Defense & Aerospace Business Report

We begin our look at the major airpower issues in the year ahead, and China’s Boxing Day surprise, with Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. And we have a lot – a whole lot – of headlines in airpower.

We begin our look at the major airpower issues in the year ahead, and China’s Boxing Day surprise, with Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. And we have a lot – a whole lot – of headlines in airpower.

On today’s program, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, Mark Montgomery, a retired US Navy rear admiral who is now the senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the executive director of the Cyber Solarium 2.0 project, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss China’s recent hack of the US Treasury Department on heels of Beijing’s penetration of major US telecommunications companies, what the Flax, Volt and Salt Typhoon attacks mean, what the attacks mean as China becomes increasingly risk tolerant in the nature and scope of its cyber operations, what has to happen to stop the attacks and reestablish deterrence, Beijing’s increasingly aggressive behavior as Russia adopts increasingly hybrid warfare techniques against the United States and Western nations, how to counter such hybrid tactics like destroying undersea infrastructure, jeopardizing air cargo carriers and targeted assassinations, the global implications of the inco

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Ukraine’s latest offensive as Kyiv and Moscow jockey for position as the second Trump administration prepares to take office, whether Ukrainian forces can hold off Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s efforts to curry favor with Trump as he increasingly denigrates the President Biden as Kyiv and its allies work determine the incoming administration’s approach to the Ukraine war and Russia, the latest technological developments 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 newsflow during the holidays, prospect that nations forced to spend more on defense by Donald Trump will spend the increase at home rather than on US weapons, whether the world is a more dangerous place, the notion that we are in a defense spending “super cycle,” US defense spending outlook and prospect for reapportionment of resources among the military services, the Financial Times report that Anduril, Palantir, SpaceX and other defense tech firms are considering forming a consortium to better compete for DoD business, ensuring fairness in competitions between heritage and new defense firms, the big issues of 2025, and a look at the week ahead.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss defense and aerospace stock performance and newsflow during the holidays, President-elect Trump’s call for NATO governments to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, Airbus delivers 765 jets to customers in 2024 as Boeing delivers 341 planes that was down from 513 in 2023, Financial Times’ report that Palantir, Anduril, SpaceX, and several other defense tech companies were planning a “consortium” to bid for DoD contracts, the Pentagon’s Lot 18 contract for another 145 F-35 Lighting II fighters valued at nearly $12 billion, Italy orders 24 more Eurofighter Typhoon jets to replace earlier model aircraft, Saudi Arabia eyes buying 100 Turkish Kaan fighter jets, China unveils two new combat aircraft plus two rad

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, our editorial strategist and Cavas Ships podcast co-host Chris Servello looks back at the key events of 2024 as we look ahead to 2025; and Matt Warnick, the CEO of American Rheinmetall Vehicles, and Jason Atkinson, the CEO of Loc Performance, discuss the armored vehicle maker’s nearly $1 billion acquisition of the Michigan-based specialty company with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss aerospace and defense market performance as the Federal Reserved said it would pare back rate cuts, impact of continuing resolution turmoil fueled by Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Wall Street’s growing perception that Musk not Trump is the incoming president, how Trump’s warning that he wants Europeans to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense and how much of that increased spending will stay in Europe rather than flow to American suppliers, and a look at the events of 2024 that will shape the coming year from Boeing’s continuing challenges, Airbus failure to capitalize on its American rival’s woes, supply chain, Russia’s threat to Europe even if its war on Ukraine is paused, global trade and travel implications of econom

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored in part by Hanwha Defense USA, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s torpedoing of a bipartisan spending measure of keep government open through March, prospects of a government shutdown through the holidays — potentially spanning through the inauguration — analysis of the key events of 2024 that will shape the coming year the coming year, and predictions for the United States, China, the Ukraine war, Syria and the broader Middle East.

What’d You Miss? We review 2024’s big airpower stories from the US and around the world with Dr. Brendan Mulvaney, Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute at National Defense University, and Aviation Week defense editor Steve Trimble. Plus the week’s top airpower headlines. All powered by GE!

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss key moments in Russia’s war on Ukraine during 2024; whether the end of the war in the coming months will come as a reprieve just as Moscow is feeling economic pressure and growing casualties, allowing it to recharge for its next confrontation with NATO; how the outgoing and incoming administrations are playing the roles of good cop-bad cop to end the war; implications of the ouster of Bashar al-Assad on Russia; the assassination of Russia’s nuclear and chemical forces chief Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov by Ukraine’s secret service; and what to expect from Moscow over the coming weeks as the prospect of the war’s end approaches.

