Defense & Aerospace Report

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jim Lewis of the Center for European Policy Analysis, Mark Montgomery of the Defense of Democracies and a Cyberspace Solarium Commission senior adviser, and Justin Sherman of the Global Cyber Strategies advisory firm and the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the implications of the ChatGPT AI model that broke out of its “sandbox” — attributed to misprogramming that allowed it to stray from its confines — and hacked computational tool maker Hugging Face; update on AI and cyber legislation; how Washington can better deter China and Russia and whether the Trump administration's actions are undermining deterrence with Beijing and Moscow; and what should replace the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jerry McGinn, a former deputy industrial base chief who is now with the director of the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's internal Pentagon memo on profits as well as requirement that company submit detailed plans to accelerate pograms; and his latest report — “How Quickly Can the DoD Rebuild and Recast the Munitions Industrial Base?” — he cowrote with his colleague AJ Dilts.

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 Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's internal Pentagon memo on profits and capital allocation; impact of interest rate hikes on the defense ecosystem as Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh looks to higher rates to curb inflation as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he would continue efforts to curb bond yields even his recent intervention backfired driving yields up; the Iran war as US and Iranian forces exchange fire; for pricing as Russia targets Ukraine's grain stocks and transport network; Washington's Venezuela energy deal; implications of a US-Canada trade war on $20 billion in goods of more than $872 billion in 2025; five issues to watch through 2026; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

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's down close in wake of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's Jackson Hole address that the US central bank would continue to fight inflation; Washington's new Iran sanctions and trade war with Canada that appears likely to drive Ottawa to opt for Saab's Gripen over more F-35 Lighting II fighters; Saab's new A3-001 stealthy collaborative combat aircraft; US Air Force's $131 billion indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract to Boeing for production and support of existing and future US and international versions of the F-15 Eagle fighter; the US government's deal with Qatar for four KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft as well as electronic gear for $4.5 billion; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby's visit to Brussels; Britain's chancellor of the exchequer, John Healey, builds a budget that will have to please the three Bs — his boss, the British public and bond markets; the US Navy's AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile by Raytheon; and Qantas' plan to retire its 10 A380 superjumbo jets in 2028, five years earlier than planned.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD 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 impact of rising inflation on the Trump administration's budget request; CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow; NATO's moves to counter Russia's mounting provocations in the Baltic and across Europe; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby's meeting with allies as he oversees the review that will reduce US troops from Europe; Washington's new Iran sanctions to collapse the theocratic regime as Beijing vows to retaliate if its banks or businesses are targeted; the trade war with Canada; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's claim Iran tried to kill one of his son's in Florida; retired Israeli Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter new extreme right-wing party; Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's effort to bring militias under control; Washington cancels an amphibious exercise with South Korea, but will press ahead with the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise next month with Korea and Japan; Japan, Australia, and Indonesia launch defense talks; and Beijing's tightening comprehensive encirclement of Taiwan.

Even as current conflicts emphasize lower-technology systems like small drones, development continues on high-end technologies. Hypersonics, directed energy, advanced missiles, and more. We get the state of play --- and a broad look at DoD's science and technology enterprise -- from former Air Force chief scientist Dr. Mark Lewis, now Chief National Security Officer at Purdue University. And a remembrance of the 20th Air Force Secretary, Jim Roche. Plus the week's top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Dr. Michael O'Hanlon, the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy as well as the director research for the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution and author of the new book — “To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution” — joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss lessons from the Ukraine and Iran wars for ground forces worldwide; the role of drones in the close fight and future of land vehicles; magazine depth and deterrence; recent moves by the acting Army Chief Gen. Chris LaNeve including his decision to convert a new drone battalion to an airborne infantry unit; deterring Russia as its provocations against NATO increase; and the US defense budget outlook and importance of oversight.

