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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 more Wall Street turbulence as the US-Israel war on Iran drives up energy prices and a weaker than expected US employment figures and fourth quarter 2025 economic growth; oil prices edge higher despite releasing 400 million barrels from reserve stocks and US decision to life Russia energy sanctions for 30 days; impact of higher oil prices on air travel and commercial carriers; how more Russia energy revenue will impact Moscow's war on Ukraine; Kyiv and European allies scramble for more air and missile defenses in midst of Iran war demands; Trump administration calls on allies to help to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz; White House's so-called section 301 investigations into some 60 countries including China, the EU, Britain, Brazil, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and Vietnam as the administration seeks new ways to impose tariffs after Supreme Court's ruling last month; economic news to expect from Trump's trip to Beijing next month; Canada's plan to invest $24 billion in Arctic security to bolster the country's northern bases; US Army's unprecedented $20 billion multi-year award to Anduril for hardware, software, infrastructure, and services in lump sumps without smaller contracts in the name of accelerating acquisition and reducing bureaucracy; India's interest in replacing its 105 Antonov-32 transport planes; takeaways from Howmet's investor day and the International Society of Transport Air Traders conference; and and a look at the surging Asia-Pacific defense market.
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 down week on Wall Street on an unexpectedly low employment figures combined with the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran; expectations the Trump administration will ask Congress for $50 billion in supplemental funding to cover the cost of a conflict; a 35 percent jump in energy prices as Washington considers letting Russia resume oil sales; Ukraine's offer to counter Iranian air attacks; resilience of the global commercial air transport system as regional air traffic has been derailed and energy prices soar; President Trump convenes US defense executives at an emergency meeting at the White House on Friday to “quadruple” production of “exquisite” weapons; whether the supply chain can support can surge defense production as commercial aerospace orders also peak; reports that Boeing is closing in on a 500-jet order with China in advance of Trump's April meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing; Europe's response to the war as Lithuania warns Russian forces are increasing along NATO's borders; French President Emmanuel Macron's pledge to increase nuclear weapons production and field a new ballistic missile submarine by 2036 as Britain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden join Paris' new forward deterrent strategy; Switzerland's decision to pared back its F-35 Lightning II order from 36 to 30 planes on rising costs; Embraer's earnings; and takeaways from the commercial edition of Joanna's Speed's Aerospace Event this week in LA. The Defense & Aerospace Report is a proud media partner on the defense edition of The Aerospace Event in October in Washington, DC.
Richard Aboulafia and Dr. Kevin Michaels of the AeroDynamic Advisory consultancy join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the economic impacts of the Iran war and their new book on the history of business aviation, “Time Machines: Business Aviation's Dynamic Journey.”:
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 Wall Street's worst day of 2026 on AI worries and lower than expected new US jobs creation; Israel and the United States attack Iran, killing the country's top leaders as Tehran retaliates against Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE; worries that a prolonged conflict will take a toll on already depleted US weapons stocks, aging weapons and personnel; the conflict sends energy prices soaring; the Trump administration's blacklisting of Anthropic from doing business with the US government and threat to seize its technology after the company expresses concerns over the use of it's Claude model for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance as OpenAI strikes a deal with the Pentagon; the spat between Britain's Treasury and Defense Ministries spills into the open as UK firms work to position themselves for growth; Ukraine's desire to help produce the Patriot missiles it depends on to counter Russian attacks; BWXT, Heico, Hensoldt, Leonardo, MTU, and Rolls-Royce earnings as L3Harris holds its investor day; takeaways from the Air and Space Forces Association's Warfare Symposium last week in Denver including plan to accelerate production of Northrop Grumman's B-21 bomber; updates on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs including engines to power a new generation of unmanned aircraft; the White House's decision to back the US Navy's FA-XX to develop a next generation carrier aircraft; and what to expect at commercial edition of Joanna Speed's Aerospace Event next week at the Beverly Wilshire in LA.
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 on the Supreme Court's decision that some of President Trump's tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were illegal; what's next for nearly $200 billion in tariff revenue collected over the past year as the president imposes new tariffs under other legislation; US threat of retaliation if Europe shifts away from buying American systems in favor of domestic weaponry; India's Rafale order including 31 naval variants of the Dassault fighter; Canada's new National Defense Strategy; Northrop Grumman partnership with Embraer to help market the KC-390 tanker-transport in the United States; impact on Leonardo's C-27 production line after Saudi Arabia's ordered for four of the transports in a maritime patrol configuration for delivery in 2029; Airbus earnings including frustrations with Pratt & Whitney; and BAE Systems' investors call.
