Defense & Aerospace Business Report

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 discuss a big drop on Wall Street; Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and more, earnings reports; the US Air Force picks Anduril and General Atomics as finalists for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft autonomous combat aircraft; British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak moves to increase defense spending; French President Emmanuel Macron’s case for greater European security and economic independence; and Boeing buys back a St. Louis factory from GKN.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss House Speaker Mike Johnson’s future after Senate passage and President Biden’s signature of the Ukraine-Israel-Indo-Pacific supplemental, whether the amount is enough to help Kyiv win, Washington’s decision to transfer longer-range ATACMS missiles that have proven devastating against Russian targets, President Macron’s case for Europe to reduce reliance on America and China, the extent of Russian and Chinese infiltration of the European Parliament and German politics, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Beijing to urge cooperation as Chinese officials make clear Washington has to choose cooperation on its terms or confrontation, campus protests and their implications, the

The United States Air Force has embarked on a wide-ranging reoptimization, encompassing operations, organization, culture, and more. One of the service’s more influential Chiefs, General John Jumper, joins us to analyze the process and goals of remaking a military service while it is engaged around the world. Plus special analysis of the Air Force’s CCA downselect and other top news in airpower. Powered by GE!

On this month’s Land Warfare program, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses discusses importance of the $61 billion Ukraine supplemental role of longer range ATACMS weapons and their ability to strike deep behind Russian lines, whether Moscow will step up operations before US help arrives, and how Kyiv is developing the means to strike take counter strike into Russian territory; and Col. Gian Gentile, USA Ret., PhD, the senior historian at the RAND Corporation’s Arroyo Center, discusses the broader lessons of the Ukraine war and which are applicable to a China conflict, takeaways from Israel’s war in Gaza, a response to the latest claims that the tank is dead, the US Army’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine war lessons, and the need to be honest about what technology can and can’t deliver in new weapon systems.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, former Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist who is now the president and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association, discusses the trade group’s new “Vital Signs” report that serves as both a report card of US defense industrial health as well as a policy roadmap, inflation and supply chain challenges driven by high defense and commercial demand, the Pentagon’s first ever National Defense Industrial Strategy, whether the $95 billion supplemental for Ukraine, Israel-Gaza and the Indo-Pacific is enough to support allies and refill America’s depleted weapons stocks, and PPBE reform and the unique role of comptrollers in driving innovation.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses implications of the $95 billion US funding package for Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, and bolstering capabilities and allies in the Indo-Pacific; whether arsenals will be critical in bolstering production to support Ukraine as well as refill depleted US weapons stocks; the long-running debate about the cost and benefit tradeoffs between attacker and defender; whether Iran goes nuclear at the descent exchange with Israel and what a nuclear Tehran will mean; the Navy leadership’s interest in drawing lessons for foreign commercial shipbuilders and whether the service has the right approach to benefit from them; costs of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 effort to improve industrial base; what to expect as defense and aerospace contractors report first 2024 quarter earnings; initial takeaways from the Society for Military History conference; and a look at the week ahead with

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 a tech tumbles and worries about a wider Mideast war; eight months late, Congress passes a $95 billion supplemental for Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, and improve US and allied capabilities in the Indo-Pacific; more US tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum as Washington again warns Beijing about helping Moscow’s Ukraine war; whether added US and European investment is enough to help Ukraine win; role of arsenals in increasing defense production; Boeing workers testify before a Senate committee on production quality problems; American Airlines pilots sound alarm over their carrier’s safety and maintenance; Lockheed Martin beats Northrop Grumman’s-RTX team to win Missile Defense Agency

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss House Speaker Mike Johnson’s drive to risk his job to work with Democrats to pass long-overdue aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan; days after the first ever direct Iranian attack on Israel that was blunted by the Jewish state’s allies Jerusalem attacked an airbase in Iran; as Russia gains ground in Ukraine Moscow gets bolder in sowing antisemitism in US, attacking a Texas water authority as two of its spies are arrested in Germany accused of planning an attack on an American base where Ukrainians are being trained; high-level defense dialogue between Washington and Beijing as US and Philippine forces conduct exercises; Australia increases defense spending; and why Kim Il Sung’s

The big news in the air this week was of course Iran’s attack on Israel with more than 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, which was defeated by a coalition of nations using a variety of systems. At the same time, you can see the bottom of the barrel in Ukrainian defense weapons. Dr. Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins us to cover it all. Plus a rollicking set of airpower headlines. Powered by GE!

