Defense & Aerospace Report

Missiles and drones (slow missiles) put the bang in airpower. But given how many we used in Iran, what would U.S. magazines have to look like to, say, defend Taiwan from the Chinese? Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn and Phil Sheers of the Center for a New American Security answered that question, and we get into the details. Plus: The Navy gets a new FAXX machine. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On this month’s Technology Report, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Brad Rockstroh of Netzer Metalworks joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the critical role small metal and machining companies play in America’s defense and commercial industrial ecosystem; the impact of the Trump administration’s efforts to expand US manufacturing including defense production; outlook for recruiting workers into manufacturing jobs and how long it takes train skilled workers; and how a revolution in manufacturing technology is changing the game.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Eric Fanning, the president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association and Mike Sion, a partner at Bain & Company, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss a new report Sion coauthored with his colleague Colin Lesley — “The State of Investment in Defense: Unlocking Growth;” the defense investment market and impediments to growth; venture capital and private equity; the administration’s drive to invest in its suppliers; the Pentagon’s framework agreements suppliers; 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 the latest headlines and looks 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 and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a bumpy week on Wall Street as bond yields rise along with diesel prices that are up 77 percent over the past year; President Trump hosts Xi Jinping in Washington for a state visit; Washington wants China to return an F-35 fighter cockpit canopy and weapons bay door that ended up in Hong Kong on its way to the United States from Australia for repair; the agreement Denmark, Greenland and the United States signed to allow more American bases on the world’s largest island; the Pentagon presses ahead with another framework agreement with Lockheed Martin, this time for the Air Force’s AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile that would succeed Raytheon’s Advanced Air-to-Air Missile; and Turkish Airlines’ order for 150 new 737 Max jetliners from Boeing.

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 DoD 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 Pentagon officials engaging defense authorizers and appropriators to make the case for their budget; rise in bond yields and gas prices in the wake of the Iran war;  Steve Witkof's meeting with Iran’s Abbas Arakchi; Houthi attacks on  Saudi Arabia and threats of strikes on US forces if Washington intervenes; highlights from the leader addresses at the UN General Assembly; Xi Jinping's state visit, US-Denmark Greenland agreement; Russian elections as Ukraine hammered Moscow’s refineries and much more.

One of the biggest headlines coming out of last week’s Air, Space, Cyber conference was a deal in which hypersonic airplane company Hermeus would build Pratt & Whitney F100 fighter engines. So we brought back Hermeus’s executive chairman, AJ Piplica, to explain how this happened and why it’s happening, along with what else is new at their company. Plus: Do you know where your F-35 canopy is? Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Michael O’Hanlon, the Philip H. Knight Chair in defense and strategy as well as the director of foreign policy research at the Brookings Institution, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his latest book — “To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution” published in January by Yale University Press.

On today’s Land Warfare program, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, 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 the latest on the Ukraine war and trends for future ground conflict.

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 Sept. 24 summit between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping; changing defense sentiment; implications of the deal the president claims gives US more rights in Greenland than the 1951 agreement between Washington and Copenhagen; more takeaways from the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual Air Space Cyber conference and tradeshow, including more Iran war lessons; the Air Force’s plan for 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft and 500 Massed Modular Aircraft; the service’s interest in new F16 Fighting Falcon jets by Lockheed Martin to fill out its aging force structure; RTX’s deal with hypersonic aircraft maker Hermeus to produce F100 engines; the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ new report, “The Defence of Europe in a New Era: An Assessment;” and a look at the week ahead and 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 and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss an up week on Wall Street as the Iran war continues and Tehran-backed Houthi rebels move on Yemen’s oil-rich Marib province and strike Saudi energy facilities; President Trump declines a request from Riyadh for help, but approves the sale of F-35 Lighting II fighters despite concerns from US intelligence that the stealth jet’s technology could leak to China; implications of the EU’s offer of associate membership for Canada that Trump has said could be a “hostile act,” threatening to block trade with Europe; the Swedish government awarded Saab a $400 million contract to develop next-generation combat aircraft technologies; US Air Force leaders seek 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft and another 500 Massed Modular Aircraft — envisioned as cheaper version of the MQ-9 Reaper — as well as new F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to fill out the service’s aging force structure; startup hypersonic aircraft maker Hermeus’ deal with Pratt & Whitney to build the jet maker’s F100 engines under license; Lockheed said that 22 days after signing a contract with General Motors for PAC-3 missile parts, the car maker started delivering the “mission critical” components; Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg’s statement that the ramp up 737 and 787 jet production would take longer than expected even as he expected certification of the Max 10 airliner to be secured soon; GE Aerospace’s confidence that mid-engine seal issues with its GE9X — the most powerful commercial aviation powerplant ever built — won’t delay Boeing’s 777X from entering service; and IndiGo’s Willie Walsh plan to build bigger fleet and turn New Delhi into an Asia gateway.