Editors are joined by Richard Aboulafia to discuss airliner production after Airbus shared its delivery targets for this year and Boeing updated its suppliers.
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 Wall Street had it's worst week since November on a tech selloff even as new federal data showed lower than expected inflation and better than expected jobs growth; despite tensions with Washington, Ottawa put a down payment on the next 14 F-35 Lightning II fighters on top of the 16 jets on order as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks alternative options; as the Munich Security Conference convenes French President Emmanuel Macron calls for Europe to become more globally competitive, British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer seeks a multinational defense initiative with Europe and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz explores joining France's nuclear deterrent; Macron works to savage the Franco-German SCAF program by convincing Dassault to be more accommodating as Germany's aerospace industries association BDLI hopes two versions of a common SCAF can be built — one for Germany, the other for France; importance of defending commercial airports from drones; India's HAL out of the fighter business save for the Light Combat Aircraft; and takeaways from Saudi Arabia's World Defense Show.
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 rocky week on Wall Street; the Trump administration's $12 billion “Project Vault” effort to create a strategic minerals stockpile to reduce dependence on China; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's list of poorly performing defense contractors; the administration charters Erebor Bank with $635 million in capital to support defense and tech startups; RTX agrees to the Pentagon's seven-year deal to invest its own money to boost increase Tomahawk cruise missile output from 60 per year today to 1,000 a year, triple the SM-6 air defense and strike missile production to 500 weapons, and AMRAAM air-to-air missile rates from 1200 to 1900 annually; Russia's efforts to shadow European satellites; takeaways from the Singapore airshow including Airbus and the Singapore Air Force receive the first automatic air-to-air refueling certification for the A330 Multirole Tanker Transport aircraft, Singapore to buy four P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Indonesia buys M346 trainers but it's fighter modernization is uncertain, and Uzbekistan orders Embraer's KC-390; Boeing consolidates 787 jetliner work in South Carolina, moving 300 jobs from Washington the the palmetto state; and Democratic lawmakers want an investigation into SpaceX's links with China.
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; President Trump's selection of Kevin Warsh to replace Jay Powell as the Federal Reserve chairman; after two decades of negotiations, the EU and India strike a trade deal that encompasses some 2 billion people; after threatening Canada with 100 percent tariffs if it makes a deal with China, Trump warned Britain against drawing close to Beijing as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited the Chinese capital to reset relations and boost trade ties; the president's call to decertify the Bombardier Global Express business jet and impose a 50 percent tariff on the planes after falsely accusing Ottawa of failing to certify US-made Gulfstream aircraft; the new Dutch government's “freedom tax” to boost defense spending; France rejects Eutelsat's planned sale of its ground antennae business to the private equity firm EQT as Paris tells government employees to stop using Zoom in favor of European systems; French IT firm CapGemini's decision to sell its US unit — CapGemini Government Solutions — for working for ICE and a lack of transparency into the American subsidiary's operations; Boeing, Crane, Hexcel, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and Textron report earnings; and Boeing reveals another $600 million charge on its KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft for the US Air Force.
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 roller coaster week on Wall Street that saw a drop after President Trump's threat to launch a trade war against Europe to acquire Greenland and a rebound after he said he would neither attack Greenland nor impose tariffs to get it but instead opt for a “framework” deal to bolster Arctic security; after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the rules-based world order guaranteed by America is over and it's time to plan for what's next, the president said he would impose a 100 percent tariff on all Canadian goods if “Governor Carney” strikes a trade deal with China; Danes vow to boycott American products as France turns to industrial giants like Renault to bolster drone production as Paris plans a $40 billion boost in defense spending; Sweden's leading pension fund pares down US treasuries from $8.8 billion to $7.7 billion during 2025 on worries about American political risk and whether other nations will follow suit given Washington's dependence on borrowing to make fiscal ends meet; the Pentagon's new National Defense Strategy; Congress' $838 billion appropriations measure that boosts defense spending by $8.4 billion including some $900 million for the Navy's FA-XX future fighter and demand for greater transparency into the Golden Dome missile defense system; India inches closer to a deal with Dassault for 114 Rafale fighters; Babcock and QinetiQ issue trading statements; and leading firms like GE Aerospace, Teledyne, and others report earnings.
