Midrats

Jan 26 2025 546 ep. 63 mins 731
Midrats Podcast artwork

Navy Milbloggers Sal from "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne from "EagleSpeak" discuss leading issues and developments for the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and related national security issues.

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Episode 712: Condition of the Navy's Amphibious Fleet And Its Impacts on Marines: the View from GAO

Jan 26 2025 59 mins  
Does the US Navy have the right number and mix of amphibious ships, and are those ships being properly maintained?The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report to Congress explored this topic in depth, and today’s Midrats Podcast will delve into it further.From the summary of the report:Amphibious warfare ships are critical for Marine Corps missions, but the Navy h

Episode 711: The Defense Reformation, with Shyam Sankar

Jan 19 2025 62 mins  
When a report has an opening like this, you know you have to find a way to get the author on Midrats.As a nation, we are in an undeclared state of emergency.…This is a hot Cold War II. The West has empirically lost deterrence. We must respond to this emergency to regain it.We have a peer adversary: China. “Near-Peer” is a shibboleth, a euphemism to avoid the embarrassment of

Episode 710: Affordable Approaches to Improve US and Allied Shipbuilding and Ship Repair with Michael Roberts & Bryan Clark

Jan 12 2025 58 mins  
There is almost a cottage industry in appreciating the decades-long shortfall in America’s maritime industrial base for shipbuilding and repair.After more than a decade of self-delusion in labeling the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as merely a ‘Pacing Challenge’, people are increasingly waking up to the fact that the PRC has overtaken the USA in the maritime arena—a do

Episode 709: Midrats 15th Anniversary Show with Claude Berube

Jan 05 2025 59 mins  
Happy New Year to everyone…and Midrats is back with you.Join us today for a broad-ranging discussion for our 15th Anniversary Show with a regular guest since the start, Claude Berube.The conversation will go who knows where, but we will begin by reflecting on how the defense media and information environment has evolved since 2010—not just from the perspective of the informatio

Episode 708: The Icebreaker Imperative, with Peter Rybski

Dec 15 2024 56 mins  
With one of the most militarily and energy strategic states in our union, Alaska, being in the Arctic, and the extensive interests we have on the other side of the planet in Antarctica, do you wonder why our nation’s icebreaking “fleet”—being what it is—amounts to an antique road show? Are you curious how our plan to replace them is making the LCS program look like a succ

Episode 707: Who is on the Damascus Road, with Seth Folsom

Dec 08 2024 57 mins  
Trying to get your mind around who the actors are in Syria as this 'frozen conflict' from the last decade begins to thaw?If you are concerned about international jihadist organizations, the security of Israel, instability caused by mass migration, rights of religious minorities in the Middle East, or human suffering, the cascading events in Syria should be in your scan.Well, this M

Episode 706: The Midrats Horn of Plenty

Nov 24 2024 60 mins  
Before everyone dives into a week of family and fasting, time to catch up with Sal and Mark on Midrats.From the retention crisis to some stark comments from senior leaders about the Western Pacific, we’ll cover the waterfront and more.ShowlinksFighter pilot burnoutAdmiral Paparo at BrookingsDereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led t

Episode 705: the Opportunities With Trump's Return, with Jerry Dunleavy

Nov 17 2024 58 mins  
With 63 days until President Trump’s second inauguration and a new national security team lining up, what are the expected opportunities they will be looking to make an impact quickly? What should people be looking at? Where is the fruit ripe for the picking?For the full hour we have returning guest, Jerry Dunleavy IV, author of Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco and the

Episode 704: A Post-Election Midrats Melee

Nov 10 2024 59 mins  
SummaryThe conversation delves into various themes surrounding innovation, customization, and future planning. It highlights the importance of bespoke solutions in development and addresses the challenges faced in implementing these ideas. The speakers reflect on their insights and look forward to new developments in the field.Show LinksTrump Declares No Mercy on CartelsChris Cappy

Episode 703: Midrats Pre-Halloween Spooktacular!

Oct 20 2024 61 mins  
ShowlinksJoint Sword 2024 off Taiwan.TAFFY-3 off Samar.USAF NGAD Pause.Narrow Seas, Small Navies, and Fat Merchantmen: Naval Strategies for the 1990s.USS Carney’s 1 year anniversary.Debt service now greater than spending on defense.SummaryIn this episode of Midrats, Sal and Mark discuss the evolving geopolitical landscape, focusing on China's strategic maneuvers around Taiwan and