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 DoD 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 reconciliation being punted to the lame duck session as work on appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act conference accelerate; new Russia sanctions head to the White House for President Trump’s signature as the Pentagon reportedly prepares to withdraw tens of thousands of US troops from NATO; US and Iranian forces trade fire as the Pentagon says war costs top $33 billion; with control of the Bab al Mandab, Tehran-backed Houthi rebels advance on oil-rich Marib province and strike Saudi oil facilities as Trump rebuffed Saudi calls for help, striking his own deal with the Houthis for safe passage of US and Israeli ships; China’s effort to avoid the Bab al Mandab and Suez Canal by sailing the first commercial ship via a northern route from China to Europe via the Russian Arctic Coast; Trump approves F-35 fighters for Saudi Arabia despite intelligence community concerns the stealth jet’s technology could leak to China; Gulf states question US reliability as American forces pull back from regional bases meant to deter Iranian attack; Washington’s approval of a $2.8 billion in arms package for Israel including 2,000-pound bombs blocked by the Biden administration as the White House again blocks a visa for Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to visit the UN; as Washington woos Russia to peace in Ukraine with lucrative deals, Moscow ramps up attacks on Europe, with one of its warships firing flares at a Danish helicopter, Dutch rail lines sabotaged and a second Bulgarian ammunition depot since August that caught fire and exploded; Finland becomes the 10th nation to joins France’s nuclear deterrence initiative; as the US-Canada trade war continues, Prime Minister Mark Carney sought a trillion dollars in investment and the European Union offered the country associate member status that Trump said could be “a hostile act” and threatened to block trade with Europe; speculation about Xi Jinping’s health; South Korean President Lee Jae Myung rules out combat forces for the Gulf; and former Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl dies at age 84.

Crib Sheet: If you missed the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space, Cyber conference outside Washington DC (or even if you didn’t!), this is your show. By turns rollicking, feisty, and thoughtful, Laura Winter of the Downlink podcast; Tobias Naegele of Air and Space Forces magazine; and retired Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, Dean of The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies join us to review the conference, including space weapons, CCAs, budgets, and more. Plus we have the week’s top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jim Lewis of the Center for European Policy Analysis and Justin Sherman of the Global Cyber Strategies advisory firm and the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the Trump administration’s adoption of AI for national security and how the technology was used during the recent Iran war; whether learning the right lessons from the Iran war can help the US military improve capabilities to better deter China; the call by leading AI firms to delay development of new models to improve security; and potential national security implications on abrupt and growing public backlash to data centers.

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 the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead.

On today’s program, sponsored by GE Aerospace, Gen. Ken “Cruiser” Wilsbach, the 24th chief of staff of the US Air Force, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his priorities, lessons from the Ukraine and Iran wars that are shaping air power; Chinese, Russian, Iranian and North Korean capabilities that are shaping how the Air Force plans, operates, trains and equips; whether the service has sufficient margin to deter China and if necessary defeat it given concerns about weapon stocks; what kind of long-range strike and anti-air weapons the force will need to “outstick” adversaries; integration of short, medium and long-range unmanned systems; what happens if lawmakers don’t approve the service’s spending request; and whether airmen need the kind of nuclear training they received during the Cold War as the force presses ahead with modernizing its nuclear forces.

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 down week on Wall Street on energy worries as US and Iranian forces trade fire and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis rebels exert control over the Bab al-Mandab strike Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities; the US-Canada trade war as Ottawa seeks to attract $1 trillion in investment, positioning the country as a trade safe haven against President Trump’s volatility as it also seeks associate EU membership; Washington’s drive to resume trade ties with Russia even as Moscow continues to provoke Europe as the second Bulgarian arms depot catches fire and explodes since August and Reuters reported a US, UK and Norwegian operation in April interrupted — in real time — a Russian test of a new undersea system to disrupt seabed infrastructure near Norway’s Svalbard archipelago; France’s turn toward United Arab Emirates as a military partner on new weapons including the F5 version of Dassault’s Rafale fighter as Finance Minister Roland Lescure warned geopolitical risks including higher energy prices in the wake of the Iran war and bond market turmoil will drive up France’s debt servicing costs by 25 percent to 65 billion euros a year, squeezing everything from social to defense spending; Boeing and its engineers’ union send a tentative four-year agreement that would raise wages to 17,000 members for a vote as the current contract expires on Oct. 6; GE Aerospace’s proposed $11.5 billion acquisition of Consolidated Precision Products that would bolster the giant’s in-house capabilities as primes and suppliers work to bolster supply chains to meet surging commercial and defense demand; and reflections as America and the world commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000.

