Defense & Aerospace Report

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss House's $892 billion version of the National Defense Authorization Act as the measure heads to the Senate as fights over a continuing resolution and a government shutdown continue to loom; the assassination of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk becomes the latest act of American political violence; Russia launched some two dozen long-range drones at a base in Poland that's key to supporting Ukraine, Moscow's first direct attack on the alliance as Warsaw called for Article 4 consultations and Russia stepped up attacks on Ukraine; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth makes his first call with China's Defense Minister Adm Dong Jun during which he stressed America does not seek conflict in the Indo-Pacific, but will defend its interests; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said America will split profits from Japan's investment in America 50-50, but after Japan earns back its $550 billion, Washington will get 90 percent of profits and Tokyo just 10 percent; after arresting 475 at a joint Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia, the administration was prepared to release 300 South Korean workers, but said they could stay in the United States if they helped train American workers; and Israel launched an air strike on Hamas' office in Doha, involved in Gaza negotiations, but despite worldwide ire Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu demanded Qatar either expel or bring to justice Hamas officials otherwise Israel would.

With a new Chief of Staff inbound for the US Air Force, we assembled a team of airpower experts to lay out a day one agenda for getting the service from today to tomorrow. And we'll have the latest from the world's largest defense exposition -- along with this week's headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On today's Technology Report podcast, sponsored by Elbit America, Dr Kelvin Hamilton of FlareBright, GOS-free drone navigation firm and Toby Townrow of UK sovereign UAV-maker Drone Evolution join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what makes the small, innovative companies different from their competitors, scaling to deliver capabilities more quickly, accelerating the process and more from the DSEI 2025 exhibition in London. We are partnered with DSEI's parent Clarion Defence on the annual Apex innovation conference in Washington Jan. 27-29, 2026.

On this week's Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, James Hackett, the head of defense and military analysis at the International institute for Strategic Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the updated report he co-edited — “Progress and Shortfalls in Europe's Defence: An Assessment.”

On today's program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a Wall Street rally despite weaker than expected jobs numbers and hiccups with their disclosure; Chinese leader Xi Jinping's hosts Vladimir Putin and Narenda Modi in Beijing as three decades of US effort to woo India and drive wedges between Beijing and Moscow collapse; Russia's targeting of EU President Ursula von der Lyen's plane with GPS jamming signals as French President Emmanuel Macron brought together Ukraine's allies to craft a plan to support the country; reports of a TNT shortage because of Russia's war on Ukraine and the global rearmament drive it's sparked; whether the Fitch ratings agency's decision to downgrade Poland over fiscal concerns could undermine the country's role and ambition as a European defense leader; Norway's decision to pick Britain's Type 26 frigate by BAE Systems over Fincantieri's Constellation-class, Naval Group's Admiral Ronar'c, and Thyssen Krupp's Type 127 ships, joining Australia and Canada as export customers for the new antisubmarine warship; Babcock Marine's investor day; the US Navy taps Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman move head in the service's program for an autonomous strike aircraft as Lockheed Martin is tapped to develop the command system for the new planes; Government Accountability Office's latest report criticizing late deliveries of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter; Peru's interest in Saab's Gripen fighter and Global Eye radar plane; GE Aerospace's $300 million investment in electric aircraft-maker Beta Technologies; and what to expect at the 2025 edition of DSEI tradeshow next week in London.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Congress' return to Washington as government shutdown worries mount; the National Defense Authorization Act moves from the Senate to the House; Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst decision to retire; Texas, California and Missouri redistricting moves; how lawmakers and industry view the prospect the Trump administration will acquire stakes in defense contractors; the administration's deployment of naval forces to the Caribbean that launched the first of what officials says will be more strikes on drug runners; China hosts leaders from two dozen nations seeking to thwart US power worldwide and the significance of Xi Jinping holding hands with Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi; French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Ukraine's European allies in Paris to discuss peacekeepers in the country as Russia continues to reject the prospect of troops on Ukrainian soil; and Israel continues its Gaza occupation despite opposition from the country's top security officials.

U.S. Naval aviation is rebuilding its decks. In a rollicking conversation, former Director of Air Warfare, Nimitz skipper, and current Tailhook Association chairman RAdm Mike “Nasty” Manazir gets into the details on F/A-XX, F-35, MQ-25, and the whole future of Naval aviation. It's fun and deeply informative. Powered by GE!

