Podcast
War on the Rocks
Hosted by Ryan Evans · EN
Discussions over drinks with security, defense, and foreign policy insiders and experts. The original War on the Rocks podcast series.
54episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How to Think About the Future of War
Jun 25, 202500:31:10Tap to summarizeGen. Jim Rainey, the commander of Army Futures Command, joins Ryan to share how emerging technologies are set to transform the way America’s soldiers will fight and win. He also shares some key insights about the Army Transformation Initiative.
Transcribe →Moving Fast and Breaking Things
Jun 3, 2025Tap to summarize"Innovation adoption is a contact sport." As the chief technology officer of the Department of the Navy, Justin Fanelli is one of the leaders responsible for ensuring warfighters have access to bleeding-edge solutions. Listen to his conversation with Ryan Evans, recorded live at an event in Washington, DC — our first episode of Cogs of War, a new vertical on defense tech and the defense industry brought to you by War on the Rocks and supported by Booz Allen Hamilton. Subscribe to the Cogs of War feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcast player of choice today.
Transcribe →How Dangerous is this Summer for Ukraine?
Jul 13, 2024Tap to summarizeMike Kofman dropped by War on the Rocks HQ to update us on the war, drawing on his findings from his recent field study in Ukraine. They discuss the state of the front (and why developments at the front might be less important than before), mobilization, China's role as a gateway and supplier for Russia, the debate over Ukraine using U.S. weapons for deep strike into Russia, and tough choices facing Kyiv.
Transcribe →Introducing Thinking the Unthinkable
Oct 11, 2023Tap to summarizeWelcome to a sneak peek of Thinking the Unthinkable, our newest members-only podcast. We are previewing this members-only podcast on this feed for free. This members-only show features in-depth analysis and insight on the perils of a new nuclear age and is hosted by Ankit Panda. Expect Ankit to challenge views on nuclear weapons, deterrence, and explore the future of arms control. This show will come out bi-weekly for War on the Rocks members. If you like what you hear, consider joining War on the Rocks Platinum, where you can hear all of Ankit's future podcasts, along with the Russia Contingency with Michael Kofman and a slew of other podcasts and newsletters focused on national security. Join our tribe today to gain access to War on the Rocks Platinum.
Transcribe →A Chat with Britain's Top Officer, Adm. Radakin
Sep 18, 2023Tap to summarizeRyan sat down at the War on the Rocks office with Adm. Sir Antony Radakin, the professional head of the United Kingdom's military. The two discussed the United Kingdom's support for the Ukrainian military, the lessons learned from the conflict and the challenges Russia is now facing. The conversation then pivoted to the future of the British military, the plans for global force presence and Adm. Radakin's perspective on the status of AUKUS.
Transcribe →Debating FISA Section 702
Aug 31, 2023Tap to summarizeOn this episode of the War on the Rocks podcast, deputy assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden, Joshua Geltzer, sat down with Nicholas Danforth to discuss the administration's case for the reauthorization of section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. They discussed the act's role in a changing threat environment, challenges in Congress and potential avenues to mitigate civil liberties concerns.
Transcribe →Ryan Evans on 10 Years of War on the Rocks
Jul 21, 2023Tap to summarizeTo mark the tenth anniversary of War on the Rocks, Philip D. Zelikow did us the honor of interviewing Ryan on the origin story of War on the Rocks, where it's gone from there, and where it is going next.
Transcribe →Managing Chaos: The 2021 Kabul Airlift
Jun 21, 2023Tap to summarizeOn this special edition podcast, listeners will get to hear the first 20 minutes of Unspent Rounds, a members-only War on the Rocks podcast that features interesting conversations with interesting people. On this episode, Aaron Stein spoke with Capt. Adam "AI" Solomon, an airfield operations flight commander. Adam was in charge of airfield operations and oversaw almost all aspects of flight operations during the evacuation from Kabul. The conversation explored the withdrawal, how it all went down, how challenging it was to coordinate flight operations, how Adam dealt with logistical challenges when evacuating people from the country, and the tragic killing of 13 Marines guarding the airport. To listen to the show in its entirety, and to other episodes of Unspent Rounds, sign up to become a War on the Rocks member.
Transcribe →The Calm Before the Storm: Waiting for Ukraine's Offensive
Apr 27, 2023Tap to summarizeRyan sat down with Mike Kofman at WOTR HQ in Washington, DC to talk about Ukraine's coming offensive; the manpower, materiel, and politics behind it; and lingering questions about Team Biden's theory of success. Are you a War on the Rocks member yet? If not, why not? Check it out at warontherocks.com/membership
Transcribe →Central Command's Big Technology Bets
Mar 21, 2023Tap to summarizeOn this episode, Ryan sat down with Schuyler Moore, the chief technology officer for U.S. Central Command, to discuss how it is planning to fight and win the next war with new and exciting technology.
Transcribe →