On this innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next April in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Shyam Sankar, Palantir’s chief technology officer and principle author of the 18 Theses — also known as The Defense Reformation — joined Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discusses his blueprint to revamp the US industrial base to boost innovation, agility and output at to help America better deter adversaries while it also better prepares for possible conflict, the core elements of necessary change, the biggest sins of the current system, enticing commercial firms to return to the defense market, leveling the playing field, importance of empowered individuals to drive change, getting Congress to embrace change including higher tolerance for risk, balancing roles for new and heritage companies whether in software or hardware, when a company is truly commercial and when not when doing business with the Pentagon and mor

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 political, market and international surprises in 2024 that will be consequential in the coming year; a look at the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations expectations; the IISS’ global outlook; the Washington International Trade Association’s take on Trump and tariffs; the Defense Innovation Unit and the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft; HII’s shipyard acquisition; and a look at the week ahead.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a mixed and bumpy week on Wall Street, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker’s decision to step down in January, Boeing’s decision to invest $1 billion to accelerate 787 Dreamliner production, defense spending implications of Moody’s decision to downgrade France’s credit rating after political turmoil in Paris, report that Donald Trump told Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet that he would cancel the F-35 Lighting II program that the defense giant flatly rejects, and update on the British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Program, eight years after leaving the European Union Britain’s Prime Minister Kier Starmer met with European Council President Antonio Costa to deepen cooperation, and Hensoldt’s capital markets day.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored in part by Hanwha Defense USA, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, 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 increasing likelihood that Donald Trump will garner Senate approval for his controversial nominees including Pete Hegseth at DoD thanks to muscular intimidation tactics directed toward lawmakers, analysis of the $858 billion National Defense Authorization Act that includes another big military pay rise, support for Ukraine and Taiwan and an end to covid vaccine mandates, an update on an appropriations measure to keep government running as another debt debate looms, what’s next now that militants backed by Turkey have ended Bashar al Assad’s brutal regi

Army Aviation director BG Matt Braman joins us with the latest on the senior service’s efforts to leave the ground with and without pilots aboard. Introducing the VH-75! And the week’s top airpower headlines. All powered by GE!

On today’s show, Jay Meil, the vice president for artificial intelligence and data analytics and the chief data officer at SAIC, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss US AI capabilities in comparison to adversaries and the key to remaining ahead in a global race, abilitiesm, what constitutes AI, how it differs from machine learning, better gathering in standardized and usable form the vast amounts of data the Pentagon produces, whether the DoD should be developing its own AI capabilities of become a smarter buyer of the technology from commercial industry, how to get AI to the edge and be usable in emission denied environments, and more.

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Young Bang, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics & technology, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the digital transformation of the force, areas for improvement as the second Trump administrations prepares to take office, delivering capabilities at the speed of relevance, lessons from the other military services to help the Army step up its digital game, addressing criticism of the software modernization memorandum issued earlier this year, concerns the service if more focused on process before it sets requirements for major systems, bringing together small start ups as well as heritage contractors to develop capabilities, and harnessing AI and preparing for a quantum computing future.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim and emeritus National Defense Industrial Association Chairman Arnold Punaro discuss key takeaways from the 11th Reagan National Defense forum; Building the Base podcast hosts former Navy Acquisition chief Hondo Geurts and Beacon Global Strategies’ Lauren Bedula discuss defense industrial themes at Reagan; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses defense implications of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and what’s next for the region, the NDAA, Vivek Ramaswamy’s comments at Aspen next week and what they mean for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, defense mobilization, and a look at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss aerospace and defense stock performance on Wall Street and in Europe, Airbus’ delivery figures and whether 737 Max production remained stalled after a seven-week strike, a federal judge rejected Boeing’s $1 billion plea deal for misleading regulators leading to two deadly 737 crashes, Safran’s capital markets day, the US Air Force decision to leave the fate of the manned fighter element of the service’s Next Generation Air Dominance program to the incoming Trump administration, a week after Elon Musk criticized the F-35 Lightning II fighters Britain’s defense chief Adm. Sir Tony Radakin lauded the “power” of the stealthy jet noting Israel used them and low observable JASSM cruise missiles — fired from more than 100