Defense & Aerospace Report

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 Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene moves to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson as lawmakers debate the defense funding levels, police nationwide crack down on increasingly unruly campus protests, Donald Trump lays out his second term priorities, National Intelligence Director Avril Haines highlights the threat from Russia and China as Beijing and Moscow practice drills near Taiwan, French President Emmanuel Macron doubles down on why Europe needs to do more for its security, and that it’s imperative to consider putting troops in Ukraine as Kyiv continues to lose ground to a relentless Russian assault Neither Israel nor Hamas have accepted a proposed ceasefire as Israel prepares its Rafah assault and settlers depopulate large chunks of the West Bank of Palestinians.

Former Army master aviator Brigadier General Bob Hastings joins us to talk all things Green Air, from the recent Quad-A conference to the Army’s aviation plans and safety issues. Plus more on CCA and the other top news in airpower. Powered by GE!

Nigel Inkster, the former director of intelligence and operations at the Secret Intelligence Service otherwise known as MI6 who is now the Senior Adviser for Cyber Security and China at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, discusses Russia’s influence operations in Europe, their track record of success, how to counter them, the right response to Russia after its malign recent cyber actions like attacking a rural Texas dam and assassinations across Europe and in the United States with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

Teri Schultz, a Brussel- based journalist who reports for Deutsche Welle and National Public Radio, discusses the results of years-long intelligence gathering efforts that reveal the extent of Russian influence operations in Europe and targeting members of the European Parliament, role of Russian couple in Czech Republic who advanced Russian interests and played role in destruction of Czech and Bulgarian ammunition depots, poisoning and harboring members of GRU Unit 29155, how European leaders are countering Russian efforts, and a look at the agenda of NATO’s upcoming 75th anniversary summit in Washington 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 first quarter 2024 earnings; leading firms buy back more than $4 billion in stock as leading defense officials chide firms for the practice; the US Air Force’s decision to select General Atomics and Anduril to compete for Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and award Sierra Nevada a contract valued at $13 billion award to develop the successor to the E-4B “Nightwatch” Advanced Airborne Command Post; 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 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 latest on Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.

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 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 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’s $17 billion Next Generation Interceptor program; and Britain considers new program to replace amphibious warships.

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 day in the sun is setting in North Korea.

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 Israeli air strike in Syria killed top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leaders, Israel is on alert for Iran’s response.

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!