Shows
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 10: Planning a Wargaming ProjectCalvin and Eric chat about how to plan a wargaming project - from defining your scope and really drilling down into what it is you want to do to preventing things from spiraling out of control. We talk about what to do, what not to do, and go through a worked example of Calvin's new War of the Roses project.2025-02-251h 08
Building the BaseDriving Comprehensive Defense Acquisition Reform with Eric LofgrenIn this episode of Building the Base, Lauren and Hondo sit down with Eric Lofgren, a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Eric provides an insider's perspective on the need for comprehensive acquisition reform. He discusses his unexpected path to this role, initially joining a defense contractor before becoming deeply interested in the history and economics of the system. Eric emphasizes the FoRGED Act's goal of being a "game changer" by addressing requirements, contracting, budgeting, and cultural factors. He highlights the importance of engaging industry, especially non-traditional companies, to inform policy changes. Eric's insights underscore the...2025-02-1843 min
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 9: The Year of Our Lord 2024Calvin and Eric look back on 2024 - some good gaming, hobby progress for one of the hosts and hobby utter lack of progress for the other, and consider what we're going to try to do in 2025.Support the show! www.patreon.com/plasticpressgangpodcastAs a reminder, there's also a listener Q&A coming up Any Day Now, and we're still looking for Q's to A: https://forms.gle/heaBgXDoLznA2ZFe92025-01-071h 04
Galaxy in FlamesHaunted Halloween Plague Episode with Special Guest, Dr. Eric Lofgren!On this month’s episode we are joined by special guest host, epidemiologist and wargamer, Dr. Eric Lofgren! Eric was a presenter at the first ever Warhammer academic conference and he was kind enough to share his time with us discussing his presentation and talking about what that experience was like. His presentations were focused on Horus Heresy specific events and was a fascinating guest. You also get to hear three grown men excitedly discuss their favorite diseases. Somehow, we went an entire episode with a real life plague doctor and didn’t make a single Nurgle reference! Eric stay...2024-10-311h 38
Galaxy in Flames: A Horus Heresy Fan PodcastHaunted Halloween Plague Episode with Special Guest, Dr. Eric Lofgren!On this month's episode we are joined by special guest host, epidemiologist and wargamer, Dr. Eric Lofgren! Eric was a presenter at the first ever Warhammer academic conference and he was kind enough to share his time with us discussing his presentation and talking about what that experience was like. His presentations were focused on Horus Heresy specific events and was a fascinating guest. You also get to hear three grown men excitedly discuss their favorite diseases. Somehow, we went an entire episode with a real life plague doctor and didn't make a single Nurgle reference! Eric stayed with...2024-10-311h 38
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 8: North AfricaCalvin and Eric chat about recent games, hobby progress (or lack thereof...), and go over the basics of the North African front for World War 2 and chat about how - and why - it's fun to game in.Support the show! www.patreon.com/plasticpressgangpodcastAs a reminder, there's also a listener Q&A coming up Any Day Now, and we're still looking for Q's to A: https://forms.gle/heaBgXDoLznA2ZFe92024-05-311h 38
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 7: Alternate HistoryCalvin and Eric hang out and talk about alternate history historicals. Support the show! www.patreon.com/plasticpressgangpodcastAs a reminder, there's also a listener Q&A coming up Any Day Now, and we're still looking for Q's to A: https://forms.gle/heaBgXDoLznA2ZFe92024-03-091h 15
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 6: What Makes a Cool Setting (for Us)Calvin and Eric discuss what sorts of elements appeal to us in a wargaming setting - from tactics to uniforms to media, and discuss some of our current favorites, as well as settings we should like but well...just don't.As a reminder, there's also a listener Q&A coming up Any Day Now, and we're still looking for Q's to A: https://forms.gle/heaBgXDoLznA2ZFe92024-01-171h 20
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 5: The Year of Our Lord 2023 in ReviewCalvin and Eric take a retrospective look at Episode 3 of 2020 - "In Which The Writers Are Running Out of Ideas". We discuss our hobby accomplishments (or lack thereof) as well as where we want to head in the new year.2023-12-111h 09
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 4: The Pikeman's Lament Deep DiveCalvin and Eric talk about The Pikeman's Lament, by Daniel Mersey and Michael Leck, published by Osprey. A "big skirmish" game for the pike and shot era, this game is solid, quick playing, and responsible for many of our current shenanigans.2023-11-101h 17
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 3: Making History (on a 3d Printer)Calvin and Eric discuss 3d printing - what it's for, how to get started, tips, tricks and pitfalls, and recommendations for starter printers.2023-08-301h 06
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 2: "Oh my god, that's Wallenstein's music!"Calvin and Eric discuss Eric's favorite historical period - the Thirty Years War. We touch on a brief (very brief) history of the conflict, the major players: The Holy Roman Empire, Sweden, France, France's Money, Spain, etc., a number of the rulesets you can use to play in the period, and how to get started.2023-08-031h 06
Plastic Pressgang PodcastEpisode 1: So This Is A ThingTwo friends decide to start a podcast. As they do. Calvin and Eric sit down to discuss our goals for Plastic Pressgang - creating at least a small corner of the internet where historical wargaming has room to be welcoming, accessible, and inclusive.2023-06-2428 min
Acquisition TalkProgrammed to Fail - 7. ComplexityWelcome to a special series on the acquisition talk podcast that gives you an audiobook tour of my research project titled, Programmed to Fail: The Rise of Central Planning in Defense Acquisition 1945 to 1975. I’m Eric Lofgren of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University. You can find this book for free and over 1,300 blog posts on my website, https://AcquisitionTalk.com.
