About Strikepod Systems

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"Across the government, there were failures … The most important failure was one of imagination."
    -- The 9/11 Commission

We are witnessing the dawn of a new era in naval warfare.

Navies worldwide are racing to develop highly advanced, unmanned maritime systems. Thanks to a steady stream of scientific and technological advancements in power production, propulsion, undersea communications, weapons technology, and artificial intelligence, revolutionary miniature submarines and surface vehicles are rapidly ushering in the era of micronaval warfare.

WHAT I DO

Strikepod Systems was founded in 2016 to imagine micronaval warfare. I do this specifically through the lens of strikepods - networks of underwater platforms operating as autonomous, distributed systems capable of sensing, maneuvering, deciding, and applying effects against a target or objective. I analyze their role in such disciplines as mine warfare (MIW), subsea and seabed warfare (SSW), and autonomous undersea combat operations. While my coverage spans the full spectrum of autonomous underwater systems, our research focuses largely on blended wing body underwater gliders (BWBUGs) - long-endurance, low-signature AUVs capable of executing nearly every emerging autonomous undersea mission set, and forming the basis of the first generation of operational strikepods.

I provide an array of creative analytic products and services to intelligence, policy, and defense customers, equipping them with ideas and insights to anticipate and navigate the challenges, threats, and opportunities of micronaval warfare.

WHO I AM
David R. Strachan, Founder/Senior Analyst
David Strachan is a defense analyst specializing in autonomous undersea systems. Through a combination of in-depth research, rigorous analysis, games, and simulations, he provides defense, intelligence, and policy customers with the ideas and insights they need to successfully navigate the challenges of micronaval warfare. Mr. Strachan is also a contributing writer to Marine Technology Reporter magazine, the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global marine technology market. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Lafayette College, and a certificate in Wargaming from Virginia Tech/MORS.

Publications/Appearances/Contributions