On today's Technology Report podcast, sponsored by Elbit America, Scott Sloan, the president of Stratascorp Technologies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his commentary on the AFCEA website — “Data Won't Solve Everything, But It Will Help: Interdepartmental data-sharing could be a game-changer for the future of the maritime industrial base workforce” — how to leverage data to more thoughtfully address workforce challenges; the importance of structuring data collection systems with sharing in mind; engineering data systems to ensure collaboration across government and industry; roles of artificial intelligence and machine learning in data collection and analysis; how to scale recruiting beyond the maritime industry to also include air, land, space, and cyber fields; opportunities and challenges as the Trump administration implements the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification approach to improve cybersecurity.

On today's Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's proposal that the government take stakes in defense contractors as it did in chip-maker Intel and why state ownership of US defense contractors would be problematic; the outlook for US-India strategic and industrial cooperation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi literally holds hands with China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin in the wake of US tariffs imposed on New Delhi; prospect of US military action against drug cartels in Caribbean and Latin America as American warships increase their regional presence; Norway's decision to adopt Britain's Type 26 by BAE Systems as its next surface combatant; the US budget outlook as investors return from summer holidays as Washington prepares to run out of money at the end of the month; takeaways from the National Defense Industrial Association's annual Emerging Technologies Institute conference in Washington last week; and a look at the week ahead.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street flat week as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the Pentagon is considering stakes in major defense contractors that he said were “basically an arm of the federal government;”a federal appeals court rejected President Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on nations worldwide as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the ruling would be a dangerous diplomatic embarrassment and the president said returning the $96 billion raised since April would plunge the nation into depression; the administration slaps tariffs on goods of $800 or less; Trump continued his attacks on the Federal Reserve; the prospect that Washington will back Russia's proposalChinese forces serve as peacekeepers in Ukraine; the French government teeters on the verge of collapse as Safran says it will develop a new fighter engine with India; Rheinmetall considers buying shipbuilder Lürssen; General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' YFQ-42A — the company's entry into the US Air Force's competition for its first increment collaborative combat aircraft — made its successful first flight near Edwards Air Force base in California; and Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy for a second time in a year.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's statement that the administration would take stakes in defense and aerospace firms; what's next for ending the Ukraine war a week after President Trump hosted key meetings; Russia launched its largest attack in a month with a strike just 50 yards from EU and British Council offices in Kyiv as European governments work to increase support for Ukraine; Washington continues to move toward normalizing relations with with Russia as the Wall Street Journal reports energy deals have been discussed including Exxon reentering a cooperative venture with Rosneft; the administration's drive to fire top intelligence officers specializing in Russia; South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's White House meeting that put shipbuilding at center of US-Korea alliance; China prepares for its 80th anniversary Victory Day celebration with Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and Masoud Pezeshkian; Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles visited Washington to schedule a meeting between his boss Anthony Albanese and Trump; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Tokyo as Washington and New Delhi conduct remote 2+2 talks; GOP senators' Taiwan visit; France, Germany and Britain's call on the UN to implement “snap back” sanctions on Iran for violating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; Israel presses ahead with operations in Gaza including two strikes on a hospital that killed five more journalists and 15 others in an attack that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he regrets and will be investigated.

The Army's MV-75 tiltrotor has been moving fast -- quietly. Design is almost 90% complete, and a second generation is in the works. And how did they get to skip Milestone A? We take a newsy deep dive into that program with the Army program manager, Col. Jeff Poquette, and Bell vice president Ryan Ehinger. Powered by GE!

Jeff Bialos, a former deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy who now heads the defense practice at the Eversheds Sutherland law firm, Dr. Jerry McGinn who also served in the Pentagon's Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy office and now leads the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Bryan Clark who leads the Center for Defense concepts and Innovation at the Hudson Institute think tank joint Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's that the administration is considering stakes in US defense and aerospace contractors; the Pentagon's new acquisition approach to more rapidly develop capabilities to address joint force operational problems; and the abrupt resignation of Doug Beck as the head of the Defense Innovation Unit as the Defense Department reorders its innovation ecosystem.

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the outlook for peace between Ukraine and Russia in the wake of President Trump's meetings with Vladimir Putin in Alaska and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as allied leaders in Washington; status of the fighting as Russia continues to creep forward; how Ukraine manages to slow Russian advances as well as stop and push back significant incursions; whether the notion of granting Russia's demand for all of Donbas will lead to a lasting peace or merely pave the way for a third Russian attack; and what shape a peacekeeping force might take as the president suggests openness to supporting allied troops in Ukraine as well as US air power as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Kyiv to discuss a peacekeeping role.