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 Wall Street's bumpy week on weaker than expected bank results and investor worries about private credit and tech markets; the Trump administration's investigation into Federal Reserved Chairman Jay Powell; President Trump's imposition of 10 percent tariffs on the eight nations that sent troops to Greenland at Denmark's request on a training exercise as he continues to demand the US acquire Greenland, prompting nation to consider activating the European Union's trade bazooka that wasn't used during last year's tariff talks; what happens if Washington escalates by degrading or incapacitating US-made hardware now in NATO service to prevent European nations from responding to Greenland, and what capabilities Europe would have at its disposal to defend itself against Russia and other threats if American equipment is rendered inoperative; the EU's trade deal with South American Mercosur nations creating a free trade zone of more than 700 million people; under pressure from Washington, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Beijing to strike an “strategic partnership” as other European leaders visit China to advance their trade interests; frustrated with France and Dassault, Germany decides to leave the SCAF program to develop a new generation of manned and unmanned combat aircraft as Airbus considers next steps with in partnership with Saab or find a way to join the British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Program; the Pentagon's $1 billion investment in L3Harris Technologies' new missile solutions business and its solid rocket motor capabilities, clearing the way for a direct US government investment across supply chains deemed critical; and Boeing ended 2025 scoring more orders than Airbus and delivering 600 jets, short of the European firm's 793.
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 strong start to 2026 although President Trump's executive order on dividends, share buybacks and executive compensation hit defense stocks before they rebounded on the president's announcement that US defense spending would increase 50 percent to $1.5 trillion; Lockheed Martin's tentative agreement with the Pentagon to invest billions to dramatically ramp Patriot missile production as Trump criticizes RTX for not reportedly making a similar deal; Britain and France commit to supporting Ukraine with troops to enforce a ceasefire as Russia fires a conventional version of its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile into Western Ukraine; implications of US rhetoric to use force to take Greenland from Denmark in the wake of the US operation in Venezuela despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling US lawmakers that America wants to buy the world's largest island from Copenhagen; Washington approved the sake of P-8 anti-submarine aircraft to Denmark as France makes good on its pledge to replace aging American radar planes with new Swedish ones, Austria turns to Italy for new trainers, and Israel expands its F-15 fleet with new EX jets from Boeing; Alaska Airlines orders 110 Boeing 737 Max jetliners including Max 10 jets — the largest model of the popular aircraft — that were just cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration to move into the second phase of certification; US operations in Venezuela and seizing the country's sanctioned shadow tanker fleet illustrates the continuing utility of manned military rotorcraft; and takeaways from Bank of America's annual defense and aerospace conference.
Watch as Richard Aboulafia joins the podcast to discuss how 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for two next-generation fighter programs conceived in Europe: FCAS and GCAP. Subscribers can read Richard's column on the Global Combat Air Program here Find out more about Aviation Week's Defense Conference here
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 the a strong 2025 on Wall Street and what it means for the coming year; the implications of the Trump administration's ouster of Venezuelan strongman Nicholas Maduro; stalled talks to end the Ukraine war as the conflict rages on; commercial aircraft production as Boeing delivered 493 jets and Airbus delivered 793; a look ahead to the big defense and airspace stories of 2026; and what to expect at Bank of America's annual defense and aerospace conference this year in New York.
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 the week — and the year — on markets as AI, aerospace and defense spending drive investors; the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act; European governments' two-year, $105 billion interest-free loan to help Ukraine keep fighting Russian aggression as Vladimir Putin makes clear he's not interested in compromise and amps up his muscular rhetoric; the future of the SCAF program as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet to decide the future of the program to develop new manned and unmanned combat aircraft; the US Navy's decision to ask HII to build by 2028 a naval variant of the company's successful National Security Cutter developed for the Coast Guard to demonstrate the new ship, then competitively contract yards to mass produce it; Boeing asks the Federal Aviation Administration for an emissions waiver to continue building existing 777 freighters after 2028 given a compliant version of the plane won't be ready until after the deadline; the US government's admission of responsibility in the deadly crash between a US Air jetliner and a US Army helicopter that killed 67 in January over the Potomac River off Reagan Washington National Airport; and a review of the big stories of 2025.
