Defense & Aerospace Report

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Ben Barry, a retired British Army brigadier who is the director of land warfare studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his new book, “The Rise and Fall of the British Army: 1975-2025;” the role of ground forces in the US-Israel war on Iran; impact of diminishing weapon stocks and how this conflict could leave the United States in a window of vulnerability; what it will cost and how long it will take to rebuild the kind of army Britain will need for the future; capabilities it needs; and lessons from failed acquisition efforts like the Ajax armored vehicle.

On today’s Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US-Israel war on Iran as the conflict enters its fifth week; how to constrain Iran after the war, including a “mowing the grass” model Israel deployed in Gaza; Iran’s ability to strike US interests including strike on a Saudi Arabian base that destroyed a US Air Force E-3 Sentry radar plane; how a shortage of US munitions might impact international security, including in the Indo-Pacific; what to expect when the administration submits its 2027 defense budget request to Congress on 3 April; takeaways from the Society of Military History’s conference last weekend; and a look ahead to the major events of the coming week in Washington and beyond.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss the fifth down week on Wall Street as the US-Israel war on Iran continues driving up energy prices and inflation estimates; strikes on Iran continue as Tehran attacks a key US airbase in Saudi Arabia, injuring 12 american personnel and reportedly destroying a US Air Force $500 million E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System plane and damaged others; Washington draws on weapons stocks worldwide and considers redirecting weapons bound for Ukraine and other allies to the Middle East as the CSIS think tank says US forces have launched more than 800 or some 3,100 Tomahawk cruise missiles in stock during the first month of the war; how long it will take to refill stocks even with accelerated procurement efforts and new deals with BAE Systems, Honeywell and Lockheed Martin, as RUSI says US, Israel and allies have use 11,000 precision weapons including interceptors valued at $26 billion; whether Ukraine’s air defense deals with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE can offset a critical $90 billion loan package to Kyiv that’s been stalled by Hungary; Korea Aerospace unveiled its new KF-21 fighter the company claims is a less expensive alternative to Lockheed Martin’s best selling F-35 Lightning II; Germany’s expresses interest in Boeing’s Ghost Bat unmanned aircraft developed for Australia; and Palantir and Anduril to develop software backbone for President Trump’s top-priority Golden Dome missile defense system.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss the US-Israel war on Iran as President Trump touts talks to end the conflict that has roiled world markets and sent energy prices soaring, driving up inflation; whether lawmakers will vote to constrain the administration’s war powers as GOP members worry that the economic turmoil in the wake of the conflict will hurt the party’s political prospects in November as Democrats made gains in Florida elections this week; outlook for wartime supplemental, reconciliation and base budget spending as lawmakers work to restore Department of Homeland Security funding; European nations jolted by soaring energy prices are under pressure from their citizens to find ways to both return normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and mollify a mercurial US president, with capitals suggesting they’re willing to help in an international mission after the shooting stops; whether Europe has an opportunity to supplant Washington as a Middle East and Indo-Pacific partner; Washington races to normalize relations with Russia despite Moscow’s intelligence and weapons support for Iran; US pressure on Ukraine to give up Donbas in exchange for security guarantees as the Pentagon considers shifting defensive weapons bound for Ukraine to the Middle East as Russia continues to pound the country; Asian governments scramble to triage energy to mitigate economic shocks; the White House says the president’s postponed summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing will be 14-15 May; Kim Jong Un uses the Iran war to justify his nuclear arsenal; and Israel’s campaign in South Lebanon.

China is racing to build a completely modern air force, with many new aircraft being revealed in the last year and a half, and factories and bases popping up. How big is the challenge? We get answers from former intel officer Mike “JDAM” Dahm, Senior Fellow for Aerospace and China Studies at the Mitchell Institute. Plus the week’s headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On today’s Technology Report, Ed Mehr, the co-founder and CEO of Machina Labs, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the innovative Chatsworth, Calif., firm’s AI-driven intelligent factories approach to increase commercial and defense production volumes at lower costs that attracted $124 million in Series C funding from investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures and Toyota to underwrite a new 200,000 square foot facility; the imperative to adopt AI as well as cutting edge machining technology and greater robotization to increase production; scaling the business as a manufacturer and technology provider; importance of designing for production and greater component flexibility to speed manufacture; how to better manage supply chains; how to manufacture at the edge; and the critical role of allies and partners in delivering capability.