On today's Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the defense industrial impact of stalled peace talks between Ukraine and Russia; the outlook for European defense despite capitulation on tariffs and former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's pessimism about Europe as a global power; civil-military relations as armed National Guardsmen are deployed to US cities; scaling drone production; and a look at the week ahead.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another record week on Wall Street as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says an interest rate cut might be needed as the jobs market slows in the wake of the Trump administration's economic policies; President Trump continues his battle against the Fed demanding that governor Lisa Cook resign, driving the dollar down and gold up; Canada's drops 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on US goods to curry favor with Washington that continues to impose high trades taxes on its northern neighbor; the EU signs a tariff deal with Washington as former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi argues the capitulation marks the end of the EU's vision of itself as a global power; Switzerland's decision to reconsider its acquisition of F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft in the wake of 39 percent US tariffs; the Congressional Budget Office's conclusion that higher trade taxes could cut the national debt by $4 trillion over the coming decade; the administration's 10 percent ownership stake in Intel and a cut of profits from Nvidia's AI chip sales to China; the Pentagon's decision to revamp how it creates requirements and oversees programs to accelerate the fielding of needed joint force capabilities even as some worry this might vest the ability to create requirements with industry; Britain's air defense missile order from MBDA; striking Boeing St Louis machinists remain decision to resume negotiations on Monday.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Cavas Ships co-host Chris Servello join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the implications of the Trump administration's increasingly muscular intimidation moves including the FBI raid on former National Security Adviser Dr. John Bolton's home and the National Guard deployment to Washington; the civil-military implications of the moves; the Pentagon's forced retirement of US Air Force chief Gen. Dave Allvin; what's next for Russia's war on Ukraine after President Trump's meetings with Vladimir Putin as well as Volodymyr Zelenskyy and allied leaders; outlook for peace and security guarantees for Ukraine; how China is viewing Trump's Ukraine negotiations and rhetoric; Beijing's increasingly aggressive intimidation efforts against Manila; in the wake of US tariffs and sanctions New Delhi moves to warm relations with Beijing; despite mounting international mounting pressure, Israel moves to occupy Gaza City as it seeks to relocate Gazans to South Sudan as a massive new settlement is authorized to split West Bank in two to prevent the future creation of a Palestinian state.

As the US Air Force gets ready for a new Chief of Staff, the Mitchell Institute is about to publish what they're calling the Mother of All Reports, laying out ways ahead for the service's readiness, operations, force mix, and more. It's author, retired colonel JV Venable, explains it all. And, yes, airpower headlines. All powered by GE!

On today's Technology Podcast, sponsored by Elbit America, Justin Sherman, the founder of Global Cyber Strategies advisory firm and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Cyber Statecraft Initiative, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his new report for the Center for Naval Analyses — “Hacking and Firewalls Under Siege: Russia's Cyber Industry During the War on Ukraine (https://www.cna.org/reports/2025/08/Hacking-and-Firewalls-Under-Seige.pdf)” — the nature of the cyber war between Russia and Ukraine; the role of Russian state, corporate and general public actors in advancing Moscow's tactical and strategic aims from offensive cyber actions to hacking and information operations; the government's role in controlling these actors; how many have been sanctioned; the impact of Kaspersky's role in support of the Russian government and how that's impacting the company's global business; analysis of Russia's “Secret Blizzard” operation against foreign embassies by exploiting a Microsoft vulnerability; cyber lessons from Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia; and  happens to efforts to counter Russian in cyberspace when Washington normalizes relations with Moscow.

On this month's innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference January 27-28, 2026, in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Bryan Clark, the director of the Center for Defense Concepts & Technology at the Hudson Institute, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss agenda for the second edition of Apex conference seeks to find solutions to the eight hard operational problems the United States and its allies face by bringing together senior military, government, industry and thought leaders. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