In this chapter of Programmed to Fail, we dive into how complex order in the real world emerges from simple and iterative systems of nonlinear interactions. The umbrella term of complex adaptive systems is used to...2023-02-161h 12
Acquisition TalkProgrammed to Fail - 5. ContractingWelcome to a special series on the acquisition talk podcast that gives you an audiobook tour of my research project titled, Programmed to Fail: The Rise of Central Planning in Defense Acquisition 1945 to 1975. I’m Eric Lofgren of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University. You can find this book for free and over 1,300 blog posts on my website, AcquisitionTalk.com.
Monolithic program budgets have led to monolithic contracts that have thwarted technical goals. However, if DoD can reform its budgeting process, it can also unpack system requirements and modularize contracts alongside technically separable components. This is im...2023-02-1247 min
Acquisition TalkProgrammed to Fail - 3. Systems AnalysisWelcome to a special series on the acquisition talk podcast that gives you an audiobook tour of my research project titled, Programmed to Fail: The Rise of Central Planning in Defense Acquisition 1945 to 1975. I’m Eric Lofgren of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University. You can find this book for free and over 1,300 blog posts on my website, AcquisitionTalk.com.
In this third episode, we look at the 1950s debates over how weapons development should proceed. The listener will find strong parallels to the modern debates over waterfall vs. agile development practices. Weapons development in the 1940s...2023-02-0949 min
Acquisition TalkProgrammed to Fail - 1. Unification & 2. Program BudgetingWelcome to a special series on the acquisition talk podcast that gives you an audiobook tour of my research project titled, Programmed to Fail: The Rise of Central Planning in Defense Acquisition 1945 to 1975. I’m Eric Lofgren of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University. You can find this book for free and over 1,300 blog posts on my website, AcquisitionTalk.com.
In this episode, we take a look at the history of the unification of the armed forces under a single Department of Defense. Even today, we hear calls for the elimination of duplication, competition, and overlap be...2023-02-0729 min
Acquisition TalkChina's surveillance balloon over the United StatesBalloon bloodlust, the epic military history of balloons, the fate of US-China relations, and how balloon expertise can help you on Hinge
What on Earth is a Chinese spy balloon doing over the US? To discuss, we have William “Balloon Guy” Kim of The Marathon Initiative, Eric Lofgren of Acquisition Talk, and Gerard DiPippo of CSIS. We dive into:
The epic military history of balloons;
- Why it’s surprisingly difficult to shoot down a balloon, and the US-China “balloon gap”
- Whether Secretary of State Blinken should have canceled his trip to China;
- How expertise in balloons could improve yo...2023-02-0539 min
Acquisition TalkProgrammed To Fail - IntroductionWelcome to a special series on the acquisition talk podcast that gives you an audiobook tour of my research project titled, Programmed to Fail: The Rise of Central Planning in Defense Acquisition 1945 to 1975. I’m Eric Lofgren of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University. You can find this book for free and over 1,300 blog posts on my website, https://AcquisitionTalk.com.
