The Vertical Space
The Vertical Space
Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic
#90 Chris Gentile, Merlin: Inside the race for trusted tactical autonomy
1 hour 11 minutes Posted Apr 8, 2025 at 11:00 am.
Autonomy is a tool, not a product
Autonomy value prop
Getting into autonomy
Recent milestones in trusted autonomy
State of the art and remaining gaps in autonomy
What use cases demand autonomy today?
Two autonomy schools of thought
Autonomy makes quantity matter again
Advantages are fragile
Autonomy's role on air superiority
Developing autonomous systems
VLMs and VLAs
The data challenge
Opportunity for startups vs. incumbents
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Show notes
In this episode we sit down with Chris Gentile, General Manager for Tactical Autonomy at Merlin, for an in-depth look at the evolving role of autonomy in defense. Chris outlines the value proposition of autonomy as a tool, not a standalone product, and discusses the principles of a modular, hybrid, and hierarchical architecture design in building robust autonomous systems. We explore how recent milestones in trusted autonomy are reshaping military strategy and capability, and how the technolo...