On today’s Technology Report, Eben Frankenberg, the CEO and cofounder of the innovative radar company Echodyne, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how the company turned breakthrough meta-material technology into small and affordable electronically scanned radars for military and commercial applications; the birth of the company in 2014 as part of former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures firm to develop foundational technologies key for a future generation of autonomous systems; the company’s commercial business model that in 2022 attracted $135 million from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, UK investment firm Baillie Gifford, Northrop Grumman and others; lessons from recent wars and growth prospects as anti-drone systems are prioritized worldwide, especially those with ITAR free technology; access to capital; how the Pentagon is changing how it does business with innovative companies; and navigating and surviving the Valley of Death.

On today’s Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump’s decision — citing positive talks — to postpone by five days his ultimatum that Iran’s power grid will be struck unless the Strait of Hormuz resumes normal traffic; what’s next for the war and whether it’s impacts will provide lasting even if fighting ends soon; outlook for US defense spending as the administration will seek a $200 billion war supplemental and the $1.5 trillion base budget request for 2027; how the campaign will impact US readiness as aging aircraft and even new ships like USS Gerald R Ford are run hard; and a look ahead at the week’s events in Washington and beyond.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street’s fourth down week in a row as the US-Israel war on Iran damaged energy infrastructure and virtually halted Strait of Hormuz traffic drive energy prices up despite releasing strategic reserves and lifting of Russia and Iran sanctions; high jet fuel costs drive airlines to cut flights and park jets; whether higher energy prices spells the end of the recent golden commercial aerospace age; President Trump’s statement that the US considering “winding down” the war even as his administration is expected to ask Congress for $200 billion to cover war costs as it prepares a $1.5 trillion 2027 budget request; Trump’s continuing pressure for NATO nations to send ships to open the strait as European nations say they might support an international effort after fighting ends; call by some European leaders to resume buying cheap Russian energy even as Moscow continues to hammer Ukraine and threaten NATO; the request by the select House China committee’s chaiman that the Pentagon review Safran’s commercial ties with China; what suppliers are reporting to their customers about war impacts; and takeaways from Bank of America’s annual Global Industrials Conference in London.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, Cavas Ships podcast co-host Chris Servello, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US-Israel war on Iran as the conflict enters its third week as energy markets are shaken by strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure and a backup of ships unwilling to brave the Strait of Hormuz; administration prepares to ask Congress for a $200 billion supplemental to cover war costs as it also plans to request $1.5 trillion in 2027 spending; rift between Washington and Jerusalem after President Trump said Israel was responsible for the attack on Iran’s energy facilities prompting Tehran to strike Gulf plans including Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan facility that’s lost 17 percent of its production capacity, driving a spike in gas prices; Israeli jets strike Iran reportedly from Azerbaijan; administration starts multistep process to escort tankers through the Strait as Europe, Japan and other allies consider participation in a mission to restore traffic; a week after Washington lifted sanctions on Russian oil, European leaders say it’s time to resume energy trade with Moscow; how rising energy prices and lifted sanctions will replenishing Moscow’s coffers as the rate of US and Israeli weapons use has raised concerns in Kyiv and across the alliance; Israel’s Lebanon campaign against Hezbollah that’s displaced 1 million; Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeuchi’s White House visit and US intelligence testimony on Iran, China and Taiwan; and the Iran war prompts Trump to postponed his planned meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing in April.

