Defense & Aerospace Report

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.

On this episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Bran Ferren, the cofounder and CEO of the Applied Minds consultancy, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the merits of bringing interdisciplinary to problem solving; the need for the United States to adopt disruptive thinking to countering adversaries like China rather than playing their numbers game; how to drive innovation; why America has tracked the China threat in particular but failed to better prepare for it; why the Pentagon needs a variety of acquisition approaches with differing speeds depending on what's being acquired; and enduring lessons from mankind's greatest achievement, the Apollo moon landings.

On today's 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 “Big Beautiful Bill” and its implications for defense; the ongoing defense budget process; takeaways from the budget documents that the administration has rolled out; the importance of looking at the recent Israel-Iran war as an event in a continuum of conflict between the two nations; recaps of the NATO Summit in The Hague and US Army Vice Chief Jim Mingus' address to a AUSA-CSIS; 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 week on strong employment despite tariff turmoil as Congress hands President Trump a legislative victory that will increase US debt by more than $3 trillion dollars that in turn has contributed to the weakest dollar since the financial crisis of 1973 with the greenback down 10 percent; the administration hinted at a series of tariff deals, including with Europe that would see baseline tariffs increase by 10 percent, but that news that is causing friction among European members with France's industry and energy minister Marc Ferracci calling on union leaders to reject a deal that would force Europe to live with higher baseline tariffs; a fiscal drama in London as Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer's administration is forced by its own party to backtrack on benefits cuts, cause another bond crisis; China went on a charm offensive in Brussels, Berlin and Paris where Wang Yi also candidly admitted that China can't afford for Russia to lose in Ukraine; Washington halts aid to Kyiv by falsely claiming US weapons are running out as Germany negotiates with Washington for more weapons for Ukraine, including two Patriot batteries and interceptors as Russia steps up strikes; Germany's outspoken chief of defense, Lt. Gen. Alfons Mais, is sacked for being too blunt as Berlin prepares to order 1,000 new tanks and 2,500 armored fighting vehicles; a banner week for Airbus that sold more than $12 billion in new jets to Malaysia's Air Asia; Embraer nails a $4 billion order with SAS for 55 jets as Air France KLM takes a 60 percent stake in the carrier; and Bombardier scores a big order with an unnamed customer.

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 record week on Wall Street as President Trump announced a trade deal with China that convinced investors of declining tariffs risks, even as the president ended tariff talks with Canada and continues to pressure Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to resign from his post for refusing to make steep interest rate cuts; outlook for defense spending as Congress continues to deliberate reconciliation, appropriations, the NDAA as well as rescissions package as lawmakers push back on the president's big beautiful bill; a successful NATO summit as the alliance agrees to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on defense and another 1.5 percent on national security infrastructure even as the Pentagon continues to weigh troops cuts from Europe; and Babcock reports full year 2025 results.

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 Republican opposition to President Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” as GOP leaders prepare to adopt unprecedented budget gimmicks to pay for the increasingly unpopular legislation; reconciliation, appropriations, the NDAA and rescissions; what's next for Iran's nuclear program after 12 days of hostilities that including US bombers striking Tehran's nuclear sites; Iran's vow not to return to the negotiating table despite Washington's call for more talks; NATO leaders' strategy of lavishing praise on the US president to curry favor and stall the withdrawal of American forces from Europe; Xi Jinping decides to skip the annual BRICS meeting in Rio de Janeiro prompting questions why the Chinese leader would miss such an important gathering; what's next in Gaza as Israel continues strikes and constricts aid; and the national implications of Democratic Socialist-candidate Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York mayoral primary.

Just when people were saying the future of air power was small, distributed systems like UAVs, the US struck Iran's nuclear program infrastructure with an old-fashioned manned penetrating bombing raid. Which future is it? We ask two experts: retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, the planner behind Operation Desert Storm, and Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn of the Center for a New American Security. Plus headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On this episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Technology Series, sponsored by Elbit America, 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 a senior adviser on the bipartisan Cyberspace Solarium Commission, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what's next in the wake of the war between Israel and Iran that included US air strikes; how Iran might retaliate, including in cyberspace, and whether the administration's cybersecurity cuts will jeopardize America's ability to defend critical infrastructure; the implications of US strikes that damaged, but not destroyed, Iran's facilities; lessons from the conflict; analysis of the administrations plans to cut cyber and science; and a look at defense spending as the NATO leaders convene in The Hague of this year's alliance summit.

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, André Loesekrug-Pietri, the director of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative, joins Defense & Aerospace Reporter Editor Vago Muradian to discuss JEDI and how it aims to serve as Europe's advanced research projects agency to improve both economic competitiveness as well as military capabilities. Our coverage of the Paris Air Show was sponsored by Alderman & Co.

