The Defense Tech Podcast with Fexingo: Government Contracting, Aerospace, and Military Tech cover art

The Defense Tech Podcast with Fexingo: Government Contracting, Aerospace, and Military Tech

The Defense Tech Podcast with Fexingo: Government Contracting, Aerospace, and Military Tech

By: Fexingo
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Defense contracting isn't just F-35s and carrier groups. Lucas and Luna break down the actual economics of military tech: how aerospace primes like Lockheed, RTX, and Northrop Grumman manage multi-year fixed-price development contracts, what the DoD’s new CMMC cybersecurity rules mean for small subcontractors, and why the Navy’s Columbia-class submarine program is a case study in industrial-base risk. Each episode starts with a real number — a contract award value, a quarterly P&L line from a defense prime, a Pentagon budget line item — and builds a conversation around it. Lucas, a former defense correspondent, brings the policy and accounting; Luna, a tech-market analyst, connects the programs to publicly traded supply chains and venture-backed startups trying to break into classified markets. No classified information, no defense-blog speculation — just the business logic behind the weapons systems you read about in the news. Why does a missile cost $4 million? How does a shipbuilder hedge against steel tariffs? And what happens when a startup wins a Small Business Innovation Research grant for a prototype that the Air Force actually wants to buy? This is the business of national security, one budget line at a time. #DefenseTech #GovernmentContracting #AerospaceIndustry #MilitaryTech #LockheedMartin #NorthropGrumman #Raytheon #PentagonBudget #CMMC #SBIR #NavalShipbuilding #Hypersonics #SpaceForce #DefenseStartups #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Technology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo© 2026 Fexingo. All rights reserved. Economics
Episodes
  • How the Pentagon Is Buying Satellite Launch Services Like a Space Freight Company

    How the Pentagon Is Buying Satellite Launch Services Like a Space Freight Company
    Jul 6 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Pentagon's shift from owning rockets to buying launch services as cargo. With SpaceX joining the Nasdaq-100 and defense primes up 4-10% in a week, they break down the 'Launch Services Agreement' model that treats satellite delivery like a FedEx shipment. Using the Space Force's recent $2.4 billion contract for 30 launches across multiple providers, they explain how this 'bulk freight' approach cuts costs, increases resilience, and opens the door for new entrants like Rocket Lab and Blue Origin. They also connect the model to the broader defense trend of 'as-a-service' procurement seen in prior episodes, and question whether the Pentagon's love for fixed-price contracts might squeeze out innovation. Specific numbers, real contract details, and a clear thesis make this a must-listen for anyone tracking the business of defense space. #Pentagon #SpaceForce #SatelliteLaunch #LaunchServices #SpaceX #RocketLab #BlueOrigin #ULA #FixedPriceContracts #SpaceFreight #DefenseProcurement #BusinessAndTechnology #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #DefenseTech #GovernmentContracting #SpaceLogistics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • How the Pentagon Is Buying Helicopter Engines Like a Fleet Manager

    How the Pentagon Is Buying Helicopter Engines Like a Fleet Manager
    Jul 6 2026
    The Pentagon spends over $2 billion annually maintaining helicopter engines, but its procurement system treats each overhaul as a one-off repair order. Contractors charge per component; supply chains stall; readiness drops. Now the Army is piloting a 'power-by-the-hour' model with General Electric's T700 engine program, paying for flight hours instead of spare parts. Lucas walks through how Honeywell and GE are competing on availability guarantees rather than screw-and-bolt bids, and why the Navy is watching closely as its Seahawk fleet ages. Luna pushes on whether this actually saves money or just shifts risk to contractors. A concrete look at how the largest buyer of turboshaft engines in the world is learning to buy outcomes instead of inputs. #PentagonProcurement #HelicopterEngines #PowerByTheHour #GeneralElectric #Honeywell #ArmyAviation #T700Engine #DefenseContracting #MilitaryTech #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #DefenseTech #SupplyChain #Readiness #LucasAndLuna #Turboshaft Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 mins
  • How the Pentagon Is Buying Cybersecurity Like Insurance

    How the Pentagon Is Buying Cybersecurity Like Insurance
    Jul 5 2026
    The Pentagon is shifting from auditing cybersecurity compliance to buying cyber resilience like an insurance policy — paying for outcomes, not checklists. Lucas and Luna break down the new 'Cyber Maturity Model Certification 2.0' framework, how it ties vendor payouts to real incident data rather than self-reported scores, and why defense primes like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are suddenly treating cyber risk like actuarial tables. They discuss the pilot program for a 'cyber loss ratio' metric, the role of the Defense Industrial Base Vulnerability Disclosure Program, and what it means for the 300,000 small contractors that supply the military. With major defense stocks up 4% to 10% in the past week amid rising global tensions, the hosts examine whether this shift could actually reduce the $60 billion annual cost of cyber incidents in the defense supply chain — or just create a new layer of paperwork. #Cybersecurity #DefenseIndustry #PentagonProcurement #CMCC2 #CyberInsurance #LockheedMartin #NorthropGrumman #DefenseSupplyChain #CyberResilience #RiskManagement #GovernmentContracting #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #DefenseTechPodcast #LucasAndLuna #CyberPolicy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins
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