The Defense Tech Underground

• 015: Rylan Hamilton & Austin Gray – Blue Water Autonomy: Building the Navy’s Future Fleet

  Rylan Hamilton and Austin Gray are co-founders of Blue Water Autonomy, a venture-backed defense tech startup designing and building the next generation of autonomous ships for the U.S. Navy and beyond. Hamilton began his career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy before moving into robotics. He joined Kiva Systems (later Amazon Robotics), where he scaled warehouse automation from thousands to tens of thousands of robots, and went on to co-found a robotics company acquired by Shopify for hundreds of millions. Gray started as a Navy intelligence officer, later helped launch defense tech initiatives at MIT, and spent time in a Ukrainian drone factory before turning to maritime autonomy. Together, they founded Blue Water Autonomy to tackle one of America’s most pressing challenges: revitalizing shipbuilding and expanding the Navy’s fleet with cost-effective, autonomous vessels. In this episode of Defense Tech Underground, we sit down with Rylan and Austin to explore how autonomy at sea is reshaping the future of maritime power. We cover: Engineering autonomy – solving the hard problems of redundancy, endurance, and reliability in ocean-going ships without crews. The hybrid fleet vision – how unmanned vessels will complement destroyers, frigates, and carriers, carrying payloads without putting sailors at risk. Crawl, walk, run – why a phased approach to shipbuilding beats the Navy’s traditional “build once for 40 years” model. Dual-use opportunity – where autonomy at sea can extend to commercial sectors like tugs, ferries, and logistics, once regulatory barriers fall. Founder lessons – obsession, grit, and timing: why conviction matters, and what advice they’d give to future defense tech entrepreneurs. This conversation highlights how two veterans turned robotics entrepreneurs are bringing private capital, Silicon Valley speed, and deep Navy experience to one of the hardest problems in defense: building ships faster, smarter, and more resilient. This episode is hosted by Josh Pickering and Jeff Phaneuf.   Full Bios: Rylan Hamilton Rylan Hamilton is co-founder and CEO of Blue Water Autonomy. He served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy before beginning a career in robotics at Kiva Systems, which was later acquired by Amazon to become Amazon Robotics. He co-founded 6 River Systems, a warehouse robotics company that scaled globally before being acquired by Shopify. Hamilton brings two decades of experience at the intersection of defense, robotics, and entrepreneurship to leading Blue Water Autonomy. Austin Gray Austin Gray is co-founder and President of Blue Water Autonomy. He began his career as a Navy intelligence officer, serving on aircraft carriers in the Middle East and South China Sea before earning his MBA at Harvard Business School. He co-founded and helped run the MIT–Harvard Defense Tech Initiative and worked in Ukraine’s drone sector before turning his focus to maritime autonomy.

  --------  

  45:04

  --------

  45:04
• 014: John Clark & Chris Moran – Lockheed Martin: Innovation with Purpose

  John Clark is Senior Vice President of Technology and Strategic Innovation at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the legendary advanced development program behind the U-2, SR-71, F-117, and F-35. Over his 27-year career, including 25 inside Skunk Works, he has led some of the most important innovations in aerospace and defense. Chris Moran is Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, the corporate venture arm investing in breakthrough startups across AI, autonomy, advanced manufacturing, power, and propulsion to bring critical technologies into Lockheed’s programs. In this episode of Defense Tech Underground, we sit down with John and Chris to explore how a century-old prime contractor sustains a culture of innovation while working alongside a new generation of defense tech startups. We cover: Skunk Works culture and the 14 rules – why they still matter today, and how Clark applied them in leading programs from the F-22 to modern autonomy efforts. Innovation with purpose – Lockheed’s philosophy of tying new technology directly to warfighter needs, from AI-tuned radar to layered defense systems. Lockheed Ventures – Moran’s view on “gaps and hedges,” the fund’s 90+ portfolio companies, and how primes and startups can create one-plus-one-equals-three outcomes. AI and open architectures – where generative AI, advanced autonomy, and spectrum convergence are reshaping design, manufacturing, and operations. The prime paradox – responding to critics who call primes slow and risk-averse, and why, in Clark’s words, “don’t believe the hype—innovation happens every day inside Lockheed.” This conversation highlights how the largest defense contractor in the world is leaning into venture capital, software-hardware convergence, and cultural lessons from Skunk Works to keep pace with evolving threats while partnering with startups. This episode is hosted by Josh Pickering and Andrew Couillard. Full Bios: John Clark John Clark is Senior Vice President, Technology and Strategic Innovation at Lockheed Martin, where he leads enterprise technology strategy and investment, including companywide digital and AI initiatives. He moved into the role after serving as Vice President and General Manager of Skunk Works from 2022 to early 2025. Earlier, Clark was Vice President of Engineering and Technology for Aeronautics and previously Vice President for ISR and Unmanned Systems at Skunk Works, roles that spanned portfolio leadership, systems integration, and multi-domain operations. Chris Moran Chris Moran is Executive Director and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm. He joined in 2016 after three decades in Silicon Valley, including senior executive roles at Applied Materials and eight years running Applied Ventures. He holds BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT. Moran’s team invests across priority areas aligned with Lockheed Martin’s strategy. The fund size was doubled to $400M in 2022, and LM Ventures partners closely with internal engineering groups on adoption. He also engages with Stanford’s Hacking for Defense program.

