From the Crows' Nest

The defense budget process plays a critical role in shaping military priorities, technology investments, and the future of electromagnetic warfare.For today’s conversation, Ken Miller sits down with Katy Nazaretova of Forza DC to break down how authorization and appropriations legislation moves through Congress. Together, they discuss the policymaking process, advocacy strategies on Capitol Hill, and how election-year dynamics can influence congressional decisions affecting electromagnetic spectrum operations.We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes by emailing host Ken Miller at host@fromthecrowsnest.org or by visiting us on our Instagram @fromthecrowsnestpodcast.To learn more about today’s topics or to stay updated on EMSO and EW developments, visit our homepage.

In this episode of From the Crows' Nest, Ken Miller is joined by opening keynote Speaker Laurie Buckhout. Laurie is the former Assistant National Cyber Director for Policy at the White House. Together, they discuss the challenge of strengthening leadership for EMSO across the Department of War and the military service. Later, Ken is joined by John Knowles, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance (JED). John shares his thoughts on the message that attendees will hear throughout the week as they discuss charting a path for EMSO over the next decade. We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes by emailing host Ken Miller at host@fromthecrowsnest.org or visit us on our Instagram @fromthecrowsnestpodcastTo learn more about today’s topic visit here.

In this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, Ken Miller is joined by Mike Alperi, Deputy Program Manager of PMS 408 Expeditionary Missions Program Office at the Naval Sea Systems Command, to talk about his involvement in NATO Subgroup One and its cross-country collaborative Thor’s Hammer exercise — an initiative that allows systems from different nations to be tested side-by-side against cutting edge UAS and IED threats.Alperi says the annual four-week program has greatly expanded over the last decade, growing from five participating nations in 2015 to 14 countries last year. Crucially, he says the scope of Thor’s Hammer has grown over the years, from just counter-ID and counter-UAS training to countering emerging small radio frequency threats. Alperi says the subgroup shares the information from these tests with participating countries around the world, making sure key allies have the best information available as EW technologies continue to rapidly evolve.To learn more about today’s topics or to stay updated on EMSO and EW developments, visit our homepage.

Between the Russo-Ukrainian War and the looming threat of China invading Taiwan, the landscape of global conflict has changed… and today’s guest says the strategies for U.S. dominance have to change along with it. In this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller joins retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General David Deptula, current Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies to examine what America is doing right and wrong in efforts to meet new threats worldwide.Deptula said that while the United States has built a spectrum of systems that give the nation and its allies a technological advantage, America hasn’t kept pace with building enough capacity to deter adversaries around the world. Deptula says officials need to steer away from just trying to optimize existing systems and recommit building the military services branches back up to meet new regional conflicts as they arise.To learn more about today’s topics or to stay updated on EMSO and EW developments, visit our homepage.

In this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller sits down with retired US Army Col. Kevin Finch, who now serves as a member of the Association of Old Crows Board of Directors. Col. Finch is the Symposium Committee Chair for the upcoming AOC 2025 in December. Together, they discuss navigating the future of electromagnetic spectrum operation (EMSO) and the evolving landscape of electromagnetic warfare (EW) amidst political, strategic, economic, and technological changes. Shifts in geopolitics have altered the focus and strategic objectives of all members of the international community. This year's conference will explore the changing strategic roadmap for achieving spectrum superiority, informed by international investments, evolving focus areas, and the latest advancements from industry and the Science and Technology (S&T) community to achieve the 2035 vision. We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes by emailing host Ken Miller at host@fromthecrowsnest.org or visit us on our Instagram @fromthecrowsnestpodcastTo learn more about today’s topic and the upcoming AOC 2025, visit here.

Join us today to hear Host Ken Miller's conversation with John Knowles, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance, about how U.S. and allied forces are adapting for the next era of electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO).They discuss takeaways from recent trade shows, how the Army and Air Force are rethinking their force structure, and what new reports say about preparing for future conflicts. John shares insights on why modernization needs to move faster, and how innovation in software and agile tech will shape success on the spectrum battlefield.They also touch on global EMSO growth in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, lessons from Ukraine, and what’s ahead in the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance.To learn more about today’s topics or to stay updated on EMSO and EW developments, visit our homepage. And please follow our new Instagram account, @fromthecrowsnestpodcast.We also invite you to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes by emailing host Ken Miller at host@fromthecrowsnest.org.