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 week on Wall Street; the House's version of the National Defense Authorization Act; implications of US efforts to push Ukraine to ceasefire that now appears to include Kyiv giving up on NATO membership in exchange for Western security guarantees; outlook for the SCAF next-generation air program as French, German and Spanish defense ministers meet in advance of meeting next week between President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz; the GCAP consortium's invitation that Canada join Britain, Italy and Japan in developing a family of next generation air systems; Boeing closes its $8.3 billion acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems as the company's Air Force One program is delayed another year to mid 2028 and the Federal Aviation Administration reviews the proposed angle of attack alert system for 737 Max 10 jets; SpaceX prepares its IPO the company could be working $800 billion; and JP Morgan Chase hires Berkshire Hathaway's Todd Combs and recruits veteran advisers including Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, Ford CEO Jim Farley, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and retired Gen. Dave Petreaus to oversee bank's $1.5 trillion Security and Resilience Initiative investment fund.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a Wall Street ended a short trading week up on expectations of another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve and strong Black Friday growth; Trump administration's push to pressure Ukraine to accept a peace deal that would be good for US and Russian companies; Europe seeks ways to defend itself and its interest without Washington's help; the race to return the flight control software on 6,000 or half the global Airbus A320 jetliner fleet to an earlier version that's less susceptible interference from solar flares; Poland's decision to pick Saab's A26 submarine over five competing European and Korean designs as its next submarine under a 2.5 billion euro program for three boats that fall under the EU's 50 billion euro SAFE loan program for new weapons; whether Canada will pick ThyssenKrupp or Hanwha for its patrol submarine project for up to 12 conventional attack boats; the British Army's decision to again halt use of its Ajax family of vehicles by General Dynamics after crews complained about being sickened by severe noise and vibration; and whether the Trump administration's operations in the Caribbean will be a boon for defense startups as both the Wall Street Journal and Reuters detail the challenges faces by Silicon Valley startup Anduril.
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 dismal week on Wall Street over worries about the economy, AI and whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates; the implications of the Trump administration's pressure on Ukraine to accept a peace deal that would mean Kyiv accept all of Russia's demands or risk losing all US support; France's pledge to sell Ukraine up to 100 Rafale fighters by Dassault as Washington sells 48 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II to Saudi Arabia; Rheinmetall's capital markets day; takeaways from a busy Dubai Air Show; and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy call that travelers to be more civil to usher in “a golden age of travel.”
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 mixed week on concerns the Federal Reserve might not cut interest rates as expected in December; the end of the US government shutdown ends with a continuing resolution through January that included included funding to develop Boeing's E-7 for the Air Force over the Pentagon's objections; President Trump's decision to back away from the food tariffs he imposed that have sent prices for soaring as his administration finalized trade deals including with Switzerland; the US drive for NATO adoption of the E-7 as an E-3 AWACS replacement collapses as Britain decides against renewing its lease for three RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft as London eyes Hensoldt's Pegasus; Columbia's decision to buy Gripen jets from Saab for $3.6 billion; Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's statement that defense contractors saying they “conned the American people and the Pentagon” and says that he wants to buy 90 percent from commercial vendors and 10 percent “in the worst of cases” from specialist firms; the increasingly acrimonious squabble between Dassault and Airbus over leadership of the Franco-German next-generation SCAF family of air systems; the decision by Boeing machinists in St Louis to end the company's second longest strike; the concern by US intelligence officials that F-35 Lighting II fighter technology might leak to China if Washington sells the Lockheed Martin jets to Saudi Arabia; themes for this year's Dubai Air Show; BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce's market statements and Hensoldt's capital markets day.
Aviation Week editors are joined by guest columnist Richard Aboulafia of Aerodynamic Advisory to explore why Airbus and Boeing are dragging their feet on the next twin-aisle, leaving the Comac C929 as the only passenger widebody program formally in development.
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 worst tech sell off since April; the longest US government shutdown as the Trump administration cuts flights; the Supreme Court hears the constitutionality of the president's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's acquisition reforms to accelerate development of new capabilities; Germany's rearmament including new helicopters, night vision gear, weapons and interest in four more P-8 maritime patrol planes from Boeing as the first of eight already ordered jets is delivered; Berlin and Paris say they will determine the fate of SCAF next-generation combat aircraft program by the end of the year; the Pentagon clears hurdles to allow Saudi Arabia to order as many as 48 F-35 Lightning II jets by Lockheed Martin; Hensoldt, Leonardo and Rheinmetall report earnings; and the UPS MD-11 crash in Louisville that killed 12 and left more than a dozen injured after the plane's left engine fell off on takeoff.