On this innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex Defense conference Jan. 27-28 next year in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the new operational problems shaped by the Ukraine and Iran wars that will be at the heart of the innovation and technology conference; and what to expect at Hudson's Sept. 23 event that explored the factory as the centerpiece of 21st century defense.To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

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 factors that might change the outlook for US defense including the budget outlook; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's bond yield gambit; the Iran and Ukraine wars; breakdown of trade talks between Canada and the United States, and whether other nations will decide against what they deem to be bad deals; what a reduced Lyntris offering means for private equity; the US Army's decision to award a contract to Hanwha for its K9 self-propelled howitzer; acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Chris LaNeve's new strategy that included disbanding the drone unit and replacing it with an airborne infantry unit; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

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 down week on Wall Street after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's effort to curb rising bond yields backfired, startling investors and driving yields up; investors warn Britain's chancellor of the exchequer, John Healey, to limit borrowing amid a bond sell off as he prepares a new budget for release Oct 28; Iran and the United States failed to formally end hostilities as more energy makes it through the Strait of Hormuz thanks to the US Navy and payments to Tehran for safe passage; trade war between Canada and the United States with 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion in lumber and dairy products from Canada as Ottawa moves to impose reciprocal tariffs on US steel, electronics, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, as well as pulp and paper; India's order for another 114 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation and plans to replace Hawk trainers by BAE Systems and Antonov 32 transport planes; the US Air Force award to GE Aerospace and Kratos to adapt their 800-pound thrust GEK800 jet engine for Lockheed Martin's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile; and Boeing's contingency plans if 17,000 of the company's engineers and technicians who belong to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace ‌voted to give the union the power strike absent a deal when their contract expires Oct. 6.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD 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 implications of US debt passing $40 trillion as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent intervened in bond markets to cut yields, backfiring by alarming markets that reacted negatively to the move; President Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz as American territory, threatening Iran with an economic “D-Day” and Oman with strikes as the UAE, a financial gateway for Tehran, also imposed sanctions; Israel and Hamas rebuffed Jared Kushner as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared Turkey a threat, striking a facility in Syria where Turkish troops were based; France, Germany and the UN condemned Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir for calling on the execution of 30 to 40 Gazans a day; Ukrainian civilian casualties mount as Moscow concludes Ukraine can no longer defend against large-scale ballistic missile barrages; another corruption scandal involving a close aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opposition figures calling for elections; a suspected Russian drone is downed by a NATO fighter jet over Latvia as Moscow threatens London for supplying strike drones to Ukraine; the administration's questionnaire asking allies to detail how nations are exhibiting loyalty to the US president and his policies; Trump's order the Pentagon abruptly end annual military exercises with South Korea six days early to punish Seoul for not support the Iran War and saying North Korea is a nonthreatening state, which Pyongyang rebuffed with its largest missile tests in months; the impact economic warfare on Iran will have on China; and Taiwan's defense spending increase that Washington demanded just as some in Washington debate the US pivoting away from Asia.

Planes fly on money, and nobody takes apart a budget like Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute. He joins us to get into what the $1.5 trillion budget means for airpower, what programs did better, and the chances the budget will pass with anything like that amount. Along the way, we'll talk NGAD, B-21, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, weapons production, and the always thrilling… Congressional procedures. Plus the week's top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Steve Beckey of the Oliver Wyman consultancy joints Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the report he co-wrote — with his colleagues — JD Kearney, Nathan Miller, and Tim Wickham — “The Defense Ramp-Up Reality Check: A $1 Trillion Question: Can the Defense Industrial Base Scale to Meet Unprecedented Demand?”

On today's Land Warfare program, sponsored by 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 tenuous nature of the Ukraine war as both sides grapple for advantage over the front; use of autonomy, AI and unmanned ground systems; how Ukraine can defend itself from Russian ballistic missile attacks; role of North Korea in supporting Russia and the lessons Pyongyang is learning from the conflict; Vladimir Putin's stability as the war becomes increasingly unpopular wi the Russians as Duma elections loom; and the Russian leader's visit to the Kuril Islands last week.

