Moving Fast and Breaking Things

Moving Fast and Breaking Things

Author: Ryan Evans June 3, 2025 Duration: 23:16

"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.


Hosted by Ryan Evans, War on the Rocks feels less like a formal briefing and more like pulling up a chair at a bar where the most consequential global issues are being debated. The conversations, often accompanied by the clink of a glass, dive into the gritty realities of security, defense, and foreign policy with the people who shape and study them. You’ll hear from a wide range of insiders and experts-from seasoned diplomats and military officers to sharp-eyed academics and journalists-who break down complex topics without the usual jargon. This podcast thrives on candid analysis and spirited discussion, exploring not just the "what" of current events, but the underlying "why" and "how" of international power dynamics. Each episode is designed to give you a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the forces shaping our world, moving beyond headlines to examine strategy, history, and the human decisions behind the news. It’s the original series from the platform, offering listeners a direct line to thoughtful, often provocative, perspectives that are usually reserved for closed-door meetings. Tuning in provides a consistently engaging and informative look at the challenges and intrigues defining global affairs today.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

War on the Rocks
Podcast Episodes
What Would Relations with Post-War Russia Look Like? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:49
Rose Gottemoeller joined Ryan in Washington. They discussed how the West might think about relations with Russia once the war with Ukraine ends, as well as nuclear diplomacy and other critical issues. Gottemoeller was th…
What Does SOUTHCOM's New Autonomous Warfare Command Herald? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:11
Gen. Frank Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, sat down with Ryan to discuss the vision behind the command's new Autonomous Warfare Command and what it signals for the future of military operations in the Wester…
What a Post-Orbán Hungary Means for Hungarians and Europe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:11
Hungary has turned the page. After 16 years of rule by Viktor Orbán, opposition leader Péter Magyar has emerged as the winner by a landslide. Ryan is joined by Sándor Ésik, the lawyer and writer behind the Hungarian Muse…
Why Do Many Western Defense Tech Firms Struggle in Ukraine? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:33
Michael Kofman joined Ryan at a live event earlier this year to discuss the performance of American defense technology in Ukraine and why it often falls short. They examine the challenges of fielding and iterating system…
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz & Saving Downed Pilots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:58
Two retired U.S. admirals with deep experience at sea and in the air joined Ryan to discuss the military challenge of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Adm. (ret.) Jamie Foggo and Vice Adm. (ret.) John "Fozzie" Miller unpa…
The Arsenal Beneath the Arsenal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:48
What does it take to rebuild the foundation of American military power? Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, joined Ryan at a live event a few weeks back for a fascinating discuss…
Power, Paranoia, and the People's Liberation Army [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:06
China's top military leadership has been shaken by a new round of purges at the highest level, raising urgent questions about loyalty, corruption, and combat readiness. What do these removals, and especially the purge of…