On this week’s Technology Report, 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, discusses Russia’s recent boasting about its intelligence gathering and probing attacks on US water infrastructure, why water infrastructure is being targeted and how Washington should respond, Microsoft’s vulnerabilities and ways to improve government-industry cooperation, how one man saved the internet and lessons to safeguard it in the future, securing the cyber supply chain, Iran’s cyber role, countering disinformation as House Inteligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner’s calls out GOP for parroting Russian propaganda, and takeaways from the multinational operational that defended Israel from massive Iranian missile and drone attack.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics 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, discuss the state of the Ukraine war as Russia steadily gains ground as Ukrainian casualties mount thanks to US dithering over aid, Moscow’s goals for the war and whether Vladimir Putin’s claim that all he wants is Ukraine is credible, the global implications of a Russian victory, how quickly aid can arrive in Ukraine even if Congress approves a package today, the kind of capabilities needed to quickly change results on the front lines, whether it’s even possible to counter the Russian propaganda that’s penetrated the upper reaches of US politics especially across the GOP, and last ditch efforts the West must consider to prevent a total Ukrainian rout and possible ways the war ends with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discuss Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel and the extraordinary multinational defense against some 300 ballistic, cruise and explosive UAVs threats, why Tehran decided to attack the Jewish state directly rather than through proxies, President Biden’s role in defending Israel but opposition to US involvement in retaliatory strikes against Iran, the outlook for congressional supplemental for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, other geopolitical factors to consider, outlook for first quarter 2024 earnings, takeaways from the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference, 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 Wall Street’s second down week on stronger than expected inflation that’s likely to delay Federal Reserve rate cuts, new survey shows supply chains unlikely to normalize for between one and three years, when defense output will ramp up as Ukraine aid drains Western stockpiles, another Boeing whistleblower accuses the giant of taking potentially dangerous shortcuts on its 787 jetliner, update on Spirit AeroSystems’ future, Japan’s potential as a defense industrial power, and Ukraine’s war update as Kyiv loses ground.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss more madness as Congress returns to session and Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene again threatens to oust Speaker Mike Johnson as Johnson considers advancing the Ukraine supplemental, speaker’s trip to Florida to lobby former President Trump to support the measure, a prominent Republican lawmaker warns his caucus is being infected by Moscow’s propaganda as GOP lawmakers at Trump’s urging blocked the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a look at 2025 budget process, Russia gains ground as Kyiv runs out of ammunition and people, what Washington can do to stop Beijing from helping Moscow, NATO’s naval woes, landmark meetings in Washington among US, Japanese and Filipino leaders, and a week after an

Tiltrotors are having more than a moment, with the Army, Navy, and Air Force all committed to the technology and the V-22 returning to flight following an accident. We’ll talk with two experienced operators, Kurt Fuller and Rob Freeland of Bell, to get the latest on the V-22, V-280, and more. And how does a record-setting solar aircraft become a reconnaissance platform? Skydweller CEO Robert Miller shares the story. Plus this week’s headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

David Schild, the executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, discusses US government investment in 2024 but an uncertain outlook in 2025, the imperative to invest in the entire printed circuit board ecosystem that constitutes 70 percent of modern microelectronics with chips constituting the remaining 30 percent, why a CHIPS Act equivalent is vital for printed circuit board industrial base, role of allies and partners, an update on semiconductor investment and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses, discusses Ukraine’s new long-range drones and how Kyiv is using them to strike war industries deep in Russia, Ukrainian efforts to build its own defense-industrial capabilities, Russia’s use of hypersonic weapons to attack Ukraine’s infrastructure, Kyiv’s most pressing needs, where Russia is gaining ground and likely to focus its own offensive plans, whether Vladimir Putin will order a broader national troop mobilization and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses geopolitical drivers for global defense, prospects for US supplemental funding for Ukraine as well as NATO’s new five-year $100 million plan to help Kyiv, whether Washington will cut Israel aid anytime soon, the National Defense Industrial Association’s annual “Vital Signs” assessment, margin pressure on leading company as the price of everything increases, the performance gap between prime contractors and services providers, what to expect from the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference and tradeshow April 8-10, 2024, and a look at the week ahead; and the cohosts of the Cavas Ships podcast — Chris Cavas and Chris Servello — discuss what they expect to hear from US Navy leaders at the SAS this week with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian. And to learn more about HII, visit the company at Sea-Air-Space, booth 1323.

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 the drop in the S&P as US job growth beats expectations again, Boeing awards it’s outgoing ceo a nearly $32 million pay package — 45 percent raise — as it looks for a new boss, the industry debates why a new jetliner would cost Boeing $50 billion to develop, GE Aerospace becomes a standalone company after spinning of GE Vernova power business, NATO seeks a more central role in arming Ukraine with a new five-year, $100 billion fund, Britain considers an arms embargo on Israel after British humanitarian workers are killed in an Israeli airstrike, and on the eve of Navy’s premiere annual conference the service’s secretary criticizes shipbuilders for being behind schedule on programs.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss Japan’s perceptions of Washington as outlook for US and allied support for Ukraine remains uncertain, takeaways from NATO’s 75th anniversary celebration and what to expect when alliance leaders gather in Washington in July as calls for Congress to approve the Ukraine supplemental grow, US and allied willingness to buckle to Russian intimidation and whether the revelation that Moscow is behind the “Havana Syndrome” high-power directed energy attacks on Americans at home and aboard will drive a tougher line on Russia’s assassinations and non-lethal attacks mount, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s six-day visit to the United States next week and what to expect from the upcoming Japan-Philippines-US meeting, President Biden