[whooshing sound] So Brett, can you start with an introduction to who PowerUS is, including a brief history of the company, where you're based, and some of the primary technologies you provide for aerospace and defense applications?

Sure.

So PowerUS is a American defense technology company that focuses on autonomous systems, drones, counter-drone technology.

Uh, we're really focused on building, uh, a American manufacturing base around the technologies that are defining the next generation of warfare, and that's, that's drone technology.

And we, we really see, uh, the company as one of the very few first movers in revolutionizing, uh, America's industrial base as it relates to building drone defense technology.

The, um, you know, build- being able to build systems at massive scale, which has been very difficult, I think, for, for many other companies, uh, because they've focused on these, you know, very large, exquisite, very expensive systems.

And, and our focus is on exquisite systems that can be built, um, um, at, at massive scale.

And before we wrap up, Brett, are there any just additional thoughts you'd like to share with our audience on lowering the cost of US-based manufacturing drones or counter-drone interceptors? And are there any upcoming initiatives, projects milestones or even events that PowerUs will be at that our audience should keep an eye on?

I mean, were they ever serious about this?

Well, Ron's been playing this game for decades, and this is all part of the playbook.

And I think the Trump administration's made it very crystal clear lately that we're not going to let the world's most critical shipping lane be held hostage to them.

the U.S. Navy is the most capable maritime force in history.

And so if the order was given by the president to guarantee freedom of navigation, I think the military could rapidly suppress Iran's ability to openly challenge commercial shipping.

And we may have to do that because the Iranians just seem to not get it.

It's over and over again, these lies from them.

Can we clear the Iranian part of the Strait of Hormuz, Brett Belikovich? How difficult is that?

And you guys were, like, over there and were like, I don't have any good products.

No.

So so a couple of days after the full scale war in in Ukraine kicked off, I was on the ground there with a couple ex JSOC colleagues of mine, and we were out there doing humanitarian rescues and extractions of Americans because the State Department left.

And it had zero drone premise, even though I spent my whole world with drone technology.

When I was over there, there was really, the premise was just to help get Americans out.

And then what turned into sort of bringing Americans out of the country turned into providing humanitarian aid.

So we were bringing everything from medical kits to these tactical IFACs that you use when a soldier gets shot and it has everything from uh tourniquets to to all kinds of medical equipment that a soldier would need when they get shot the ukrainians didn't have any of this equipment i mean their ifacs looked like you know band-aids and elmer's glue like it was bad and we supplied i would say a couple hundred thousand ifacs at the time and so we were moving medical equipment all around Well, eventually, you know, most soldiers, you know, each individual soldier had one of those kits.

Yeah.

Do you think the World Cup is secure from a drone threat?

No, I don't.

I think that we've had a, a big issue in the US specifically when it comes to the bureaucracy of what it takes to be able to create the protection that's needed around these locations.

I think in a lot of ways there's been different agencies who have gotten involved when they haven't needed to.

I think the FAA has been causing a bit of problems for our federal law enforcement agencies in terms of being able to test equipment that's needed.

I mean, we need to really start employing more counter-drone systems, and we need to employ kinetic solutions.

I think that's the problem.

Can you talk about Ukraine's drone prowess?

Do you think the World Cup is secure from a drone threat?

No.

No, I don't.

I think that we've had a, a big issue, um, in the US specifically when it comes to the bureaucracy of what it takes to be able to create the protection that's needed around these locations.

I think, um, in a lot of ways there's been different agencies who have gotten involved when they haven't needed to.

I think the FAA has been causing a bit of problems for, uh, our federal law enforcement agencies in terms of being able to test equipment that's needed.

I mean, uh, you know, when you, when you see some of these other countries and the, the sophisticated equipment that they have to be able to counter a drone attack, a lot of that stuff they can test very frequently.

Oh, jeez

chevron.com/usa250.Do you think the World Cup is secure from a drone threat?

No.

No, I don't.

I think that we've had a, a big issue, um, in the US specifically when it comes to the bureaucracy of what it takes to be able to create the protection that's needed around these locations.

I think, um, in a lot of ways there's been different agencies who have gotten involved when they haven't needed to.

I think the FAA has been causing a bit of problems for, uh, our federal law enforcement agencies in terms of being able to test equipment that's needed.

I mean, uh, you know, when you, when you see some of these other countries and the, the sophisticated equipment that they have to be able to counter a drone attack, a lot of that stuff they can test very frequently.

Oh, yes

Mm.

Iran would love nothing more than to provoke a response that fractures our international support, it spikes oil prices, and it creates political division at home.

Instead, we've been very methodical, and, and kudos to the president for that.

And that's frustrating for people who want immediate action, but m- methodical pressure often produces better outcomes than emotional decision-making.

