NucleCast

In this episode of NucleCast, retired Lieutenant General Dan Karbler joins the podcast to examine the evolving landscape of air and missile defense amid ongoing regional conflicts and accelerating technological change. Drawing on decades of operational and strategic leadership, LTG Karbler discusses how layered missile defense—from strategic homeland defense to tactical systems—is adapting to increasingly complex threats.
The conversation explores Iranian drone and missile activity in the Middle East, the role of systems such as THAAD, Patriot, and counter‑UAS, and the challenges of sustaining and reconstituting missile defense capabilities at scale. Lt Gen Karbler also offers insights into the Golden Dome concept for homeland missile defense, emerging future threats, and what deterrence requires in an era of precision missiles, massed drones, and rapid technological diffusion.
For nearly 37 years, Dan served our nation in a variety of positions in the United States and around the world. An expert in Air and Missile Defense and Space Operations, he has extensive experience in effectively leading large and complex military commands, conducting operations, requirements and capability development, test and evaluation, and budget formulation. Prior to retiring from the Army as a Lieutenant General, he led the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), a globally dispersed organization across 23 locations and 11 time zones responsible for providing homeland and regional air and missile defense and space operations. During that time, Space and Missile Defense Command was named “The Army’s Best Place to Work” in 2022 and 2023.
Since retiring, Dan has joined the Center for Security and International Studies (CSIS) as a senior advisor to the Missile Defense Project and has been a frequent contributor on national security matters to Merit Street News. He sits on the advisory board for TCOM and was recently appointed to the board for the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). During the past year, Dan served as a technical advisor and actor in the upcoming movie, “A House of Dynamite.” Dan has a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Benedictine College, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
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In this episode of NucleCast, Professor Dakota Rudesill, Esq. examines the legal boundaries that govern the use of military force, with a particular focus on the United States and Iran. Drawing on constitutional law, international law, and decades of historical precedent, Rudesill unpacks who truly holds the authority to take the nation to war—and under what conditions.
The conversation explores the President’s powers of self‑defense, Congress’s constitutional role in declaring war, and how the War Powers Resolution of 1973 has shaped (and complicated) modern U.S. military action. From “operations less than war” to undeclared conflicts and contested legal justifications, Rudesill explains how legal gray areas have expanded over time—and why the rule of law remains essential to maintaining democratic accountability and global stability. This episode offers a clear, rigorous look at how law, power, and nuclear‑era decision‑making intersect in moments of crisis.
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In this episode of Nuclecast, Iran analyst Alireza Nader breaks down the current military conflict involving Iran and what it means for the Middle East and beyond. Drawing on decades of expertise, Nader examines Iran’s strategic military doctrine, including its reliance on drones and missiles, and explains how regional power dynamics are shaping the conflict’s trajectory.
The conversation explores high‑stakes scenarios for Iran’s future—from regime survival to the risks of collapse or civil war—while unpacking the internal pressures facing the Islamic Republic, including public trauma, protests, and economic strain. Nader also addresses the roles of the United States, Israel, and regional actors, and offers a candid assessment of why overthrowing the regime would be extraordinarily difficult.
Throughout the episode, listeners gain insight into Iranian public sentiment, misconceptions about U.S.–Iran relations, and the strategic calculations that will influence how long this conflict may last. This is a clear-eyed discussion of one of the most consequential security challenges facing global stability today.
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In this episode of NucleCast, Adam is joined by Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, for a thoughtful discussion on the growing role of artificial intelligence in defense and military operations.
Dr. Pettyjohn explores how AI is increasingly shaping everything from logistics and decision‑making to nuclear command and control, while weighing the potential benefits against the serious risks of integration. The conversation examines AI’s capabilities and limitations, the ethical and strategic challenges it presents, and what its use could mean for nuclear deterrence and autonomous weapons.
She emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation with safety, responsibility, and strategic stability as AI becomes more deeply embedded in modern defense systems.
Stacie Pettyjohn is a senior fellow and director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. A leading expert on U.S. defense strategy, force planning, airpower, and wargaming, her work focuses on the future of warfare, including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, drones, and nuclear deterrence in a multipolar world. Previously, she served on the Joint Staff, chaired a Defense Department advisory subcommittee on force integration, and spent more than a decade at RAND Corporation leading major studies and defense wargames. Her work has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other major outlets. She holds a PhD from the University of Virginia.
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Colonel Derek “Kiwi” Williams joins NucleCast for a wide‑ranging discussion on the evolving nuclear landscape and what it means for global security. Together, they examine recent developments in nuclear testing, including China’s reported testing activities and the use of decoupling techniques, and assess their implications for strategic stability.
The conversation also explores the consequences of the expiration of the New START treaty, debating whether the future points toward renewed arms control frameworks or an emerging arms race. Host Adam Lowther and Williams dive into the role of hydro nuclear testing and stockpile stewardship in maintaining confidence in nuclear forces, as well as why a credible nuclear deterrent remains central to national security.
Throughout the episode, they unpack the enduring importance of the nuclear triad, the challenges of nuclear proliferation, and how deterrence strategies must adapt in an increasingly competitive strategic environment.
Colonel Derek “Kiwi” Williams is a strategic planner in the Plans and Policy Directorate at U.S. Strategic Command. A U.S. Air Force Weapons School graduate, he has extensive experience in bomber operations, nuclear planning, and deterrence strategy, including leadership roles at Air Force Global Strike Command, the Air Staff, and as Director of Operations for the 23d Bomb Squadron. He is the founder of the School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies, a former Air Force Fellow at Sandia National Laboratories, and a fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. Colonel Williams holds advanced degrees in defense and strategic studies and aerospace engineering, with additional certifications in nuclear weapons policy, effects, and operations.
Episode Correction: NNSA does Hydrodynamic experiments (weapon representative geometries) LLNL's Contained Firing Facility (CFF).
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