  --------  

  53:06

  --------

  53:06
• 013: Jonny Dyer - Delivering Earth Intelligence With Muon Space

  Jonny Dyer is the Co-Founder and CEO of Muon Space, an end-to-end space systems provider that designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations that deliver mission-critical data. Prior to Muon, Jonny held technical leadership roles at Google Maps and Lyft, and was the Chief Engineer at Skybox Imaging.  On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, Jonny discusses his background at Skybox Imaging and his experience building Muon Space. He describes Muon’s approach to building satellite constellations end to end, and highlights the role of the FireSat constellation to provide operational guidance on the mitigation of wildfires. Jonny shares lessons learned from leading Muon, and explains how he has thought through pivotal moments in Muon’s journey, such as their recent acquisition of Starlight Engines.  This episode is hosted by Helen Phillips and Bryan Harvey.    Full Bio:  Jonny Dyer is Co-Founder & CEO of Muon Space, with a remarkable career spanning aerospace, geospatial technology, and complex systems engineering across industry-shaping companies. As Chief Engineer at Skybox Imaging, he led development of the largest high-resolution satellite constellation ever deployed before the company's $500M acquisition by Google in 2014. At Google, he headed Maps' data collection team developing Street View cars and aircraft platforms, then served as Senior Director at Lyft's Level 5 Autonomous Vehicle group leading vehicle platform design and deployment. Currently an Operating Partner at Space Capital and advisor to Ubiquity.vc, Jonny also serves as a founding member of EDF's MethaneSat Technical Advisory Group and has served on multiple National Academies studies and committees. He holds MS and BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and has authored widely-cited research spanning thermodynamics, radiation effects, and imaging systems.  

  --------  

  47:42

  --------

  47:42
• 012: Ray Powell and SeaLight - Shedding Light on China’s Gray Zone Activities in the Indo-Pacific

  Ray Powell is the Founder and Director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University. He is also the co-host of the “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” podcast. Ray served 35 years in the U.S. Air Force, including posts in the Philippines, Japan, Germany and Qatar, as well as combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, Ray describes his 35 year career in the United States Air Force, his path to Stanford, and his journey to founding SeaLight. He explains China’s gray zone tactics in the South China Sea and SeaLight’s efforts to shed light on those activities. Ray offers insight into needed countermeasures to build up readiness and deterrence as well as the broader geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific.  This episode is hosted by Helen Phillips and Bryan Harvey.    Full Bio: Ray Powell is the Founder and Director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University, California. He is also the co-host of the “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” podcast. Ray served 35 years in the U.S. Air Force, including posts in the Philippines, Japan, Germany and Qatar, as well as combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served as the U.S. Defense Attaché to Australia and the U.S. Air Attaché to Vietnam. 

  --------  

  59:37

  --------

  59:37
• 011: Dr. Craig Martell - The Pentagon's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office

  Dr. Craig Martell served as the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the DOD from June 2022 through April 2024. While at the Pentagon, he helped the Department of Defense modernize their approach to employing software. He now works as the Chief AI Officer for Cohesity, a cybersecurity startup that helps companies secure, analyze, and manage their data. In this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, we discuss Dr. Martell’s path from teaching computer science to leading a major Pentagon office, his early career in big tech at the dawn of AI, his concerns about the use of generative AI in warfare, and how tech startups can be effective by innovating alongside warfighters. This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Andrew Paulmeno.   Full Bio:  Dr. Craig Martell is the former Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the United States Department of Defense.  As Chief AI Officer of Cohesity, Craig shapes Cohesity’s technical vision—and defines and executes a strategic roadmap for the company’s future. Craig brings extensive industry and public sector experience and expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to his role. Most recently, as the first Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) for the U.S. Department of Defense, Craig accelerated the adoption of data, analytics, digital solutions, and AI functions. Prior to the DoD, he held senior roles at several leading technology companies. He served as Head of Machine Learning at Lyft, Head of Machine Intelligence at Dropbox, and was a leader of numerous AI teams and initiatives at LinkedIn. Craig was also a tenured computer science professor at the Naval Postgraduate School specializing in natural language processing. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania.  

  --------  

  1:07:26

  --------

  1:07:26

More Technology podcasts

Trending Technology podcasts

About The Defense Tech Underground