Operation Epic Fury continues targeting Iran, principally with airpower. This week, we get the strategist’s view from former Air Force planning chief LtGen Clint “Q” Hinote, and it’s a mind-blowing doozy. Airpower vs ships. The limits of autonomy. Getting the person out of the loop. Next-war tech. The value of decapitation. Plus the week’s headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On today’s Technology Report; David Schild, the executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the new movie — The New Frontier: Inside the Comeback Factories Securing America’s Tech Future — that will be premiering in Washington on March 25 at the Miracle Theater on Capitol Hill; status of legislation and funding to bolster the US printed circuit board industrial base; the entire printed circuit board supply chain; the extent domestic manufacturers can sustain themselves without significant government support; and what it will take for the industry to surge to support dramatically increased production of weapons called for by the Trump administration.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Darrell Bricker, the CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss US and worldwide opinion on the US-Israel war on Iran; impact on the war on America and Israel’s reputational standing; China’s standing as nations worldwide hedge their economic and security bets; whether America’s reputation will heal after these rifts as it did from discord in the wake of the Iraq war; a look ahead to the US elections in November; the reality that foreign policy matters less to voters than economic and other social issues; and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s popularity a year into his tenure.

On today’s Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US-Israel war on Iran as the conflict enters its third week as energy prices soar; whether nation’s will provide the warships Washington demands to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz; lessons from the 1980s tanker wars; prospect US land forces will enter the fight; the outlook for global defense spending in the wake of the war; uncertain future for US defense spending; and a look ahead to the big events of the coming in Washington and beyond.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of 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 Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, Cavas Ships podcast co-host Chris Servello, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss prospects for a supplemental and reconciliation 2.0 spending packages as the US-Israel war on Iran spans into its third week; confusion about the nature of the mission after conflicting statements from senior administration officials; as energy prices soar in the wake of the war despite the release of an unprecedented 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, Washington lifts sanction on Russian energy for 30-days; implications of lifting sanctions on Moscow as Russia continues its war on Ukraine; what it will take to ensure to normalize traffic through the Strait of Hormuz; France’s naval deployment to the Middle East where 400,000 of its citizens live; US shifts air and missile defenses from Australia and South Korea to the Gulf; new alignment between European nations and China over energy concerns; China’s 15th five-year plan as Xi Jinping prepares to meet with Trump in Beijing; Israel has steps up strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon with more than 700,000 evacuating after being warned to leave their homes.

Operation Epic Fury continues targeting Iran, principally with airpower. Last week, we looked at the air campaign from the planner’s perspective. This week, we get the operator’s view from former Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mike “Mobile” Holmes. Plus the week’s headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On today’s Technology Report program, Dr. Jim Lewis of the Center for European Policy Analysis and Mark Montgomery of the Defense of Democracies and a Cyberspace Solarium Commission senior adviser join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to analyze the Trump administration’s new National Cyber Strategy; whether strategy weighted toward offensive operations will succeed; how the administration will execute an interagency approach to cybersecurity when cyber capabilities across government and law enforcement have been gutted; the implications of issuing a strategy that doesn’t name Russia and China that are America’s leading cyber threats; whether commercial cyber firms can fill the gap in diminished government cyber capacity; takeaways from the Pentagon’s feud with Anthropic; and an update on CMMC.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the implications of the US-Israel war on Iran on Moscow; how Washington should respond to Moscow’s sharing of intelligence to help Tehran strike US forces and allies in the region; update on Russia’s war on Ukraine as Kyiv works with allies and partners to develop capabilities to better defend itself; the message lifting of US energy sanctions on Russia would send and how such a move would improve Moscow’s financial prospects; Ukraine’s pledge to help Washington and allies better defend themselves against attack drones like Iran’s Shahed; whether US operations worldwide including in Venezuela and Iran bolster Washington’s hand in negotiating with Moscow; Lithuania’s assessment that Russia is increasing forces on NATO’s borders; and Russia’s efforts to fight corruption.

On today’s Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the second week of the US-Israel war on Iran and what to expect as President Trump demands unconditional surrender and hints at the use of ground troops; implications of a protracted closure of the Strait of Hormuz that’s already driven oil prices past $100 per barrel for the first time since the post-covid surge of 2022; whether US industry is going to be able to quadruple production of exquisite weapons that President Trump demanded during a White House meeting on Friday with US defense executives; industry frustration that the administration didn’t move more quickly to accelerate weapons orders; US budget outlook as the administration prepares its 2026 budget and a reported $50 billion supplemental request to cover war costs; and a look ahead to the big events of the coming in Washington and beyond.