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 budget impact of debt, deficits, customs duties and refunds; prospect of higher food prices as Russia destroys Ukraine's grain stocks; US brain drain and national security; the Mecca deal and midterms; what's next for the Iran war; low-cost weapons and deterrence; the budget impact of Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg's demand to accelerate weapons production; President Trump's order that the Navy establish a fifth government shipyard, buy warships from overseas firms, and replace the electromagnetic catapults on the Ford-class aircraft carrier with steam ones; Trump's order that the Pentagon dial back military exercises with South Korea to punish Seoul for not supporting the Iran war and claim that North Korea is a nonthreatening power; earnings takeaways; today's announcement that Chris Kubasik was replaced with Sam Mehta as L3Harris' CEO; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

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's near peak despite worse than expected unemployment figures as US Treasuries hit their highest since August 2001on debt and interest rate worries; US and Iranian forces continue to target Strait of Hormuz traffic as President Trump says US forces can maintain their blockade indefinitely — adding he's considering making the international waterway American territory — but also warns Americans to brace for higher energy prices tops $6 per gallon for premium gas; an unprecedented European heat waves have dried up key rivers to their lowest levels since 2018, impacting trade and nuclear power generation that will undermine European economic growth this year; the Pentagon awards RTX and Boeing contracts to accelerate production of shipborne Standard air defense missiles; Trump orders the Navy to open a fifth government shipyard, acquire warships built overseas and replace the electromagnetic catapults on the Ford-class nuclear powered aircraft carriers with steam ones; M1 Flight Services beats Bell and Lockheed Martin for the US Army's Flight School Next award that is valued at up to $10 billion over the coming 26 years; COMAC's C919 jetliner made its first international commercial flight from Mongolia to Beijing; US investigators find that the Ryanair 737 from which a passenger was nearly sucked out of a window July 10 had suffered four bird strikes over the past year; Applied Aerospace, BETA Technologies, CAE, Elbit Systems, Embraer, Rocket Lab report earnings as GPS pioneer Magellan files chapter 11; Archer Aviation said it would buy Boeing's electric aircraft firm Wisk ​Aero and two other units for a nearly 20 percent stake in the air-taxi maker; and PitchBook's estimate that private equity firms are stuck with more than 33,000 companies they can't sell at the valuations their investors expect.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD 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 what's next for the Iran war as Tehran taps a new top security leader — Mohsen Rezaee — and holds firm on its demands, striking shipping as President Trump says America can maintain and “indefinite” blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; USS Abraham Lincoln becomes emblematic of the war's burden on the US military; more details on the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia pact; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu defies Trump on Gaza as his government continues to push Palestinians from the West Bank; how Europe should respond to Moscow's increasingly kinetic moves as Germany investigates the suspected Aug 4 Russian drone attack on Leipzig's airport; US efforts to gain control of Greenland as a US company, Greenland Energy, lands oil exploration equipment on the world's largest island without necessary approvals; Europe's elections as heat waves spark wildfires and dry up rivers, undermining growth; Russia uses North Korean ballistic missiles target Ukrainian civilians as well as Odesa and its grain supplies; Vladimir Putin visited Iturup on the Kuril Islands claimed by Japan and threatened to seize European ships if nations escalate efforts to combat Moscow's sanctions-evading shadow fleet; former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongi's legacy; Taiwan's pledge to increase defense spending and anti-blockade drills; North Korea's missile test; and the Trump administration touts its deterrence by denial and slams China's tariff evasion.

The United States Air Force maintains the airborne leg of America's nuclear triad with the B-2, and the land-based leg with Minuteman. But it also connects the triad with an elaborate and heavily secured command and control network. Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Ambassador Eric Edelman has a report out on that topic, and we'll cover everything nuclear with him. And, of course, we have the week's top headlines in airpower. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Eric Fanning, the president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US defense budget outlook as the Senate approves a continuing resolution that funds the government through Dec. 11; Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's Aug. 5 memo giving companies 21 days to submit plans to accelerate production of select platforms, sensors and munitions; concerns about the Pentagon's approach to intellectual property in its bid to accelerate programs and bolster the prospects of startups; update on legislation spanning from “right to repair” to share buybacks; and takeaways from the Farnborough International Airshow.

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Tom Mahnken, the president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the report he co-wrote his son Thomas Mahnken who is an analyst with the think tank — “Rising Stars Over the Pacific: Cultivating Indo-Pacific Expertise in the US Armed Forces” — that focuses on the importance of promoting senior officers with Indo-Pacific experience to better prepare prepare America's military for potential conflict in the region.