On today's program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners and Chris Servello, the co-host of our Cavas Ships podcast joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss US air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and what's next; potential unintended consequences of the attack as well as how it will play with President Trump's supporters as well as military members; whether the strikes bolstered Washington's credibility or undermined it; what to expect from the NATO Summit in The Hague that convenes tomorrow; a look at the administration's 2026 defense spending request; update on budget expectations as Congress continues to deliberate reconciliation, the National Defense Authorization Act, and rescissions; 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 a down week on Wall Street with modest losses; the Federal Reserve suggested rate cuts; the United States joined Israel in attacking Iran, mobilizing good old-fashioned heavy air power with 125 aircraft involved including B-2 bombers dropping 14 30,000-pound bunker buster weapons — each Spirit can carry two of the Boeing weapons — against Tehran's nuclear sites including the deeply buried Fordo facility; the administration's 2026 defense budget request; Paris Air Show takeaways as Boeing and GE have a muted week in the wake of the Air India tragedy before the show with the American jet-maker opting against making announcements; Airbus disclosed orders with AviLease, Poland's LOT, Saudi Arabia's startup Riyadh Air, Vietnam's VietJet and others ordering new planes; Embraer sells more commercial aircraft as well as KC-390 tanker-transports; France considers buying Global Eye jets; and some between Dassault and Airbus over the new phase of the French-German-Spanish-Belgian program to develop a new next generation family of combat 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 Reconciliation and Senate rescissions as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee; two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses were shot and two are killed; Israel and Iran continue to trade attacks as Jerusalem presses ahead its drive to destroy Tehran's nuclear capabilities through air attacks and troops on the ground; after initially demanding Iran's “unconditional surrender,” President Trump has said he's given Iranian leaders an “ultimate ultimatum” to give up its nuclear aspirations while still weighing whether US forces should join Israel in strike; America is the only nation with the capabilities to bomb Iran's deeply buried sites, but doing so might cause nuclear contamination; at the G7 meeting in Canada, Trump again sided with Russia as leaders prepare to converge on The Hague for what will be an abbreviated NATO summit during which the US president is expected to announce the withdrawal of some American troops from Europe; the US Indo-Pacific Command raises its threat level as two Chinese aircraft carriers operate together in the South China Sea; as Britain's HMS Prince of Wales also is operating in the region; and the president cleaned the acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel after demanding the US government hold a “golden share” in the new entity.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics chief Greg Ulmer joins us with fresh insights on the futures of F-35 (Block 5!), NGAD (more!), F-55, airlift, and more. Plus airpower headlines, including fussin' up at the FCAS Ranch. Powered by GE!

On today's program from the Paris Air Show, sponsored by Alderman & Co., Steve Parker, the interim head of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, joint Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what winning the US Air Force's contract to develop the manned-fighter element of the Next-Generation Air Dominance program — dubbed the F-47 — means for the company, the investment required to win, how the company worked to bound troubled programs and get them back on track, implications should the E-7 airborne warning and control aircraft be cancelled as proposed by the Trump administration, Golden Dome, the F-15EX, FA-XX and the prospect of more F/A-18 Super Hornet jets, and the export outlook in the wake of President Trump's rhetoric and imposition of tariffs.

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Dr. John Nagl, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel who is now a professor of Warfighting Studies in the Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations at the Army War College, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to analyze the US Army's lessons learned from the Ukraine war and the service's new Army Transformation Initiative, an update on efforts to better prepare the force for war in the Indo-Pacific and Cold War lessons worth relearning, attributes that should shape the Army's next tank and ground vehicles, and more.

On this week's Look Ahead Podcast, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss Israel's attack on Iran and whether the long-planned strikes will stop Tehran's drive to acquire nuclear weapons; the trade deal between Washington and Beijing; the budget outlook as lawmakers build a national budget, and what happens if efforts to craft a reconciliation package fail; takeaways from hearings including on the F-35 Lightning II; additional thoughts on Ukraine's Operation Spider Web attacks on Russia; 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 a flat week on Wall Street as Israel attacked Iran vowing to destroy Tehran's nuclear program and Tehran responded with large-scale missile barrages on the Jewish state; analysis of a sophisticated attack that included stealth, conventional and unmanned aircraft including modifications to the F-35 Lighting II fighter than increased the jet's range, eliminating the need for aerial refueling; US and Chinese negotiators agree to give American industry access to China's critically important rare earths in exchange Washington capping tariffs at 55 percent; an Air India 787 jetliner crashed killing 241 of the passengers onboard — one passenger survived — as well as 33 on the ground, a tragedy that changed the dynamics at the Paris Air Show that convenes tomorrow at the legendary Le Bourget airfield outside the French capital; the Pentagon is reviewing the agreement among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to develop nuclear powered attack submarines; and what to expect at this year's Paris Air Show.

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 uncertainty in Congress as reconciliation, the Trump administration's rescissions request, authorizations, appropriations and markups move ahead; President Trump deploys 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to LA amidst largely peaceful protests against the administration's deportation policies; American and Chinese negotiators agree to allow the US access to critically important rare earths as tariffs on China will be capped at 55 percent; the Pentagon reviews the agreement among Australia, Britain and the United States to cooperate on nuclear attack submarines; Russia surges drone attacks on Ukraine as it masses forces for a major offensive to retake territory; talks to craft a ceasefire increasingly diminish as Russia concludes it can win the war; Washington withdraws US diplomats from Iraq as Israel is imminently expected to attack Iran as the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency declares Tehran in breach of nonproliferation obligations as Iranian officials vow to expand their nuclear program.