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 DoD 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 where defense legislation stands as both the House and Senate adjourn and November elections loom; President Trump’s promise that voters receive $5,000 payments if GOP retains House and Senate; US and Iran continue to exchange fire as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis take the strategic ports from which to better control the Bab al Mandeb, striking a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jizan sending oil prices soaring; Ha’aretz report that the UAE warned Israel about the Hamas attack as Israeli forces destroyed Hezbollah’s underground facilities in South Lebanon; decision by a dozen nations to sanction trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank; Washington’s continuing efforts to broker Ukraine peace deal while seeking to normalize relations with Moscow even as Russia continues to wage hybrid operations against NATO including an April test of a system to attack European undersea infrastructure that was thwarted by UK, Norwegian and US forces; Canada and Germany step up to help Ukraine with air defense weapons; analysis of AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt elections; the new bridge between Russia and North Korea; the Philippine defense minister’s viral video pushing back on China’s South China Sea provocations; big decisions for the US-South Korea alliance; what to expect from the BRICS summit this weekend in New Dehli; and lessons as America commemorates the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks that killed some 3,000 that changed global security as well as American politics.

General Chuck Horner was the air component commander for one of airpower’s defining campaigns, Operation Desert Storm. He’s the subject of a new biography by noted airpower writer Dr. John Andreas Olsen, who joins us to review General Horner’s career. Plus a preview of the Air and Space Forces Association Air, Space, Cyber conference with Air and Space Forces magazine editor Tobias Naegele. And we have the week’s top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Darrell Bricker, the CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs who advises on the agenda of the annual Halifax International Security Forum, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US-Canada trade war; impact of the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric as well as launching the Iran war on US standing worldwide; Israel’s standing as the Gaza war continues and efforts to displace Palestinians from the West Bank accelerates; US political dynamics as November elections loom; and Trump’s popularity.

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 trade war between Canada and the United States, including President Trump’s call to boycott Bombardier jet aircraft; impact of rising interest rates on defense; US defense budget outlook; continuing conflict between Iran and the United States that’s driving energy prices up with diesel hitting a record high; the administration’s drive to end the Ukraine war and garner Moscow’s support to pressure Iran as the president demands European nations pay for arms Washington donated to Ukraine; impact of Trump's statement me might shift US policy to supporting Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands to punish Britain for not more directly supporting the Iran war; the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ report “From Shahed to Geran: How Russia Continues to Reinvent the One-Way Attack Drone” and the Royal United Services Institute report “The Next China Shock Will Hit Defence;” SpaceX’s foray into industrial gas turbine blades; response to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg’s Aug. 18 memo on profits; and a look at the week ahead and 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 and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street’s down week on unexpectedly high jobs numbers that renewed fears the Federal Reserve will hike borrowing rates; US budget as the House joins the Senate in passing a continuing resolution to keep government open until December; US and Iranian forces trade strikes driving up energy prices as diesel hits a record high; the Trump administration courts Russia to end the Ukraine war and get Moscow’s help to pressure Iran even as Germany calls out Moscow for the unsuccessful explosive drone attack at Leipzig airport and suspected role in sabotage across Europe including the recent fire at Rohde & Schwarz’s headquarters; Trump’s demand that European nations pay for US munitions provided to Kyiv; Germany’s Isar Space’s successful Spectrum rocket launch that was the first from Western Europe to reach space; US Navy’s expected FA-XX award this coming week as the service issued a request for proposal for an new autonomous carrier-capable jet with external carriage of as many as four 2,500 pound weapons and delayed the deadline for its Undergraduate Jet Training System proposal to Oct. 30, delaying contract award from next March to June 30, 2027; after saying it would invest $100 billion on a new Louisiana spaceport, SpaceX also said it would invest in capabilities to make blades for industrial gas turbines; and Airbus decision to resume A330neo jet deliveries suspended after a stray tool was found in the tail of one of the jets.