On today's Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, joining Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian are Dr Eugene Rumer of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to discuss what's next after President Trump aligned with Russia's Vladimir Putin after their summit in Alaska and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders arrive in Washington to discuss ending the war; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses summit takeaways on defense sentiment; up and downside budget and policy risks for contractors; analysis of the Pentagon's program acquisition costs and budget details released last week; trade and tariffs; and a look at the week ahead.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a flat week on Wall Street as inflation continues to rise as higher baseline tariffs are passed along to consumers; the Trump administration gives China another 90 days to strike a deal; President Trump hosted Vladimir Putin in Alaska, siding with the Russian leader's call for peace talks rather than a swift ceasefire to allow Russia's forces to claw back territory from Ukrainian territory as the president again calls on Kyiv give up territory for peace; furious with Trump's tariffs, sanctions and courting of Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived calls for domestic manufacturing of everything from computer chips to aerospace and defense goods; Washington's 39 percent trade tax on Switzerland impact the country's aerospace sector and jeopardizes Geneva's decision to buy F-35 Lightning II fighters; Poland's decision to upgrade its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters; Boeing workers at the company's St Louis operation remain on strike; a strike grounds Air Canada flights; worries that Spirit Airlines and other low cost carriers are doomed; Spike Aerospace move to refine its S-512 supersonic business jet; and Airbus' A320 is poised to surpass Boeing's 737 as the world's most produced passenger jetliner.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another up week on Wall Street even as President Trump escalated his trade war leveraging America's economic power to force nations that haven't yet agreed to baseline tariffs to do so, including on Switzerland impacting the gold market; after Washington slapped heavy tariffs on India to sanction New Delhi for buying Russian oil — as part of a drive to pressure Moscow to end the Ukraine war — India's defense minister cancelled his visit to Washington as news reports suggested US arms purchases may be in jeopardy; the claim by India's air chief, Air Chief Marshall AP Singh, that the country's Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missiles downed five Pakistani fighters and a large aircraft that was downed at a range of 300 kilometers; how long it will take to resolve the strike by Boeing's St Louis machinists a week after rejecting the company's contract offer; Spain's decision for more Eurofighters rather than the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the F-35 Lighting II to replace aging Harrier jump jets for its carriers; the partnership by L3Harris and Joby Aviation to develop autonomous hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for military applications; and what to expect from the meeting between Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects the American president's suggestion Kyiv cede territory for peace.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the geopolitical implications of President Trump's tariff war escalation on trading partners; use of US economic might to force Russia to make a peace deal ending the Ukraine war; prospect of talks between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin and what to expect if the two leaders meet; Washington's heavy sanctions on New Delhi with a heavy sanctions for violating US and EU sanctions on Russian oil as furious Indian leaders consider ending US weapons purchases; Ukraine's long-range attacks on Russia's refineries as existing sanctions continue to weaken the Russian economy; Australia's decision to pick Japan's Mogami-class frigate as its next major surface warship in a $6.5 billion deal that would be the biggest Japanese export contract since World War II; Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders agree to a US-brokered deal that gives Baku the transit corridor through southern tip of Armenia it has long sought but with 99-year US economic development zone in Armenia's Zangezur region; developments in Lebanon and Iran; and analysis of Israel's plan to occupy all of Gaza starting with Gaza City to defeat Hamas before handing it to Arab forces and Germany's decision to block export of German arms to Israel that could be used in Gaza.

Time to kick back and review where US airpower stands, especially the US Air Force. And it's air show season, so the perfect guest for both is Doug Birkey, Executive Director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, also a Collings Foundation insider and just back from Oshkosh. Plus headlines in airpower. All powered by GE!

Mark Montgomery, a retired US Navy rear admiral who is now the senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the executive director of the Cyber Solarium 2.0 project, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how to improve defense cooperation with Taiwan to prepare for the kind of embargo and blockade scenarios Beijing has been practicing; whether the Trump administration will continue its support for Taipei given Washington last week blocked Taiwanese President Lai Ching Te from transiting the United States to visit Paraguay; how to address gaps and seams in the US-Japan alliance; worries across Asia in the wake of the Trump administration's rhetoric toward Europe; what to expect from the upcoming National Security Strategy and Force Posture Review; the impact of personnel cuts on US cybersecurity; and look at recent congressional budget moves and their impact on naval power.

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Richard Danzig, the 71st Secretary of the US Navy and Rand Corporation trustee; joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his new report for the think tank — “Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and National Security: The Fierce Urgency of Now;” how to think about AI; the nature of the competition between America and China; importance of speed in developing AI and operationalizing it; applications for which AI is best suited; role of AI in improving cybersecurity across the defense enterprise; the importance of AI talent in government and how the technology can compensate for not enough skilled people; the role of humans in overseeing AI; concerns that AI is oversold and that a bubble is building on capital markets that might burst; and notion of ethical use of AI among great powers.

