The McHale Report Podcast

Episode

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  Enabling network security in hostile environments 18.05.2026 24mnt

  Within Special Operations every solution starts with a nonnegotiable – cyber and security is never sacrificed for speed, because it doesn't really matter if the data moves fast but can't be trusted, said Peter O’Donoghue, CTO of Tyto Athene, during this SOF Week Show Daily version of the McHale Report Podcast. “Philosophically we believe that compromised intelligence is not intelligence at all,” he added. He and I covered how to enable network security in hostile environments and how artifici...
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  Leveraging AI for software mobility at the edge 17.05.2026 25mnt

  Special Operations Forces (SOF) teams have to be ready at a moment’s notice to go anywhere and do almost anything that level of professionalism require high-level agility, adaptability, and performance, said Michael MacFadden, CTO of Sigma Defense Systems, during this SOF Week Show Daily version of the McHale Report Podcast. He and I discussed how leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)for software mobility enables that agility. We also discuss Sigma Defense’s Aries fami...
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  Gaining a cognitive advantage for Special Forces operations via AI 16.05.2026 29mnt

  There is a pressing need within not just the Special Operations community but across the military services and whole government to understand and identify what are the narrative messages our adversaries are putting against us, says Bill Wall, CEO and Co-founder of Accrete AI Government, during this SOF Week Show Daily version of the McHale Report Podcast. He and I also ways the U.S. military can achieve information dominance, how artificial intelligence (AI) can enable a cognitive advantage, ...
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  Leveraging the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) 14.04.2026 56mnt

  The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) is a narrowband military satellite communications system used to provide warfighters with secure, high-quality voice and data communication. Although it has been successfully deployed for decades, MUOS technology is still not pervasive. In this podcast with Jason Ferguson, President of W5 Technologies, we discuss why MUOS may have gotten a “bad rap” in the past, how it fits into the defense industry today, and the technology and design trends that suppo...
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  PODCAST: Military aftermarket suppliers, counterfeit parts, component recreation 03.03.2026 48mnt

  During this podcast with Dan Diesz, VP of Design Technology with Rochester Electronics, we discuss the military aftermarket world, component recreation, anchoring of semiconductor manufacturing, counterfeit parts, the impact of modular open systems approach (MOSA) strategies on sustainment, and more.
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  PODCAST: Military sustainment reform, obsolescence, aftermarket trends, and more. 25.06.2025 24mnt

  Military platforms often last for decades, long past the life spans of modern computing components and boards. System designers for these aging platforms must rely on a variety of solutions from lifetime buys of components when they go end of life to working with aftermarket suppliers, who buy obsolete product lines and keep producing them for customers with ultra long-term needs. In this podcast with Ethan Plotkin, CEO of GDCA, we discuss military aftermarket trends, open architectures, arti...
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  Sentient radio, MOSA and DoD acquisition, engineering talent 28.04.2025 30mnt

  Momentum behind the the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) modular open system approach (MOSA) mandate is growing, especially as it was reaffirmed by Army, Navy, and Air Force leadership at the end of 2024. In this podcast with Clif Basnight, Vice President, Strategic Technologies, Ultra Intelligence and Communications, we discuss MOSA and how to measure MOSA success; Ultra’s participation in the Sensor Open Systems Architecture, or SOSA, Consortium; speeding up defense acquisition; and engineer...
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  RF signal chain, military space market, and MOSA in space 24.04.2025 17mnt

  The demand for high-reliability RF components in military space applications is growing as is the use of commercial innovation in Low-Earth Orbit and other space domains, says Eliot Fine, Product Line Manager for Space and High Reliability Components, Analog Devices. In this podcast he and I discuss the space electronic market, radiation-hardening techniques, as well as the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) modular open system approach (MOSA) mandate and how it impacts space systems. Elio...
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  Sensor processing at the edge, being SOSA aligned, and DoD acquisition process 23.05.2024 19mnt

  How artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge is defined often depends who you are speaking with and their market. For military electronics I think the best definition comes from Jake Braegelmann, Vice President of Business Development at New Wave Design, who says the edge is where the sensor collects the data and AI can enable the filtering of that data in real-time to get actionable intelligence to decision makers. In this podcast he and I discuss that concept in depth as well as the Departm...
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  Recruiting women engineers, military RF & microwave design trends, and more 25.01.2024 18mnt

  The defense technology community has a recruitment challenge on its hands when it comes to competing with the commercial technology world for engineering talent; this reality is especially true when it comes to growing the pool of women engineers. In this podcast with Maria Ho, Deputy Director for Government and Strategic Programs, Aerospace & Defense at Analog Devices, we discuss how to encourage female students to explore engineering careers, the importance of STEM in schools, and the w...
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  Metamaterial radar systems, COTS components, and RF invisibility cloaks 29.11.2023 29mnt

