How Virtual Twins are Reshaping Aerospace Design and Manufacturing

As the U.S. Army reshapes how it develops, acquires, and fields autonomous systems, military leaders are increasingly emphasizing that autonomy is not a one-size-fits-all capability. New organizational changes, including the establishment of the Army's Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM), reflect a broader effort to accelerate robotics adoption while aligning technology development with mission-specific requirements. On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology Podcast, we feature remarks from an AUSA 2026 panel discussion on integrated autonomy in warfighting. Dr. Alexander Miller, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Army, and BG Anthony Gibbs, Capability Program Executive for Mission Autonomy, U.S. Army, discuss how the Army is approaching autonomous systems development, acquisition strategies, force structure changes, and the evolving role of robotics across future militaryoperations. Sponsored by: Allient

As autonomy becomes a defining requirement across military drones, robotic systems, and other unmanned platforms, developers face a growing challenge: finding enough onboard computing power to run advanced AI without driving up size, weight, power consumption, and cost. On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, we speak with Saleel Awsare, President and CEO of Lantronix, about the company's new Spotter embedded computing platform, unveiled during AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C. The discussion explores how Spotter was designed to close what Lantronix describes as the "compute gap" between low-end embedded boards that cannot support meaningful AI workloads and larger GPU-based solutions that may be too expensive or power-hungry for small, scalable autonomous systems. Powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing QCS6490, Spotter integrates AI processing, vision capabilities, flight-grade sensing, and vehicle control into a compact board intended for aerial, ground, and maritime autonomous platforms. Listen to the full conversation to learn how advances in edge AI computing are helping make autonomy more accessible for drone and robotics developers across defense and commercial markets.

Recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East haveunderscored a growing reality for defense planners: low-cost unmanned systems are reshaping modern warfare and placing unprecedented demands on manufacturing capacity, supply chains, and acquisition strategies. At the same time, thechallenge of defeating inexpensive drones with significantly more expensive defensive systems continues to drive interest in scalable, cost-effectivecounter-UAS systems. On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, Brett Velicovich, co-founder and president of Powerus, explains the company's efforts to expand domestic drone and counter-drone production while maintaining affordability and operational effectiveness. The conversation follows Powerus' recent $82 million U.S. government order for C-UAS systems. Velicovich discusses lessons learned from today's drone-centric conflicts, the importance of U.S.-based manufacturing, challenges associated with scaling autonomous-systemproduction, and how the defense industry can improve the cost exchange ratio between offensive drones and defensive interceptors. The discussion also explores workforce development, supply-chain resilience, and the future ofhigh-volume autonomous-system production.

What happens when military units can build, repair, and modify critical systems without waiting on a supply chain? On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, we speak with Chad McCoy, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Firestorm Labs, a Special Operations Forces veteran and retired Chief Master Sergeant from theU.S. Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron. Drawing on years of operational experience and work in defense innovation, McCoy discusses one of the military's most pressing challenges: sustaining capability in contested environments wheretraditional logistics networks may be delayed, disrupted, or denied. At the center of the conversation is Firestorm's xCell, a containerized manufacturing platform that brings industrial-grade production capabilities directly to deployed forces. Designed to operate at the point of need, the systemenables teams to produce, repair, and adapt unmanned aircraft systems in the field, reducing dependence on lengthy supply chains and improving operational flexibility.

Over five decades, Tech Briefs has helped tell countless stories of NASA technology transfer, highlighting how discoveries made for space exploration find new life in products and applications here on Earth. This special episode focuses on a remarkable example of tech transfer: a treadmill technology that began as a solution forexercising in reduced-gravity environments and has since helped people recover from injury, improve athletic performance, and maintain mobility as they age.