Whether your plane is hypersonic, stealthy, or rocket powered, he knows the science behind it. Dr. Mark Lewis, former chief scientist of the Air Force and head of Purdue's Applied Research Institute, gets technical with us. Plus many airpower headlines. Powered by GE!

On today's program, sponsored by Elbit America, Wes Rumbaugh with the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss takeaways from the think thank's recent conference — America's Golden Dome Explained — on what we know about President Trump's effort to establish a national air and missile defense system over the United States, how much the network would cost, how effective it would be, the challenges ahead and role of allies in the effort.

On this episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jeb Nadaner, the senior vice president of government relations at Govini who served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for manufacturing and industrial base policy during the first Trump administration, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the Trump administrations focus on defense industrial strategy; how to ensure success including by extending the tenure of program managers; the role of both heritage and new economy contractors in delivering new capabilities quickly and at scale; role of the government in software development; and getting the most out of the Defense Production Act.

On this week's Look Ahead Podcast, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss the latest from the Hill as lawmakers grapple with reconciliation, the NDAA and appropriations, a rescission package from the Trump administration, as well as hearings and the Senate Armed Services Committee's reconciliation markup; the implications of the acrimony between President Trump and Elon Musk, and the outlook for SpaceX; a deeper look at Golden Dome in the wake of a major CSIS conference; takeaways from Oshkosh's investor day; important historical lessons from France before World War II; 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 an up week on Wall Street as the relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk ended acrimoniously after the world's richest man blasted the president's big beautiful bill of legislative priorities, vowing to use the fortune he used to help Trump get elected to punish lawmakers who voted for it as president in turn vowed to punish Musk through his government contracts and other means if he does so; the outlook for SpaceX and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency in the wake of the breakup; the Senate Armed Services Committee's markup of the reconciliation measure that includes big news for military programs; the doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 percent; new regulations on unmanned systems and supersonic flight over the United States; Britain's most consequential Strategic Defence Review in decades that pledges higher defense spending to boost nuclear capabilities, attack subs, combat aviation, ground and joint warfighting; French concerns that high debt will curb more military spending; and Chinese efforts to curry favor with Europe with preferential access to rare earth elements and ordering hundreds of new Airbus jetliners.

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 outlook for President Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” that's in peril as senators worry that tax cuts will increase the debt as the Congressional Budget Office warns that the debt will increase by another $2.4 trillion; Elon Musk called the spending plan a “disgusting abomination,” prompting a flurry of insults between the president and the man who helped getting him reelected as the world's richest man turned his sights on Republican leaders; reconciliation, the NDAA, appropriations as well as he administration's rescission and more detailed budget plans; the White House's decision tap US Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich as NATO's next Supreme Allied Commander Europe, signaling America will keep the top military job in NATO; Britain's Strategic Defence Review that proposes more spending for nuclear weapons, doubling the attack sub fleet, buying more F-35 fighters, improving ground forces and jointness; Ukraine's daring attacks on Russia's strategic bombers and Kerch bridge; the consequential Shangri-La dialogue including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's warning about the threat posed by China; elections change the political dynamics in Seoul and Warsaw; Gaza descends further into chaos as Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu says that Israel needs to wean itself off US weaponry.

There's fast, and then there's hyperfast. Hermeus is developing a hypersonic transport for the U.S. Air Force, and they took a big step recently with the first flight of their proof-of-concept plane. Founder and CEO A.J. Piplica joins us with the inside story. Plus this week's headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On this special edition of the Air Power Podcast, sponsored by GE Aerospace, Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Tim Walton of the Hudson Institute, Air Power Podcast co-host JJ Gertler and Cavas Ships podcast co-host Chris Servello join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb attack on strategic bomber bases across Russia; the lessons from from the attack that are applicable to US forces; how to secure American bases at home and abroad; and learning from China's use of large unmanned aircraft to carry large numbers of smaller unmanned craft to swarm targets.

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 how Ukraine executed “Operation Spider Web” drone attack on strategic bomber bases across Russia; implications of the attack and whether it changes the increasingly grim outlook of the war as Russia masses forces to take Sumy; the growing scale of Russia's missile and drone attacks on Ukraine; whether the US has enough air and missile defense weapons remaining to give Kyiv to blunt the assaults; what to expect from Washington as President Trump criticizes Vladimir Putin but declines to penalize him; the Senate's new Russia sanctions package; Ukrainian and Russian representatives meet in Istanbul; how after three years of war Ukraine can put enough pressure on Russia to help end the war; and what Karol Nawrocki's election in Poland means for Warsaw's support for war.

On this week's Look Ahead Podcast, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss the US defense budget outlook that could include a big jump in spending that flattens; the complex dynamics between the administration and Congress; the impact of tariffs and how nations like China will retaliate; takeaways from IISS' Shanghai-La Dialogue; Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb attack on Russia's bomber bases; and a look at the week ahead.