  Leveraging metamaterials for radar designs, engineers at Echodyne are enhancing the capability of small radars for applications such a counter-UAS [uncrewed aircraft systems] in military applications. In this podcast with Tom Driscoll, Co-founder and CTO of Echodyne, he and I discuss how his team’s metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA) radar system does thing that traditional active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems cannot, their unique business model, and how they...
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  MOSA, AI, and unsafe programming languages 26.07.2023 31mnt

  Modular open system approach (MOSA) strategies such as the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard are changing how the Department of Defense acquires technology. In this podcast with Tim Reed, Chief Executive Officer for Lynx Software Technologies, he and I discuss how MOSA benefits the warfighter and what it means to be certified conformant other the FACE Technical Standard. Tim also dives into the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on military systems, the risk...
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  Space electronics trends, supply chain challenges, MOSA, and more 23.03.2023 26mnt

  Rebranded after being bought by Veritas Capital from CAES, Frontgrade Technologies is now a stand-alone company focused on the space market - military and commercial. In this podcast, Frontgrade President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Elias discusses how the acquisition and rebranding impacts the company and its clientele. We also discuss how supply chain headaches impacted the military space electronics, how space platforms are adopting the modular open systems approach (MOSA) strategy ma...
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  Defense supply chain issues, COTS procurement, MOSA, and more 26.07.2022 33mnt

  The procurement challenges facing defense technology companies range from a slow U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process to supply chain headaches to when and where to leverage commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)technology and open architectures. In this podcast, Mike McCormack, President & CEO of CP North America and Mark Kempf, VP Of CP technologies & CP Systems at CP North America discuss how those in the defense arena - government and industry - can adapt to these challen...
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  Military 5G designs, SATCOM on the move, ISR networks 30.03.2022 26mnt

  Defense integrators are starting to adopt 5G technology for satellite communications (SATCOM) on the move applications through various programs aimed at deploying commercial innovations more quickly to warfighters. In this podcast, Rajeev Gopal, Vice President, Advanced Systems for Hughes Defense Intelligence Systems Division, goes in depth on military 5G solutions as well as SATCOM trends from this month's Satellite 2022 show, jamming tech, and leveraging security tools that comply wit...
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  Semiconductor supply chain, radar & electronic warfare designs, engineering talent 31.01.2022 41mnt

  Complex radar and electronic warfare systems drive innovation from RF and microwave designers while supply chain shortages continue to give them headaches. In this podcast, Bryan Goldstein, VP, Aerospace and Defense, Analog Devices, tackles these trends while also exploring how the defense industry will begin adopting 5G technology and where it will likely deploy first. He also shares his passion for recruiting young engineering talent into the defense electronics industry through Science, Te...
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  Microelectronics for space, and supply chain bottlenecks 22.10.2021 35mnt

  Supply chain bottlenecks, small satellites, complex adversarial threats in space and electromagnetic spectrum domains are all driving innovation at the microelectronics level. In this podcast, Dave Young, CTO of CAES, formerly Cobham, discusses how these challenges impact microelectronics solutions for military programs, how the defense industry is coping with the semiconductor supply chain headaches through investment and a plan for on-sho​re production, how commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) p...
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  Deep dive into Pentek acquisition by Mercury Systems and radar/EW market trends 28.07.2021 37mnt

  This spring Mercury Systems acquired Pentek, a designer of FPGA single-board computers, data-acquisition boards, recording systems, and other products for radar, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and electronic warfare (EW) applications. In this podcast, Neal Austin, Vice President and General Manager of the Mixed Signal Business Unit within Mercury Systems and Rodger Hosking, co-founder and Vice President of Pentek Systems, deep dive into the acquisition, where Pentek will fit within Mercury, a...
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  Leveraging ARINC 818 for military avionics and sensor applications 28.04.2021 26mnt

  The ARINC 818 digital video interface and protocol standard is used throughout commercial and military cockpits for avionics display applications. As military video systems continue to increase in complexity in and out of the cockpit, for example in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor systems, the demand for ARINC 818 solutions is growing. In this podcast, Tim Keller, Chief Operations Officer at Great River Technology defines what ARINC 818 is, discusses common misconc...
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  Short VPX and the military's demand for smaller form factors 30.03.2021 27mnt

  Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements are pervasive throughout defense electronics platforms. Electronic footprints continue to shrink so much that traditional small form factors like 3U VPX or 3U CompactPCI are considered too big. So, it's not surprising that the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) is looking at new form factors, such as Short VPX. In this podcast, Jay Grandin, Vice President of Product Development at Annapolis Micro Systems discusses demand for small form factor...