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 Senate passage of a continuing resolution and implications for this year's defense budget; why debt and deficit will be a 2027-2028 issues; Deputy Secretary Feinberg's memo to industry giving companies 21 says to submit detailed plans to accelerate production of key platforms and systems, including munitions; whether it would make better sense to focus on munitions to better prioritize resources rather than accelerate everything all at once; why the initiative might be fleeting; analysis of the Defiant-class battleship that President Trump wants as the centerpiece of his “Golden Fleet;” BWXT, CACI, Honeywell Aerospace, Howmet, Palantir, Redwire, Rheinmetall and SpaceX earnings; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a slightly up Wall Street despite continuing Middle East tensions, rising energy prices and a dismal jobs report as Tehran demands Washington make more concessions before the Strait of Hormuz is reopened; the Senate passes a continuing resolution to keep the government open until Dec. 11; Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg gives US defense contractors 21 days to draw up plans to accelerate production of key sensors, platforms and electronic warfare, munitions and space systems; Northrop Grumman's B-21 bomber has been accelerated by 25 percent thanks to $4.5 billion invested in the program in last year's reconciliation measure and Boeing's F-47 fighter is on track for a 2028 fight flight, according to Gen. Dale White who's overseeing B-21, the Sentinel ballistic missile effort, the F-47 and Air Force One; the joint Boeing-Lockheed Martin United Launch Alliance raised $500 million through a bond sale to refinance its debt; BETA Technologies struck a $1 billion deal with the Export-Import Bank of the United States to expand manufacturing and partnered with Lockheed Martin to bring the giant's Matrix autonomy capabilities to BETA's MV250 autonomous aircraft that debuted at the Farnborough International Airshow last month; and BWXT, Honeywell Aerospace, Howmet, Palantir, Redwire, Rheinmetall and SpaceX report earnings.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD 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 future of reconciliation, a continuing resolution and appropriations as well as the confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general; President Trump reportedly blasted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the acute shortage of weapons that are said to have curtailed US options against Iran; US intelligence warns Russia might test NATO through a limited incursion into alliance territory as Washington frays relations with its European allies and faces depleted magazines; Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's Aug 5 memo to defense executives giving them 21 days to develop concrete plans to accelerate production of sensors, platforms and electronic warfare, munitions, and space systems; Democratic senators accuse Feinberg of steering contracts to firms involving the president's sons; Iran and Oman continue to negotiate an agreement to jointly manage the strait of Hormuz including a transit corridor for traffic; Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan's mutual security pact; Trump's deal between Israel and Hamas, Jerusalem struck Hamas in Gaza as Hamas said it won't give up its weapons, just lock them up; Russia is suspected of using explosive drones on Leipzig's airport in the vicinity of Ukrainian cargo planes; China tightens its grip on the Scarborough Shoal as Beijing acknowledges two Chinese sailors were killed last year when one of its destroyers collided with one of its coast guard cutters while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel; Japan's new defense white paper — “Preparing for a New Era of Warfare;” Taiwan's“Han Kuang” exercise to test wartime readiness; and why Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby wants to go to China.

Last week, we talked air and missile defenses with Dr. Tom Karako of CSIS. This week, we opened the aperture to include all missile systems, as the various US services proceed on different paths to replenish and modernize their stocks. Steve Trimble, the defense editor of Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine and a certified missile head is with us for that tour of the horizon. And, of course, we have the week's top headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

Is ship count the right metric for measuring naval power? Carriers, missiles, people, the industrial base, where should the Navy invest or divest to ensure the fleet of the near future is sized at the appropriate capability and cost. These issues and more are addressed in depth in the Hudson Institute's upcoming Fleet Design report. The CavasShips team of Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello cover for Vago today and share their recent conversation with Hudson's Bryan Clark, where he previews the study and discusses current naval operations. 

Joe Kochan, the chief executive officer of the National Spectrum Consortium, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the importance of better management and sharing of limited spectrum for national security needs, provides an update on new technologies members are offering the Department of War and the value of other transactional authority when it come to prototyping and moving faster.