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 the week on Wall Street during a strong earnings season; President Trump and China's Xi Jinping trade truce; Trump's pledge to help South Korea develop and build nuclear powered submarines in America and promise to resume nuclear testing after Vladimir Putin said Russia had successfully tested two nuclear powered nuclear weapon; the contours of the administration defense acquisition reforms; Airbus improves margin performance as Boeing announced a $4.9 billion charge on its long-delayed 777X jetliner program as the government shutdown hurts new jet certification and its St Louis workers remain on strike; Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury tells Dassault CEO Eric Trappier to get out of the SCAF next-generation fighter aircraft if the French company doesn't like terms agreed when the program was founded; Kongsberg said it would spin out its marine business; Leonardo DRS' Bill Lynn and Textron's Scott Donnelly retire; and the first flights of two new aircraft — Anduril's YF-44A unmanned aircraft and Lockheed Martin's X-59 Quesst to demonstrate technologies to mitigate the noise from sonic booms for a new generation of supersonic aircraft.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another strong week on Wall Street on expectations that low inflation figures will prompt Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again; President Trump and Xi Jinping prepare to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in South Korea to defuse trade tensions as Trump breaks off talks with Canada and Singapore's prime minister warns of a messy post-American world; implications of Beijing decision to stop chip exports back to Europe after the Dutch government decided to take control of Nexperia, a Dutch chip maker with a Chinese parent company; Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to merge their satellite businesses to create a more capable European competitor to SpaceX; Ukraine's decision to buy up to 150 Gripen fighter aircraft from Sweden's Saab; Washington sanctions Russian oil but denied Tomahawk cruise missiles, prompting Kyiv to use British Storm Shadow weapons to strike a Russian chemical plant as the first Extended-Range Attack Munitions developed for Ukrainians forces by the US Air Force are slated to arrive next month; JPMorgan Chase's decision to invest $1.5 trillion in US national security over the coming decade, from startups to heritage firms, factories and infrastructure, and workforce; and General Dynamics, GE Aerospace, Hexcel, Lockheed Martin, MTU, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Saab, Safran, Textron, Teledyne, and Thales earnings.
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 strong close despite trade worries and bank losses; US government shutdown outlook; President Trump's planned Budapest summit with Vladimir Putin derails Volodymyr Zelenskyy's push for Tomahawk cruise missiles to continue Ukraine's momentum on strikes against Russia; industrial implications of proposal that Washington buy $50 billion in Ukrainian drones and other equipment for the US military; worry that a scattershot US negotiating approach and Beijing's success in substituting lost American business has increased the confidence of Chinese officials who are no longer cowed by what they increasingly regard as Washington's empty rhetoric; Honeywell says the avionics supply chain is improving as Safran sees it catching up on engine delays; reports the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared Boeing to increase 737 production next month; talks next week to end the strike at Boeing's St Louis plants; and takeaways the Association of the United States Army's annual meeting and tradeshow, the Wharton Aerospace conference in DC, and Joanna Speed's Aerospace Event in DC where we are a media partner.
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 defense and aerospace stock performance on Wall Street and in Europe; the air travel outlook as the US government shutdown derails the transport system as Delta projects robust holiday season; China's clamp down on rare earths as Washington threatens 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods; Denmark's decision to buy another 16 F-35 Lightning II fighters from Lockheed Martin and considers P-8 Poseidon patrol planes from Boeing; the Pentagon's decision to clear the Navy to pick whether Boeing or Northrop Grumman will build the service's new FA-XX superfighter; the implications of the $6.1 billion deal by President Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb for 11 large icebreakers for the US Coast Guard, with the first four to be built in Finland and the remainder made at two yards in America; Indian pilots demand that the 787 be grounded to investigate the emergency power system on the planes; the explosion at the Accurate Energetic Solutions plant in Bucksnort, Tenn., as the Pentagon demands a sharp increase in weapons production; and what to expect at the defense edition of Joanna Speed's Aerospace Event in Washington, DC, where the Defense & Aerospace Report is a proud media sponsor, and both AeroDynamic Advisory and Bank of America are founding partners.