On today's program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a down market on tariff concerns and sharply reduced US new July jobs numbers — as well as downgraded May and June figures — revised to reflect the impact of President Trump's trade policies; the implications of the president's decision to fire Dr Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics charged with generating objective labor data; the tariff outlook as Washington and Beijing continue to negotiate a trade deal and Trump announced South Korea accepted a 15 percent tariff and gave Mexico 90 more days to make a deal, but hit Canada with a 35 percent trade tax, Switzerland with 39 percent, and Brazil with a 50 percent trade tax to punish the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsenaro who launched an insurrection to try to remain in power; European leadership criticism of the EU's decision to accept a 15 percent tax on its goods sold in America; the president's decision to hit India with secondary sanctions for buying Russian oil in violation of US and international sanctions as he increases pressure on Moscow to end the Ukraine war; a look at earnings as AerCap, Airbus, Boeing, Hensoldt, HII, L3Harris, Leonardo — and Leonardo DRS — Rolls-Royce, Safran, Teledyne, and Textron; and the outlook as Boeing machinists at the company's St Louis operation consider their next labor contract. The program was recorded before unionized St Louis machinists rejected Boeing's contract offer and voted to strike.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian the Senate remains in session to markup the defense appropriations bill; moves to block members from trading stock but exempts President Trump and Vice President Vance; twice rejected Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., proposals to restrict arms sales to Israel; confirmed political appointees but Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan briefly blocked Adm. Darryl Caudle from becoming the next chief of naval operations demanding the long-closed Adak Naval Air Station be reopened; South Korea accepted 15 percent tariffs ahead of Trump's Aug. 1 deadline as the president slapped higher tariffs on nations worldwide including 35 percent on Canada, 39 percent on Switzerland, and 50 percent on Brazil to punish the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsenaro who launched an insurrection to remain in power; Mexico's 90-day extension to make a deal; France and Germany frustration with EU for failing to fight a 15 percent tariffs; Trump's demand Russia and Ukraine strike a peace deal in 25 days and imposition of secondary sanctions on India for buying Russian oil; the proposal by Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, for $54.6 billion in aid for Ukraine; with the Talisman Saber military exercise underway in Australia and Singapore, Washington blocked Taiwanese President Lai Ching Te from transiting the United States enroute to Paraguay to avoid disrupting trade talks with Beijing; and growing international pressure on Israel over growing starvation in Gaza as the Arab League pressures Hamas.

Electra is a fascinating company that straddles the line between traditional aviation and advanced air mobility. Their hybrid, quiet, ultra-short-takeoff aircraft are finding interest from the US military. We learn more from Donn Yates, their head of government markets. Powered by GE! 

On today's Land Warfare Series program, sponsored American Rheinmetall, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the latest on the Ukraine war, how both sides are advancing drone technology, tactics Russia is using to claw back territory despite high casualties, prospects for peace as President Trump gives both sides 25 days to make a deal, whether US will sanction Russia and whether sanctions will drive a change in Moscow's strategy, growing US interest in adopting Ukrainian drones shaped by wartime experience, role of autonomy and swarming technologies on the battlefield, the wider international and domestic implications of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's unpopular effort to shift now-independent anti-corruption authorities to his control, how NATO can deter a country that has absorbed 1 million casualties and keep fighting, how high casualties are shaping the political dynamic in Moscow, threat of new secondary sanctions on India for trading with Russia, and Ukrainian public sentiment on continuing the war.

On today's Technology Report podcast, Dr. Jim Lewis, a distinguished fellow with the Tech Policy Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump's new strategy to maintain America's artificial intelligence lead against rising competitors; status of the Stargate Project AI effort launched by the administration in January; whether cuts to technology investment accounts impacting US government, academic and industry research will undermine efforts to preserve America's technological leadership; data rights in an AI age; quantum computing and communications as the US Air Force prepares to launch Boeing's X-37B spaceplane on it's eight mission to test laser communication and quantum positioning technologies that are jam proof; China's hack of Microsoft's SharePoint servers that hold top secret US data including from the National Nuclear Security Administration that oversees America's nuclear weapons; the administration's cybersecurity strategy and how cuts across government will impact security; and an analysis of the latest version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification that will soon be adopted by the Pentagon to improve industrial base cybersecurity.