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 the latest headlines and looks 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 Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss an up week on Wall Street and rising energy prices in the wake of wider conflict in the Middle East; higher Treasury yields in the wake of Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh's communication stumble on explaining Fed's decision to keep interest rates steady; President Trump call to suspend further Iran strikes pending a quick deal to end the war; despite an uncertain budget future, the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $58 billion contract for PAC 3 missiles that will also flow to companies like RTX and General Dynamics and HII $76.6 billion in contracts for nine Virginia-class attack subs and four Columbia-class ballistic missile subs; Washington and Tokyo worked together to prop up the yen, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking the New York Federal Reserve Bank to sell euros to buy yen; Britain's Burnham government will release its budget on Oct. 28 that will include a $32 billion buffer as British bond yields near their post-2008 high after Washington and Jerusalem started their war on Iran; EasyJet says it's got a 5.7 billion pound or $7.7 billion offer from Apollo Global Management; and Airbus, AerCap, Boeing, Bombardier, General Dynamics, Hexcel, HII, Leonardo and Leonardo DRS, Melrose, Safran, and Textron report earnings.

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 DoD 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 national security headlines of the week.

We heard this week about further casualties from drone and missile attacks on US forces in the Middle East. How is the threat changing, and can we still defend ourselves as weapon inventories shrink? In this summer-weight edition, Dr. Tom Karako, Director of the Air and Missile Defense program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins us with the analysis — and an update on Golden Dome. And, of course, the week's top headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

Illy Andrews and Dr. Justin Goldberg of Amentum join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the company's role in UK defense as the government invests in a new generation of air, nuclear and strike technologies.

Jim Currier, the president and CEO of the Honeywell Aerospace, and Mike Vallillo, the vice president for international defense, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the new company's independence after its June 29 spinoff and its role in the global defense and aerospace ecosystem; how it will help deliver President Trump's call to accelerate weapons production; managing supply chains; investing for the future, including to develop products that are immune from US export controls; and the implications of “right to repair” legislation on companies that invest to develop proprietary technologies.

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 the latest headlines and looks 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 Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another down week on Wall Street, what's next for the Iran war and global energy prices as Washington pauses the conflict over concerns that US air defense weapon stocks are dwindling as Tehran strikes nations in the region and its Yemeni Houthi Allie's strike Red Sea shipping to enforce their blockade; Trump administration's use of exiting legislative authorities Including the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act; Prime Minister Andy Burnham's new administration; Dassault, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX and Thales earnings; major defense and commercial aviation story lines at this week's Farnborough International Airshow.

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 DoD 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 intensifying US and Iran military operations; Washington and Riyadh strike a nuclear pact; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee; update on the NDAA; Russia pounds Ukraine clouding the critically important Ukrainian port in Odessa; a week firing former Defense Minister Mykhailo Federov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired his chief of defense staff, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi; Russia conducts live fire exercises 46miles, off Britain's key Portsmouth naval base as Andy Burnham becomes the UK's new prime minister with John Healy at the Treasury; the People's Liberation Army Daily blasts Tokyo and it's drone capabilities as China and Russia step up military exercises off the Japanese coast that included a Chinese live fire drill; Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares for Trump's summit with Xi Jinping as he meets his Quad counterparts in Manila at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting; Beijing and Manila spar over Second Thomas Shoal Incident and racist video posted by China Daily; the region braces for new US tariffs as the continuing Iran war drives energy prices up again; and the White House accused China of stealing American technology to improve its AI program.

There's a new boss at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and it's OJ Sanchez, formerly the Chief Skunk. He joins us for a high-level look at what's ahead for the world's largest military aircraft company. We'll also have air savant Richard Aboulafia's view of developments at Farnborough. And of course, the week's top headlines in airpower. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, John Cofrancesco of American AI Logistics joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian  to discuss China's new AI model, what that means, the administration evolving stance on checking out models before release, Congress' deliberate approach to AI legislation and the overhaul of CMMC.

Steve Parker, the chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how the giant is working to answer the Trump administration's demand for accelerated missile and weapons production; the company's new approach to managing supply chains to improve performance; how the Pentagon is making it easier for contractors to move faster; how moving is moving faster on programs delivery; efforts to attract, retain and nurture a more experienced workforce to improve program execution as veteran workers retire or move to other companies; Boeing's new culture of performance; Ukraine lessons shaping the company's strategy, investment and products; thoughts on “right to repair” and capital allocation as lawmakers consider legislation; and whether the administration's rhetoric that's propelling allies to develop “sovereign” capabilities will negatively impact the company's future prospects.