This series traces the rise of the modern system for acquiring weapons between 1945 and 1975. It documents how pluralistic methods of market-like competition were replaced by industrial era concepts of top-down control. Technology developments became treated li...2023-01-3139 min
Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Jan 10, 2023Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2023-01-111h 08
Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Dec. 23, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-12-2350 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Dec 7, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-12-1553 min
Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Nov. 11, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-11-1738 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Nov 1, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-11-0259 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Oct 25, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-10-2656 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Sep. 27, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-09-2847 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Sep. 13, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-09-141h 04Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Aug 19 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-08-1943 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Aug. 8, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-08-0354 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: July 26, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-07-2759 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: July 14, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-07-1531 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: June 28, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-06-2959 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: June 14, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-06-1554 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: June 7, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-06-081h 06
Acquisition TalkEvent: Aligning government contracts with agile software -- Acquisition NEXTIn this episode of the Acquisition Talk podcast, I host an amazing panel on contracting practices for modern software with Florence Kasule (Director of Procurement, US Digital Service), Col. Eric Obergfell (Director of Contracts, Air Force Research Lab), and Caitlin Dohrman (President/GM, Improbable US National Security and Defense). The conversation hits a wide range of important topics that jump off of Mason GovCon's recent Acquisition Next report, including:
- How defense contracts can align with agile/devops principles
- Whether fixed-price contracts work for modular efforts
- The role of leadership and training in business transformation
- The potential...2022-05-191h 04Acquisition TalkNatSec News: May 17, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-05-1858 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: May 10, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-05-111h 18Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Apr. 19, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-04-2051 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Apr. 12, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com2022-04-1348 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Apr. 4, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-04-061h 01Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Mar. 22, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-03-2339 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Mar. 14, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-03-1548 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Feb. 28, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-03-011h 03Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Feb. 28 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-03-011h 03Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Feb. 22, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-02-231h 09Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Feb. 8, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-02-0835 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Feb. 1, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-02-0245 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Jan. 24, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-01-251h 06Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Jan. 17, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-01-181h 08Acquisition TalkNatSec News: Jan. 10, 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-01-1148 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Jan 5. 2022Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2022-01-0636 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News: Dec. 27, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-12-281h 08Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Dec. 6, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-12-0759 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Nov. 29, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-11-301h 06Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Nov. 22, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-11-2350 min
Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Nov. 15, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-11-1645 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Nov. 10, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-11-1154 min
Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup with The Merge: Nov. 3, 2021Eric Lofgren and Mike Benitez from The Merge newsletter chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.
Sign up for the Merge newsletter at themerge.co2021-11-0459 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Oct. 25, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-10-2651 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Oct. 18, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-10-191h 06Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Oct. 4, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-10-0559 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup with The Merge: Sep. 27, 2021Eric Lofgren and Mike Benitez from The Merge newsletter chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.
Sign up for the Merge newsletter at https://themerge.co2021-09-281h 07Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Sep. 21, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-09-2253 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Sep. 14, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-09-1544 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Sep. 7, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-09-0852 min
Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Aug. 30, 2021Eric Lofgren, Matt MacGregor, and Mike Benitez from The Merge newsletter chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-08-311h 00Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Aug. 23, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-08-251h 12Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Aug. 16, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-08-171h 05Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: Aug. 9, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-08-101h 00Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup with The Merge: July 26, 2021Eric Lofgren and Mike Benitez chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow me on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at https://AcquisitionTalk.com. Sign up for Mike's newsletter at https://themerge.co2021-07-271h 01
Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: July 19, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-07-2049 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: July 12, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-07-131h 00Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: June 28, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-06-2947 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: June 21, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-06-2257 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: June 6, 2021 (FY22 Budget Special)Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-06-081h 03Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: May 24, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-05-2559 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: May 17, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-05-1958 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: May 10, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-05-111h 12Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: May 3, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-05-0456 minAcquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: April 26, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-04-271h 10Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: April 19, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-04-2145 minAcquisition TalkNetSec News Roundup: April 12, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-04-131h 00Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: April 5, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-04-061h 01Acquisition TalkNatSec News Roundup: March 29, 2021Eric Lofgren and Matt MacGregor chat about the week's newsworthy headlines the world of military acquisition.
This podcast was produced by Eric Lofgren. Soundtrack by urmymuse: "reflections of u". You can follow us on Twitter @AcqTalk and find more information at AcquisitionTalk.com.2021-03-3059 min
Acquisition TalkBlockchain's potential for government with SIMBA Chain's Joel NeidigJoel Neidig joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss how blockchain technology can support the military across a wide range of use-cases including supply chain management, financial transactions, additive manufacturing, secure communications, digital engineering, and much more. He is the co-founder and CEO of SIMBA Chain, a startup that won an early DARPA grant back in 2016 exploring blockchain's potential for secure communications. The dual-use company has branched out into the military services, providing customers with low-code tools to build a diverse set of applications on top of several blockchain protocols.
