How Maritime Autonomy Is Proving a New Model for Defense Tech | The Pair Program Ep102

How Maritime Autonomy Is Proving a New Model for Defense Tech | The Pair Program Ep102

Maritime autonomy is becoming a test case for a shift in defense technology. In this episode, Tim and Sean sit down with Mike Flanigan, co-founder and CEO of Seasats, and Jason Chapman, co-founder of Konvoy, to explore why the future may rely less on a few exquisite, expensive platforms and more on distributed systems that can be built, deployed, and improved quickly. From operating uncrewed vessels in the Taiwan Strait to competing with traditional defense primes, Mike and Jason unpack what it takes to turn ambitious hardware into fielded capability—and why affordability, execution, and scale matter more than hype.

Key topics include:

• How autonomous maritime systems are challenging the traditional model of large, expensive defense platforms
• The speed, cost, and operational advantages of deploying smaller uncrewed vessels at scale
• What real-world operations, including a Taiwan Strait encounter, reveal about the value of persistent maritime awareness
• How Seasats competes with larger defense primes by prioritizing fast execution, affordable hardware, and field-ready technology
• Why successful autonomy depends on more than ambitious ideas: it must be reliable, explainable, and useful to operators
• The founder and investor perspectives on building, funding, and scaling hardware for both defense and commercial markets

About Jason Chapman: Jason co-founded Konvoy and invests across the firm’s full thesis, often gravitating toward critical industries, deep tech, and defense. He previously worked in IBM’s artificial intelligence division, focusing on natural language processing, machine learning, and computer vision. Outside of work, Jason is passionate about C.S. Lewis, The Lord of the Rings, Age of Empires, and board games.

About Mike Flanigan: Mike Flanigan is the co-founder and CEO of Seasats, a San Diego-based leader in long-range unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). He has worked with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and commercial organizations around the world to help them leverage USVs. Mike holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder.

This episode is supported by Defense Unicorns

Defense Unicorns builds platform technologies that help deliver mission-critical capabilities faster and more reliably. Their open architecture approach enables secure, scalable systems without vendor lock, creating flexibility across the software ecosystem. Backed by a team of engineers, innovators, and veterans, they bring deep experience across defense and federal tech. Get in touch at hello@defenseunicorns.com

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