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 rally to new highs even as US jobs growth continues to slow and Washington shuts down for what could be a protracted closure; German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' comments that Berlin will play a bigger state role in the nation's defense industries; Poland's planned record bond sales to address mounting debt; Russia's continued provocations including closing Munich airport twice in 24 hours; the CA-1 Europa unmanned combat aircraft by Germany's Helsing; what a transition to full-rate production mans for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lighting II fighter; Thailand order for Airbus A330 Multirole Tanker and Transport Aircraft and Indonesia's purchase of T-50 aircraft from Korean Aerospace; the drop in Palantir stock after a Reuters report that the Army command and control system the company is developing with Anduril has security flaws; GE Aerospace's share price drop after labor deal as investors wait for the terms that will end the nine-week strike by Boeing machinists in St Louis; the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to return some certification duties to Boeing that were taken away from the company in 2019 after the crash of two Max jetliners as the company admits the 777x jetliner will be delayed until 2027; and Play Airlines becomes the second Low-cost Icelandic carrier to fold in six years.
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 ended the week slightly down as a protracted US government shutdown looms; President Trump reversed course saying that with European help he now thinks Ukraine can win back its territory, suggesting America won't block assistance to Kyiv as Moscow ramps up its attacks; France latest debt downgrade as the French, German, Spanish and Belgian effort to develop a new generation of combat aircraft hits its latest snag — as an increasingly frustrated Germany reconsiders its participation, Dassault's CEO Eric Trappier again makes clear Berlin is welcome to leave the program, a stance that Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre said he found “bizarre,” but added that the sophisticated avionics his company and Spain's Indra are developing for the SCAF program would find other buyers; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's proposal to revamp the US H-1B visa process that allows skilled foreign talent to work in America would cost $100,000 — up from a few thousand — and whether it will achieve the aim of deterring skilled immigrants from coming to the United States and if so, where they talent will flow; Boeing and its unionized St Louis workers will meet next week to discuss ending the nearly two month strike; and news from the Air Force Association's otherwise quiet Air Space and Cyber conference and tradeshow including Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney's small jet engines for unmanned collaborative combat aircraft, the acceleration of Northrop Grumman's B-21 Raider bomber program, and Air Force interest in a stealthy next generation tanker, if the service can find the money to develop and buy it in the wake of pressing ahead with the F-47 fighter program led by Boeing.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another record setting week on Wall Street as the Federal Reserve cut borrowing rates as expected over worries about the US jobs market; a Financial Times report that a week after British, Italian and Japanese officials hinted that there could be room for Germany and Spain in the British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Program, Germany is considering dropping out of the SCAF program to develop a new family of air systems over frustrations with France and its leading contractor Dassault Aviation; a report in The Atlantic that Denmark decided to pick Europe's SAMP-T air and missile defense system over the US Patriot system in part because Washington lost interest in the deal to bolster its own depleted weapons stocks; Rheinmetall's acquisition of the military arm of shipbuilder Lürssen; Ankara's interest in US fighter aircraft as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepares to visit the White House on Sept. 25; the vote by Boeing's unionized machinists in St Louis to approve a contract proposed by the union that the company already rejected; and the legacy of aviation legend Sergei Sikorsky, son of helicopter inventor Igor Sikorsky, who passed away on Sept. 18 at age100.
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 gains ground on expectations the Federal Reserve will cut borrowing rates next week on a shaky jobs market; Denmark picked Europe's SAMP-T air and missile defense system over the US Patriot system as part of a wider air and missile defense upgrade worth $9 billion; Boeing's unionized machinists in St Louis rejection of the company's latest offer to end a month long strike; low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines order for 50 Embraer E195-E2 jetliners in a $4.4 billion deal . . . the arrival of two Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers at Edwards Air Force Base for flight testing; and takeaways from the world's biggest defense show, the DSEI exhibition in London; including how US companies are increasing cooperation with global partners like cooperative venture between Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works and BAE Systems' Falcon Works to develop innovative new unmanned systems, and Global Combat Air Program led by Britain with Italy and Japan suggests there would be room for Germany and Spain on the program to develop a new sixth generation air system should the countries — already frustrated with France's hold on the SCAF program — what to jump ship and be part of a more collaborative effort.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a Wall Street rally despite weaker than expected jobs numbers and hiccups with their disclosure; Chinese leader Xi Jinping's hosts Vladimir Putin and Narenda Modi in Beijing as three decades of US effort to woo India and drive wedges between Beijing and Moscow collapse; Russia's targeting of EU President Ursula von der Lyen's plane with GPS jamming signals as French President Emmanuel Macron brought together Ukraine's allies to craft a plan to support the country; reports of a TNT shortage because of Russia's war on Ukraine and the global rearmament drive it's sparked; whether the Fitch ratings agency's decision to downgrade Poland over fiscal concerns could undermine the country's role and ambition as a European defense leader; Norway's decision to pick Britain's Type 26 frigate by BAE Systems over Fincantieri's Constellation-class, Naval Group's Admiral Ronar'c, and Thyssen Krupp's Type 127 ships, joining Australia and Canada as export customers for the new antisubmarine warship; Babcock Marine's investor day; the US Navy taps Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman move head in the service's program for an autonomous strike aircraft as Lockheed Martin is tapped to develop the command system for the new planes; Government Accountability Office's latest report criticizing late deliveries of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter; Peru's interest in Saab's Gripen fighter and Global Eye radar plane; GE Aerospace's $300 million investment in electric aircraft-maker Beta Technologies; and what to expect at the 2025 edition of DSEI tradeshow next week in London.