And the reality is that reopening Hormuz isn't just as simple as sending a carrier strike group through the strait, but a lot of people need to understand that we have already imposed a significant cost on Iran.

Iranian oil exports have collapsed to some of their lowest in, uh, levels in years.

Tehran is facing growing economic pressure, and that's the kind of leverage you want before making any major military decisions.

I don't want them to have the control over any part of it, Brett.

Do you think the World Cup is secure from a drone threat?

No.

No, I don't.

I think that we've had a, a big issue, um, in the US specifically when it comes to the bureaucracy of what it takes to be able to create the protection that's needed around these locations.

I think, um, in a lot of ways there's been different agencies who have gotten involved when they haven't needed to.

I think the FAA has been causing a bit of problems for, uh, our federal law enforcement agencies in terms of being able to test equipment that's needed.

I mean, we need to really start employing more counter-drone systems, and we need to employ kinetic solutions.

Can you talk about Ukraine's drone prowess?

Do you think the World Cup is secure from a drone threat?

No.

No, I don't.

I think that we've had a, a big issue, um, in the US specifically when it comes to the bureaucracy of what it takes to be able to create the protection that's needed around these locations.

I think, um, in a lot of ways there's been different agencies who have gotten involved when they haven't needed to.

I think the FAA has been causing a bit of problems for, uh, our federal law enforcement agencies in terms of being able to test equipment that's needed.

I mean, we need to really start employing more counter-drone systems, and we need to employ kinetic solutions.

Can you talk about Ukraine's drone prowess?

It doesn't sound to me like much of a deal.

Well, it's not much, and this is the typical of the Iranian playbook.

But right now, Larry, look, missiles, they grab headlines, but economics decides wars, and right now Iran is fighting f- on both fronts.

Tehran has spent years portraying itself as economically sanctions-proof, but the reality is, is that even workarounds have limits.

Their smuggling networks, their shadow oil fleets, and this discounted exports that sort of keep a regime alive, they don't create prosperity in the end.

There's a difference between surviving and functioning, and what's striking is that Iran's economy right now is the battlefield.

The sanctions, the blockade pressure, shipping disruptions, they're slowly squeezing the regime from the inside out, and history shows authar- authoritarian governments can withstand military pain for a very long time.

Mm-hmm.

But, uh, but now, a- and, and particularly when you hear Brian's suggestion that maybe they want another strike, I mean, these, these are- people are real lunatics, aren't they?

Yeah, you're exactly right, and what's getting overlooked here is how much internal pressure Iran is under right now.

The internet blackouts that they've had, that tells you the regime is worried about instability in its own country.

Governments do not cut off tens of millions of people from the global internet for months because they feel strong and secure.

They do it because they fear unrest, economic anger, and, and loss of control.

And their economy right now is getting squeezed.

Online businesses are collapsing.

I'm, I'm just wondering, Brett, is it possible that this is stirring up discontent to the point where people may g- may go out, you know, "Damn the internet, uh, damn the, the possibility of snipers, uh, we just, we just can't take this anymore"?

Mm.

And you're seeing, you know, China and Iran maybe coordinating in the Gulf, but the bigger story to me is the world still depends on American strength to keep global commerce alive, and even China just exposed its real priority, energy security above everything else.

When the seas get dangerous, every country, including China, eventually looks to the United States to restore order.

But what's really interesting to me is that China's trying to play both sides right now at once.

On one hand, Beijing wants to maintain close economic ties with Iran and keep discounted Iranian oil flowing to them.

But on the other hand, China absolutely does not want a, a wider regional conflict that sends oil prices skyrocketing and destabilizes their own trade.

China wants cheap Iranian oil, but it also wants American stability protecting the shipping lanes delivering it.

Mm-hmm.

Mm.

Because the economic reality inside Iran tells the real story.

You have reports of collapsing currency, shrinking oil exports, internal warnings that the regime cannot sustain prolonged pressure, all point to the same conclusion.

America's strategy's working.

Tehran's leadership can issue these threats and the propaganda all they want, but behind closed doors, they understand the trajectory.

They are losing control of their core economic foundation.

Mm.

They've got tens of millions of oil barrels stuck on tankers that can't go anywhere.

How real is a drone attack we keep hearing about possibly in Los Angeles?

Well, it's not hypothetical anymore, and I think the recent warning from the FBI proves that the threat of drone attacks on U.S. soil are, are real.

Someone out there had real intelligence information that this was a threat, otherwise the FBI wouldn't have issued this statement.

And I've been talking about that on, you know, your program for years, that we do have some vulnerabilities.

Uh, you know, that being said, uh, you know, we do need to fix some of our defenses here in the U.S. We need to also catch up to the Iranians' level of drone production as well.