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 escalating US-Iran hostilities and implications for world markets; US defense budget deliberations that include a reconciliation measure that's $60 billion rather than $350 billion as expected with the prospect for a new Reconciliation 4.0 measure to bridge the difference; factors that could explain low defense stock valuations; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby's dismissal of “middle powers” strategy as Canada prepares to join Britain's Global Combat Air Program with Italy and Japan, and buys a $1.8 billion radar from BAE Systems Australia; GE Aerospace earnings and AV's Investor Day; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond, including the Farnborough International Airshow 20-24 July 2026.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a down week on Wall Street on AI worries; the implications of renewed US-Iran military operations; United Airline's record second quarter 2026 results despite an 84 percent increase fuel costs over the same 2025 period; AV and GE Aerospace earnings results; authorization and appropriations stalled in the Senate as the House Budget Committee considers a revised Reconciliation 3.0 package that includes Iran war funding and totals $60 billion rather than $350 billion as expected with a Reconciliation 4.0 needed to bridge the differences; analysis of Ukraine's decision to order 16 Rafale fighter jets; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby dismisses notion of a “middle power strategy” of smaller nations banding together to keep from being bullied by great powers as well as nations opting against US arms purchases as Canada moves to gain observer status on the Global Combat Air Program led by Britain with Italy and Japan as Ottawa reconsiders its plan to acquire 88 F-35 Lightning fighters from Lockheed Martin, and taps BAE Systems Australia for a nearly $1.8 billion contract for the Arctic Over-The-Horizon Radar to plug air defense gaps for the US-Canada North American Aerospace Defense Command; and the themes that will shape the Farnborough International Airshow 20-24 July 2026.

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 DoD 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 renewed US-Iran hostilities; a bewildering bewildering week in Congress as the NDAA and appropriations stalled in the Senate, the Iran supplemental and reconciliation; how Sen. Mitch McConnell's illness and Sen. Lindsey Graham's sudden death impact legislation; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby's dismissal of “middle power” strategies; Volodymyr Zelenskyy's latest cabinet reshuffle that ousted Yulia Svyrydenko and his popular defense minister Mykylo Federov; after dismissing the Knesset and calling October elections, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to visit Washington for Graham's funeral; Israel and Lebanon advance peace talks and Hamas asks Iran for help; more than 100 Democratic lawmakersand one Republican vote against military support for Israel; Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met with Trump at the White House; Xi Jinping continues to purge the part of top leaders accused of corruption, expelling Politburo member Ma Xingrui, the former governor of Xinjiang province who once headed the country's space program; North Korea accuses Pak Hui-chol, deputy director of the Organization Department of the Korean People's Army General Political Bureau, of abuse of power and corruption; and the US Coast Guard will base a squadron of its cutters to the Western Pacific.

In this expanded edition, Vago Muradian reports from the Global Air & Space Chiefs Conference, with former Air Marshal Greg Bagwell of the Air and Space Power Association and USAF Reserve chief Lieutenant General John Healy (and his AI twin.) And we even squeeze in some airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jerry McGinn, a former deputy industrial base chief who is now with the director of the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his latest report — “Is the Industrial Base on a Wartime Footing? A Progress Report” — he cowrote with his colleague AJ Dilts.

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Michael Shurkin, a veteran of the CIA as well as the RAND Corporation think tank who's now the director of Global Programs at 14 North Strategies, a Senegal-based risk advisory consultancy, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his new book, “The French War of War: Eight Strategy Lessons for Today's Conflicts;” how military defeats and resource limitations have taught France to be more strategic; the essence of strategy; lessons from the Mali operation; and more.