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street flat week as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the Pentagon is considering stakes in major defense contractors that he said were “basically an arm of the federal government;”a federal appeals court rejected President Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on nations worldwide as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the ruling would be a dangerous diplomatic embarrassment and the president said returning the $96 billion raised since April would plunge the nation into depression; the administration slaps tariffs on goods of $800 or less; Trump continued his attacks on the Federal Reserve; the prospect that Washington will back Russia's proposalChinese forces serve as peacekeepers in Ukraine; the French government teeters on the verge of collapse as Safran says it will develop a new fighter engine with India; Rheinmetall considers buying shipbuilder Lürssen; General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' YFQ-42A — the company's entry into the US Air Force's competition for its first increment collaborative combat aircraft — made its successful first flight near Edwards Air Force base in California; and Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy for a second time in a year.
Is free trade over in commercial aviation, or it is all just smoke and mirrors? Aerodynamic Advisory's Richard Aboulafia joins Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Jens Flottau and Dan Williams to discuss.
Richard discusses the evolving landscape of the aviation industry, focusing on the significant changes in the defense sector and their implications for commercial aviation. He emphasizes the importance of NATO alliances, the challenges posed by geopolitical tensions, and the need for new aircraft designs to meet market demands. The conversation also touches on engineering talent shortages, the role of AI, and the growing influence of China in global defense dynamics. Richard provides insights from the latest Air Show and highlights the mid-market aircraft opportunity as a key area for future growth.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another record week on Wall Street as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says an interest rate cut might be needed as the jobs market slows in the wake of the Trump administration's economic policies; President Trump continues his battle against the Fed demanding that governor Lisa Cook resign, driving the dollar down and gold up; Canada's drops 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on US goods to curry favor with Washington that continues to impose high trades taxes on its northern neighbor; the EU signs a tariff deal with Washington as former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi argues the capitulation marks the end of the EU's vision of itself as a global power; Switzerland's decision to reconsider its acquisition of F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft in the wake of 39 percent US tariffs; the Congressional Budget Office's conclusion that higher trade taxes could cut the national debt by $4 trillion over the coming decade; the administration's 10 percent ownership stake in Intel and a cut of profits from Nvidia's AI chip sales to China; the Pentagon's decision to revamp how it creates requirements and oversees programs to accelerate the fielding of needed joint force capabilities even as some worry this might vest the ability to create requirements with industry; Britain's air defense missile order from MBDA; striking Boeing St Louis machinists remain decision to resume negotiations on Monday.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a flat week on Wall Street as inflation continues to rise as higher baseline tariffs are passed along to consumers; the Trump administration gives China another 90 days to strike a deal; President Trump hosted Vladimir Putin in Alaska, siding with the Russian leader's call for peace talks rather than a swift ceasefire to allow Russia's forces to claw back territory from Ukrainian territory as the president again calls on Kyiv give up territory for peace; furious with Trump's tariffs, sanctions and courting of Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived calls for domestic manufacturing of everything from computer chips to aerospace and defense goods; Washington's 39 percent trade tax on Switzerland impact the country's aerospace sector and jeopardizes Geneva's decision to buy F-35 Lightning II fighters; Poland's decision to upgrade its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters; Boeing workers at the company's St Louis operation remain on strike; a strike grounds Air Canada flights; worries that Spirit Airlines and other low cost carriers are doomed; Spike Aerospace move to refine its S-512 supersonic business jet; and Airbus' A320 is poised to surpass Boeing's 737 as the world's most produced passenger jetliner.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another up week on Wall Street even as President Trump escalated his trade war leveraging America's economic power to force nations that haven't yet agreed to baseline tariffs to do so, including on Switzerland impacting the gold market; after Washington slapped heavy tariffs on India to sanction New Delhi for buying Russian oil — as part of a drive to pressure Moscow to end the Ukraine war — India's defense minister cancelled his visit to Washington as news reports suggested US arms purchases may be in jeopardy; the claim by India's air chief, Air Chief Marshall AP Singh, that the country's Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missiles downed five Pakistani fighters and a large aircraft that was downed at a range of 300 kilometers; how long it will take to resolve the strike by Boeing's St Louis machinists a week after rejecting the company's contract offer; Spain's decision for more Eurofighters rather than the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the F-35 Lighting II to replace aging Harrier jump jets for its carriers; the partnership by L3Harris and Joby Aviation to develop autonomous hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for military applications; and what to expect from the meeting between Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects the American president's suggestion Kyiv cede territory for peace.