For those unfamiliar, blockchain is basically a shared...2020-08-3155 min
Acquisition TalkJADC2 and decision-centric warfare with Dan Patt and Bryan ClarkI was pleased to have Dan Patt and Bryan Clark join me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss a range of important subjects including mosaic warfare, joint all-domain command and control, the digital century series, systems architecture, and more. Bryan Clark is the Director of the Hudson Institute's new Center for Defense Concepts and Technologies, where he is joined by a former deputy director at DARPA, Dan Patt. The two make a formidable team, and their center will focus on the application of emerging technologies to military concepts of operation.
In the episode, Dan and Bryan argue that the...2020-08-231h 08
Acquisition TalkOTAs and everything else with Ben McMartinIn a special webinar event of the Acquisition Talk podcast, I spoke with the excellent Ben McMartin. He is a managing partner at the Public Spend Forum, and before that was chief of the Acquisition Management Office at the Army's CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center. He has been at the center of the recent rise of Other Transactions contracting in the Department of Defense, founding the Acquisition Innovation Roadshow and leading the Joint Acquisition Agility Summit.
In the episode, Ben argues that Other Transactions -- a method of contracting outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation -- is not simply a way...2020-08-1556 min
Acquisition TalkAnalyzing the defense industrial base with Amanda Bresler and Alex BreslerThe sibling team that is Amanda Bresler and Alex Bresler joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss their recent data analysis on defense contracts, the industrial base, and innovation programs. They found that between 2010 and 2019, the number of unique defense vendors had fallen from nearly 80,000 to just over 50,000 despite a 286 percent increase the the number of transactions. Even more precipitous was the decline of new entrants, falling from over 15,000 to nearly 4,000. During the episode we dive into the data and discuss:
Whether DoD innovation programs are stovepiped
How new entrants receive a small fraction of SBIR/STTR Phase...2020-07-191h 22
Acquisition TalkHow AFWERX transitions tech with Chris Benson, Steve Lauver, and Jason RathjeThree of the co-founders of the Air Force Ventures program at AFWERX joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss how they transition startups and new technologies across the valley of death and into major programs of record. While AFWERX is only approaching its third birthday, they've had some tremendous success. Over the past 18 months, they've contracted with 1,000 companies -- many of which were new to doing business with the DoD. They brought in over $1 billion in matching venture capital dollars in 2019, more than the past 15 years combined.
And yet, one of the often head complaints is that the...2020-07-051h 30
Acquisition TalkRevamping the way we think about defense with Steve BlankSteve Blank joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss the urgency of defense innovation in a world of authoritarian peer competitors. Steve is a serial entrepreneur, a founder of Hacking 4 Defense, a member of the Defense Business Board, a former Air Force officer, and a leader of the lean methodology movement. The conversation takes us to number of important areas, including:
Why the Chinese couldn't have done more damage to national defense than the Pentagon's own requirements
How agile programs like ABMS and Kessel Run are educating leadership
Whether defense accelerators are merely doing "innovation theater"
How no...2020-06-1454 min
Acquisition TalkThe legal side of procurement with Alexander CanizaresAlexander Canizares joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss the legal side of the acquisition system. He is a senior counsel at Perkins-Coie, a lecturer at George Washington Law School, and a former trial attorney at the Department of Justice. Alex provides insights on a number of topics, including:
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
Whether an OTA contract can be protested
What's new in pricing sole source contracts
Whether VC funding disqualifies businesses from SBA loans
The Procurement Collusion Task Force
Throughout the episode, Alex relates a fundamental tension in procurement law that I would describe as the...2020-06-0250 min
Acquisition TalkProblem curation and lean methodology with Pete NewellPete Newell joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss a range of issues around problem curation and lean methodology. He is the CEO of BMNT, a firm that helps clients build problem solving teams to address significant issues. He is also on the board of Hacking 4 Defense and is a former Colonel who led the Army's Rapid Equipping Force just prior to retiring. During the episode, we discuss a range of issues including:
- How to build and maintain discipline through the innovation pipeline
- Advice for business leaders in the Covid-19 crisis
- How Hacking 4 Defense is...2020-05-1047 min
Acquisition TalkDefense management reform with Peter LevineI was pleased to speak with Peter Levine on the Acquisition Talk podcast about his new book, Defense Management Reform: How to Make the Pentagon Work Better and Cost Less. He was a career professional staff member for Congress and former Deputy Chief Management Officer. During our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss:
Why the DoD is more like an economy than a business
The balance between experimentation and discipline
Views on Middle-Tier and OTAs
How budgets can be cherry-picked to meet a strategy
The assertion of civilian control
Peter argues that the 2009 Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act (WSARA) should be viewed...2020-04-2353 min
Acquisition TalkThe future of Navy software development with Lt. Sean LavelleI was pleased to speak with Navy Lieutenant Sean Lavelle. He is the founder and lead of the iLoc development team, which rapidly deploys valuable software capabilities to the Navy's P-8 fleet. During the episode, Sean describes how P-8 aviators took it upon themselves to code new applications that could solve hard problems with software rather than pencil and paper. One application reduced reporting errors by 90 percent.