On today's Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Washington's trade deals with Japan and the European Union that would see an increase of baseline tariffs increase to 15 percent; President Trump's assertion that European nations would buy “hundreds of billions of dollars in US defense products;” analysis of US and European second quarter 2025 earnings; takeaways from House Armed Services Committee's acquisition reform hearing; some thoughts on drones, counter drone and affordable strike as well as AI; upcoming analytical projects; and a look at the week ahead.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss new records on Wall Street as Washington strikes a tariff deal with Japan that raises baseline tariffs to 15 percent as a similar trade deal with the EU looms; the trade deal between Britain and India Booz Allen Hamilton, Dassault, Hexcel, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, MTU, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Textron, and Thales report second quarter 2025 earrings; Southwest CEO Bob Jordan's statement that he expects the company's 737 Max jets to be certified later than expected sometime next year as Boeing prepares to report earnings next week; the German government considers buying a stake in vehicle maker KNDS; Turkey's decision to acquire up to 40 Eurofighter jets; the Trump administration's 10-year, $151 billion “Golden Dome” missile defense program — now officially known as SHIELD or Scaleable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense — and the cause of the growing number of near misses between US commercial and military aircraft.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the furore over whether to release convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's records again upended Congress as the Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., abruptly adjourned the house as appropriations, another continuing resolution, rescissions, reconciliation, the NDAA and the prospect of a government shutdown looming; President Trump announces a tariff deal with Japan and as talks with China and the EU move ahead that likely will result in higher baseline trade taxes; as allies work to support Ukraine, tensions in the country rise over President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's move against anti corruption authorities as Russia presses an offensive that continues to advance; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth orders department leaders to stop engaging with think tanks; and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen as starvation spreads and the president's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff breaks off talks in Qatar saying Hamas isn't interested in a deal and an Israeli cabinet minister says the campaign is an effort to empty Gaza of Gazans.

What's the latest with the Golden Dome missile defense project? How has Ukraine's experience influenced US air defense thinking? And what is mesh sensing? We get answers to those questions from Dr. Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Plus this week's headlines in airpower, and the inside skinny from the Global Air and Space Chiefs' Conference. Powered by GE!

On today's Technology Report podcast, sponsored by Elbit America, John Cofrancesco, the cofounder of Applied AI Company and American AI Logistics, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how AI can help companies better compete for bulk government contracts; how the technology can help the government make better decisions more quickly while also reducing headcount; the latest on the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification as the Pentagon implements the novel approach to increase cyber security; and whether recent Trump administration moves to eliminate layers of cybersecurity personnel will undermine broad efforts to improve national cybersecurity.

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Darrell Bricker, the CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump's popularity six months into his new administration; international sentiment toward the United States; how Trump drives the global conversation at home and aboard; whether shifts in international perceptions about the United States will shift permanently during the second Trump administration; prospects for Democrats in 2026 as the party struggles with its post-mortem of the 2024 election; and how Trump's rhetoric has reshaped Canadian perceptions and the Carney government's domestic agenda.

On today's program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another bull-market high on Wall Street; President Trump's demand the EU accept 15-20 percent minimum tariffs by Aug. 1 as Brussels prepares to retaliate with higher taxes on American aircraft, bourbon and cars; the US administration says it's netted $64 billion in tariff revenue since the start of the year; Embraer's warning that new taxes would increase regional aircraft unit costs for aircraft sold in America by $9 million; despite economic worries, Delta and United announce soaring profits and reinstate their bullish air travel guidance; GE Aerospace and Saab earnings as defense and aerospace firms prepare to follow suit; British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz; and President Trump says he will sell weapons to NATO nations for shipment to Ukraine.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Senate Republicans' move to rescind $9 billion in approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting; the House Armed Services Committee's NDAA markup as the Senate Armed Services Committee filed their version of the bill; President Trump's decision to sell arms to NATO members that would pass the weapons to Ukraine and 50-day deadline to make a peace deal otherwise Moscow would face stiff primary and secondary sanctions; the meeting between British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz; France's new national security strategy; the de-escalating US-China trade war as a possible summit looms; Japan's Defense White Paper ahead of important Upper House election Sunday; China-Australia trade ties as war games and defense pressures mount; Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's eroding coalition; Israel's strikes on Syria to prompt the country's interim leader to protect the country's Druze minority; and the rising death toll in Gaza rises as a Hamas deal remains elusive.