We're not even close at that scale.

We just saw recently the sort of this show of force by the Iranians where this large supply of naval suicide drones were shown off in these underground missile, uh, locations.

How important has been the advances in drone technology in the Ukraine war, and how vital has Ukraine's knowledge been to our Gulf States? Despite Ukraine being under nonstop barrage from Russia, they are helping the U- the Gulf States protect themselves against the Shahed drones because they're dealing with the same drones against Russia.

What do you make of the criticism that they should have been better protected, that this could have been anticipated?

I'm on the side of those critics are a hundred percent right.

Uh, I've seen-- I, I've been one of the most vocal advocates on the Fox network for years.

I think literally my first show ever on Fox, I t- I warned about this because ISIS was using, uh, Chinese drones in Syria to strike our forces.

I've been on the ground in Ukraine.

I see what's being used every single day.

And, uh, I've been a little upset in the last week because, uh, you know, this is not the first time that we've, we've brought this up to people.

I don't know how, I don't know how you possibly defend against it.

What do you make of the criticism that they should have been better protected and that this could have been anticipated?

I'm on the side of those critics are a hundred percent right.

Um, I've seen-- I, I've been one of the most vocal advocates on the Fox network for years.

I think literally my first show ever on Fox, I t- I warned about this 'cause ISIS was using, uh, Chinese drones in Syria to strike our forces.

I've been on the ground in Ukraine.

I see what's being used every single day, and, uh, I've been a little upset in the last week because, uh, you know, this is not the first time that we've, we've brought this up to people, and I think, I don't know who for years inside the Department of War has been in charge of procurements for counter-drone systems, especially abroad, to intercept drones, protect our embassies, but, uh, it's my personal opinion somebody dropped the ball.

They're buying overpriced, costing the taxpayer millions of dollars.

I don't know how, I don't know how you possibly defend against it.

It's a lot more expensive to shoot them down than they are to build.

Well, that's the problem, right? Iran really, in my opinion, has just about perfected the art of low-cost, one-way attack drones.

That was because they had to put these things in the hands of their proxy forces, uh, that were running around the world trying to kill Americans, trying to kill Israelis, uh, sow chaos, and those proxy forces didn't have access necessarily to, to big budgets, so Iran started creating drones that were capable of reaching significant distances.

And they, in my opinion, in terms of being able to produce that at low cost, have sur- uh, surpassed what, what we did because of where our focus was.

And frankly, it's unsustainable, right? Uh, when you talk about what is being used right now to shoot these things down.Cheap twenty thousand dollar Iranian Shaheds are forcing us to burn multi-million dollar interceptors.

That's unsustainable math.

Obviously, they're starting to get through, uh, some of our sites.

-to take out enemy drones?

It's a lot more expensive to shoot them down than they are to build.

Well, that's the problem, right? Iran really, in my opinion, has just about perfected the art of low-cost one-way attack drones.

That was because they had to put these things in the hands of their proxy forces that were running around the world trying to kill Americans, trying to kill Israelis, uh, sow chaos, and those proxy forces didn't have access necessarily to, to big budgets, so Iran started creating drones that were capable of reaching significant distances.

And they, in my opinion, in terms of being able to produce that at low cost, have sur-uh, surpassed what, what we did because of where our focus was.

And frankly, it's unsustainable, right? Uh, when you talk about what is being used right now to shoot these things down.

Cheap twenty-thousand-dollar Iranian Shaheds are forcing us to burn multi-million dollar interceptors.

That's unsustainable math.

-to take out enemy drones?

And so the how long thing you introduced and the regime change element of this, it's like, okay, I have no doubt that in the matter of a couple of weeks, we can totally neuter the existing regime or destroy it, but what next?

Right.

No, it's, it's, it's a great point.

Um, I think you're right.

We've been bad at that.

I think the difference is hopefully we are not putting humans and boots on the ground because that then becomes more of this religious fight where people potentially will, will come just to try and kill Americans for being on Arab land.

That is something that I think was a major mistake in Iraq and Afghanistan, so I'm hoping we can do a lot of this from the air, uh, because there has been a complete structural shock to the regime, right? Their internal system in Iran, it's highly centralized around the supreme leader.

But how much of this do you think is about China?

Brett, what do you like about this weapons allocation? What don't you like?

Hey, Brian.

Thanks for having me back, man.

Appreciate you.

And, um, I, I just like, for one, the president is changing his tune.

I think he understands, uh, we may be in a situation where he needs to escalate for the purposes of de-escalation.

You know, Putin isn't only gonna agree to peace negotiations unless there's some threat of greater force.

So, do you think that Russia just thinks they're gonna wear us out, including NATO, uh, and, uh, that they're winning? I mean, you, it just your conjecture from being on the ground.