On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 rocky week on Wall Street that ended with the best month since 2023; President Trump doubles tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50 percent and curbs aerospace, chip, and chemical export as well as educational visas to China; whether this is a negotiating tactic born of frustration with slow talks between Beijing and Washington or the latest effort to decouple the world's two leading economies; investors' “TACO” mindset and the reality that despite a chaotic approach the administration has increased tariffs; the Senate pushes back on the House's reconciliation package; newsflow from the IISS's annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's warning that China could attack Taiwan at any time and call that allies spend 5 percent of GDP on defense, and French President Emmanuel Macron and top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas' view that a partnered China and Russia constitute a major threat to the global rules-based order that must be countered, and Indian defense chief Gen Anil Chauhan's acknowledgment that India lost fighters in its recent conflict with Pakistan but learned lessons from the experience; Saab's capital markets day; the latest on the administration's Section 232 trade investigation; and King Charles' historic address opening Canada's new parliament.
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 Wall Street reaction including a drop in bond markets the House passed the massive reconciliation package to deliver President Trump's tax cuts; the president's decision to impose a 50 percent tariff on EU goods and 25 percent tax on Apple products unless the company shifts production to America; the Golden Dome missile defense system that will cost $170 billion over the coming three years and be led by the vice chief of space operations, Gen Mike Guetlein; the president is said to be serious about his plan for a twin-engine F-35 Lightning II dubbed the F-55; what's next now that the US Air Force has accepted a Qatari 747-8 jet for use as a presidential transport; the UK-EU deal on trade and security; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's demand that American companies be allowed to compete for European contracts as nations scramble to spend more to bolster capabilities after Washington moves to reduce focus on Europe; and after a two-hour conversation with Vladimir Putin, Trump decided to leave Moscow and Kyiv to strike a peace deal.
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 strong week on Wall Street ends in record territory; as lawmakers squabble, Moody's becomes the third American ratings agency to downgrade US debt; the outlook for tariffs as President Trump declares victory over China; after his swing through the Gulf, the president touts $3.6 trillion in deals, including investment in the United States, new commercial aircraft orders and military sales; after again criticizing the F-35 Lightning II fighter, Trump said a new twin-engine version of the plane, the F-55, would be developed and the F-22 Raptor would be upgraded to a “super” version; US air traffic control is under the gun as outages at Newark International Airport and elsewhere delay flights and undermine public confidence as the administration prepares to make layoffs at the Federal Aviation Administration; and takeaways from BAE Systems' capital markets day and Bank of America's industrials, transportation and airlines conference.
The U.S. Government has initiated an investigation to determine whether imported commercial aircraft and engines harm US national security. How do they threaten airpower? Aerospace guru Richard Aboulafia and noted trade attorney Jeff Bialos join us to explain it all -- plus E-7, that Qatari 747, and more. Powered by GE!
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 unusually quiet down week on Wall Street; India and Pakistan's military strikes and ceasefire; expectations as US and Chinese trade negotiators convene in Geneva after Washington strikes a preliminary deal with London to ease tariffs, a template, officials say, for future deals to put pressure on Beijing; IAG buys 53 new big jets from Boeing and Airbus for $10 billion; the Commerce Department's investigation into the national security implications of buying foreign-made aerospace components and jet engines; the German, French, Polish and British leaders' visit to Kyiv where they announced a 30-day ceasefire with Russia starting on Monday; the Army's decision to retire AH-64D Apache helicopters in the scout role as well as Grey Eagle and Shadow drones, and the GE's new T901 engine; Hensoldt, Leonard, MTU, Rheinmetall report earnings; takeaways from the Milken Institute Global Conference; and Stratolaunch's successful tests of its Talon-A2 reusable hypersonic test vehicle.