With a fleet of 160 fighters, the French Air and Space Force maintains global presence while demands increase. How do they do it, and what's next? We get the answers – along with fascinating details of French space policy and activities – with France's fighter aviation chief, Brigadier General Pierre Gaudilliere. Plus top headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On today's Technology Report, sponsored by Elbit America, Michael Greenman, the senior manager for cloud solutions at enterprise software firm Deltek, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what's next as Pentagon prepares to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification process to bolster US defense industrial base cyber security.

Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the latest on the Ukraine war as President Trump agrees to sell weapons to NATO nations to better support Kyiv and warns Moscow that severe sanctions will be imposed by the United States in 50 days unless a peace deal is struck; the evolving nature of the drone war between Ukrainian and Russian forces that include using fishing nets to block small air vehicles; how Ukraine is using UAVs to intercept other UAVs; and analysis of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's new “drone dominance” strategy.

On today's Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump's abrupt threat of against higher tariffs on the EU, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and others unless they accept his trade terms by Aug. 1 and its impact on the Defnese and aerospace ecosystem; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's “drone dominance” guidance and whether it will accelerate the fielding of novel unmanned capabilities; what the unfounded priorities lists submitted by the US military services to Congress say about the administration's budget; what to expect this week from appropriations hearings; second quarter outlays; what it will take to quadruple production of PAC-3 air and missile defense weapons; and a look at the week ahead.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another record Wall Street hit another high on Nvidia's $4 trillion valuation; President Trump's pledged to hit the EU and Mexico with 30 percent tariffs until they — and other countries like Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil — agree to his demands by Aug 1; efforts to establish a global free-trade system that excludes the United States; Britain and France strike a historic nuclear cooperation agreement to protect Europe without the United States; Europe's MARTE program to develop a new tank; Dassault makes clear for the latest time that it and it alone will lead the French, German, Spanish and Belgian SCAF program to develop a new family of combat air systems; Denmark orders more F-35 Lighting II fighters from Lockheed Martin on the heels of Britain's order for 10 more jets under it's umbrella commitment to 138 of the stealthy planes; Peru's decision to buy 24 Gripen E/F jets from Saab instead of Dassault Rafales or Lockheed's F-16V; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's “drone dominance” guidance that would accelerate US unmanned efforts by allowing field grade officers to buy unmanned systems; US military services ask Congress to fund programs that weren't supported by the administration in its recent budget request; and interim findings by investigators probing the Air India crash that found pilots briefly cut off the fuel flow to both of the jet's engines leading to the crash of the heavily loaded 787 jetliner, killing 260.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the defense implications of Republican passage of President Trump's signature legislative agenda that cuts taxes and benefits but also increases the debt as lawmakers seek two more reconciliation packages over the coming years; the Supreme Court's decision to allow Trump to unilaterally shrink the government workforce; the president ratchets up his tariff war threatening nations with punishment unless they agree to his terms, straining US relationships worldwide; frustrated with Vladimir Putin, Trump pledges more weapons to Kyiv as Moscow steps up attacks on Ukraine; British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agree to an unprecedented nuclear pact to respond to “extreme threats” to Europe without US help, a combined joint force, weapons collaboration and immigration; Secretary of State Marco Rubio vows to trim his “bloated” department by 15 percent as he makes his first trip to Asia to attenuate the backlash from his boss' tariffs, including assuaging Australian concerns over the Pentagon's AUKUS review; despite punishing air strikes, the Houthis sink two cargo ships; Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is seen in public as evidence mounts that Iran has retained its nuclear stocks; and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu makes his third visit to Washington.

It's a pretty sure bet that the future of airpower is increasingly uninhabited. Dr. Caitlin Lee of the RAND Corporation has six propositions to consider when trying to understand where we are with UAVs, and we'll go through them in detail. And a lot going on in this week's airpower headlines. Powered by GE!

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Ben Barry, a retired British Army brigadier who is the director of land warfare studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his recent report, “Defending Europe Without the United States: Costs and Consequences;” how quickly Russia will be able to reconstitute its forces and pose a threat to NATO; what Europe has to do to build the capabilities to defend itself without relying on the United States; the critical role of more than 128,000 American military personnel in Europe; where member nations will find the $1 trillion they will need; coordinating industrial capacity to deliver needed systems; whether Europe can support Ukraine in the event Washington pulls the plug on Kyiv; whether there are a opportunities for US companies and more cooperation in the short and longer term; outlook for the Ukraine war; and case for tanks and attack as well as transport helicopters even in a highly kinetic battlefield environment.