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 the latest headlines and looks 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 Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street's latest up week even as energy prices rise after US and Iranian forces exchanged strikes and President Trump says the ceasefire between the countries is over and Tehran struck shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; air travel impact of renewed hostilities as Delta maintains the carrier will maintain pricing and profit power; the US defense budget outlook as the appropriations process as well as the administration's $88 billion Iran war supplemental stall; efforts by the House budget committee to accelerate the $350 billion reconciliation 3.0 budget increase for the Pentagon; analysis of NATO's Ankara summit that included a pledge of unity as well as $50 billion in deals, including the alliance's acquisition of new Saab GlobalEye radar planes and Northrop Grumman Triton reconnaissance aircraft; whether the summit was enough to assuage allied concerns about America's commitment to NATO despite rhetoric from Washington and President Trump's continued interest in acquiring Greenland; implications of Trump's pledge to allow Ukraine to join Japan and Germany in license producing Patriot missiles; what it will take to allow Turkey back into the F-35 Lightning II fighter project; the decision — after Washington resumed strikes on Iran — to fly the president out of the Turkish capital to Britain on the purpose-built VC-25A presidential transport, where he boarded the former Qatari jet to return to Washington; Lockheed Martin's proposed $3.5 billion acquisition of Ultra's Martime business; engine failure aboard a Ryanair 737 heading from Greece to Germany that shattered a window, injuring a passenger before who was sucked partly out of the aircraft; and Bank of America's initiation of SpaceX coverage.

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 DoD 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 a $1.15 trillion House National Defense Authorization Act that's in trouble as both the Trump administration's $88 billion Iran war supplemental and House and Senate appropriations processes stall; under President Trump's pressure, the House Budget Committee moves to advance the $350 billion Reconciliation 3.0 measure for the Pentagon; US attorney Jay Clayton's hearing to become the next director of national intelligence is back on; after Iran attacked three ships in the Strait of Hormuz Trump says the ceasefire with Tehran is over and resumed strikes, again sending energy prices soaring as Iran continues efforts to exert control over the critical waterway; takeaways from the NATO's Ankara Summit where Trump berated allies for not backing his Iran war and still seeking to acquire Greenland, but also endorsed alliance priorities including defense projects and allowed Ukraine to license produce Patriot missiles; as Russia ramps up attacks on Ukraine, Moscow uses AI to wage a disinformation campaign against American data centers and technology; Russia's partnership with China; Beijing's test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile; Taiwan's opposition pro-China Kuomintang party stalls President Lai Ching Te's asymmetric defense strategy; analysis of former US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel's peace plan for the Middle East; Israel's declining popularity; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's plan to visit New York City in September for the United Nations General Assembly meeting as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani vows to make good on his plan to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant on the Israeli leader; and a look at US political drama from Graham Platner's collapsing campaign against Sen. Susan Collins in Maine to the impact of Sen. Mitch McConnell's declining health.

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies recently completed a new war game looking at the Air Force we need against China and Russia. Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger and Heather “Lucky” Penney peel back the covers on their results. And we have the week's airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Jul 08, '26] Sam Bendett & Eugene Rumer on Russia, Ukraine by Defense & Aerospace Report, sponsored by Bell

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 attack that damaged a Qatari liquified natural gas carrier in the Strait of Hormuz; what's next for US defense spending including prospects for Reconciliation 3.0; surprises in the Trump administration's $88 billion Iran war supplemental request; whether the assertion that the “American way of war” is dead; Saab's big week including the sale of 16 new Gripen E fighters to Ukraine and Canada's decision to pick HDW over Hanwha to supply 12 new non-nuclear attack submarines; Britain's plan to increase defense spending by $20 billion; expectations from NATO's Ankara summit; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street's continuing rally in the wake of the US-Iran deal; outlook for air travel as analysts adjust war's impact on energy and air travel; Castlelake's $7.3 billion offer to acquire the European discount carrier; expectations as NATO leaders convene in Ankara for the alliance's annual summit; Saab's massive week as Ukraine ordered 16 of the company's most advanced Gripen E fighter aircraft, on top of the 16 C-D versions of the jets donated by the Swedish government, and signature of a nearly $5 billion contract for three of the Swedish firm's A26 submarines; how the Gripen order could boost Saab's prospects as Canada's next fighter and whether HDW's loss will boost Hanwha's offer over the German company's proposal in Ottawa's competition for a dozen new attack submarines; Thales buys drone and robotics maker Exail after Safran scrapped it's $2.3 billion offer to buy the French firm; continuing consequences for Rheinmetall and Thales of Germany's decision to cancel the six-ship F126 frigate program; KNDS' decision to pull its initial public offering; the Federal Aviation Administration's move to create new rules for supersonic civil transports; and RocketLab's $8 billion acquisition of Iridium to compete against SpaceX and its StarLink product.