHT ON VIDEO–AND THE NAVY ULTIMATELY PUT A HOLD ON A $20 MILLION CONTRACT WITH L3 HARRIS–ONE OF THE COMPANIES PROVIDING A-I SOFTWARE FOR THE AUTONOMOUS TESTS.

THE STORY ONLY TALKS ABOUT TWO TESTS, THOUGH, WHICH INCLUDED JUST A FEW SURFACE VESSEL AND SOFTWARE PROVIDERS.

BUT THE NAVY IS PERFORMING DOZENS OF THESE TYPES OF TESTS… WITH MANY DIFFERENT VENDORS… TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF CRAFT, SOFTWARE, AND ARMAMENTS.

FOR INSTANCE–I SPOKE WITH THE CEO OF HAVOC AI EARLIER THIS YEAR–ABOUT HIS SOFTWARE SUCCESSFULLY CONTROLLING DOZENS OF SURFACE VESSELS IN TWO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE GLOBE SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM A LAND-BASED TESTING FACILITY.

THAT TEST WENT VERY WELL.

AND DOING LIVE FIELD TESTS WILL INHERENTLY INCLUDE FAILURES, AS MANY TESTS ARE DESIGNED TO PUSH A SYSTEM TO THE POINT OF FAILURE SO YOU CAN FIND ITS LIMITS.

WHEN IT COMES TO FIELDING NAVAL DRONES, IT’S TRUE THERE MAY BE TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN. THERE WERE SEVERAL NAVAL OFFICES ALL WORKING ON DRONES–NOW THEY’RE GETTING ROLLED INTO ONE–THE NAVAL RAPID CAPABILITIES OFFICE.

SO, IN MY MIND–IT’S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THE NAVY IS FAILING TO FIELD A DRONE FLEET–IT’S JUST EASIER TO GET PEOPLE TO CLICK ON AN ARTICLE ABOUT FAILURES. BUT I DON’T KNOW IF THAT SAYS MORE ABOUT THE OUTLET, OR THE AUDIENCE.

FOR SENIOR PRODUCER BRETT BAKER, VIDEO EDITOR BRIAN SPENCER, AND MOTION DESIGNER DAKOTA PITEO–I’M RYAN ROBERTSON WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, SIGNING OFF.

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