Sean provides a compelling vision of the future where operators also take on duties as software developers or product managers. This doesn't require everyone to have coding skills. The P-8A's organic software...2020-04-151h 02
Acquisition TalkSOFWERX, innovation, and early adoption with Tambrein BatesTambrein Bates joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss his role in helping build an ecosystem of over 40,000 innovators in support of Special Operations Command (SOCOM). For the last five years, Tambrein has been the director of SOFWERX, and before that spent a career in US Army special operations. During the episode, we touch on:
- Designing for producibility
- When to use a prize rather than a contract
- The horses vs. jockeys view of innovation
- Moving from a 2-D to a 4-D view of risk
- Whether we set a low bar in defense acquisition
...2020-04-0746 min
Acquisition TalkSpeed, thrift, and simplicity with Dan WardIn this episode of Acquisition Talk, I speak with Dan Ward. He spent 20 years in the US Air Force, and has just released his third book called Lift: Innovation Lessons from Flying Machines that ALMOST Worked and the People who NEARLY Flew Them. During the conversation, we discuss a wide range of topics related to accelerating innovation, including:
- How the Wright brothers built the first airplane with 1/73rd the funds
- Why waterfall development is "like gluing feathers on your arms as a way to fly."
- Why contracts should add a termination clause if costs grow 15%
- The...2020-03-3058 min
Acquisition TalkPanel: From the Lab to the BattlefieldIn this episode of Acquisition Talk, we’ll listen in on a panel discussion hosted by the Lincoln Network that focuses on defense acquisition, called, “From the Lab to the Battlefield: maximizing defense innovation.” This event took place during the Reboot American Innovation conference on May 2, 2019.
The speakers include Linda Lourie, who is the Associate General Counsel for Acquisition & Logistics –- Pablo Carrillo, the former chief of staff to Senator John McCain and a current counsel for Squire Patton Boggs -- and Acquisition Talk host Eric Lofgren. The panel is moderated by Pasha Moore.
This discussion touches on the difficulty of linin...2019-05-2847 min
Acquisition TalkSystem design principles with Mark Mandeles(part 1)In this episode of Acquisition Talk, host Eric Lofgren speaks with Mark Mandeles about a wide range of topics in defense management. Mark has had a fascinating career and has written numerous books and articles including The Development of the B-52 and Jet Propulsion, and, Military Transformation Past and Present.
Mark talks with me about how military organization impacted the innovation process, why it is impossible to predict the growth of scientific knowledge, how the B-52 development turned out to be a stunning success, the role of strong technical managers in a process-oriented culture, how the Air Force promised business ef...2019-02-0457 min
Acquisition TalkThe V-22 program development with Richard WhittleRick Whittle joins Eric Lofgren on Acquisition Talk to discuss his book.
In this episode, we learn about the development of the V-22 tiltrotor technology. It allows an aircraft to take off and land vertically -- like a helicopter -- and transform its rotors to face forward -- allowing it to fly with the range and speed of a fixed-wing airplane.
Rick Whittle tells us why the sales process between the contractor and Government is a "courtship"; the difficulties of a 50/50 partnership between companies with clashing cultures; what is intellectually corrupt about the way defense systems are tested; how the...2019-01-101h 21
Acquisition TalkContracting, innovation, and acquisition improvement with Victor DealIn this first episode of Acquisition Talk, Eric Lofgren speaks with guest Victor Deal, who is currently the director of contracts and grants at the Universities Space Research Association, and before that, was an Acquisition Innovation Advocate in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Victor has played an integral role in developing and deploying contracting methods which allow the Government to move quickly, harness new technologies, and bring in firms that traditionally would not have worked with the Government. In this episode, we will talk about innovation in the Department of Defense, and how that relates to Commercial Solutions...2018-12-211h 04