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 DoD 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 House passage of a continuing resolution to keep government open until December as the National Defense Authorization Act stalls and the reconciliation outlook remains unclear; Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned as the administration named Adam Telle as acting secretary and nominated Hung Cao as Navy secretary; US and Iranian forces trade fire as President Trump is reported to want to resume high-intensity combat operations after the election; Israel steps up attacks on Palestinians as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu maneuvers to remain in office; Germany says Russia was behind an unsuccessful explosive drone attack on Leipzig last month as Washington invited Russia’s finance minister to attend the G20 meeting in Asheville to the consternation of allies that complained that the Trump administration’s tariffs and Iran war have undermined their economies; the president’s assertion that Canada is a bigger adversary than China or Russia, and that Washington might back Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands, which London maintains is sovereign territory; Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles’ first visit to the United States this year; Xi Jinping’s ramped up diplomatic offensive ahead of his summit with Trump later this month as his warships sail ever closer to Japan.

Stratolaunch is known for building and operating the biggest airplane in the world, the Roc, that carries launch vehicles to the upper atmosphere. But the company is increasingly turning to defense projects, with a big emphasis on hypersonics.  President and CEO Dr. Zachary Krevor joins us to illuminate this emerging company. Plus we have the week’s top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jim Lewis of the Center for European Policy Analysis, Mark Montgomery of the Defense of Democracies and a Cyberspace Solarium Commission senior adviser, and Justin Sherman of the Global Cyber Strategies advisory firm and the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the implications of the ChatGPT AI model that broke out of its “sandbox” — attributed to misprogramming that allowed it to stray from its confines — and hacked computational tool maker Hugging Face; update on AI and cyber legislation; how Washington can better deter China and Russia and whether the Trump administration’s actions are undermining deterrence with Beijing and Moscow; and what should replace the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jerry McGinn, a former deputy industrial base chief who is now with the director of the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg’s internal Pentagon memo on profits as well as requirement that company submit detailed plans to accelerate pograms; and his latest report — “How Quickly Can the DoD Rebuild and Recast the Munitions Industrial Base?” — he cowrote with his colleague AJ Dilts.

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 Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg’s internal Pentagon memo on profits and capital allocation; impact of interest rate hikes on the defense ecosystem as Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh looks to higher rates to curb inflation as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he would continue efforts to curb bond yields even his recent intervention backfired driving yields up; the Iran war as US and Iranian forces exchange fire; for pricing as Russia targets Ukraine’s grain stocks and transport network; Washington’s Venezuela energy deal; implications of a US-Canada trade war on $20 billion in goods of more than $872 billion in 2025; five issues to watch through 2026; and a look at the week ahead and 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 and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street’s down close in wake of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole address that the US central bank would continue to fight inflation; Washington’s new Iran sanctions and trade war with Canada that appears likely to drive Ottawa to opt for Saab’s Gripen over more F-35 Lighting II fighters; Saab’s new A3-001 stealthy collaborative combat aircraft; US Air Force’s $131 billion indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract to Boeing for production and support of existing and future US and international versions of the F-15 Eagle fighter; the US government’s deal with Qatar for four KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft as well as electronic gear for $4.5 billion; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby’s visit to Brussels; Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer, John Healey, builds a budget that will have to please the three Bs — his boss, the British public and bond markets; the US Navy’s AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile by Raytheon; and Qantas’ plan to retire its 10 A380 superjumbo jets in 2028, five years earlier than planned.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD 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 impact of rising inflation on the Trump administration’s budget request; CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow; NATO’s moves to counter Russia’s mounting provocations in the Baltic and across Europe; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby’s meeting with allies as he oversees the review that will reduce US troops from Europe; Washington’s new Iran sanctions to collapse the theocratic regime as Beijing vows to retaliate if its banks or businesses are targeted; the trade war with Canada; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s claim Iran tried to kill one of his son’s in Florida; retired Israeli Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter new extreme right-wing party; Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s effort to bring militias under control; Washington cancels an amphibious exercise with South Korea, but will press ahead with the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise next month with Korea and Japan; Japan, Australia, and Indonesia launch defense talks; and Beijing’s tightening comprehensive encirclement of Taiwan.

Even as current conflicts emphasize lower-technology systems like small drones, development continues on high-end technologies. Hypersonics, directed energy, advanced missiles, and more. We get the state of play --- and a broad look at DoD’s science and technology enterprise -- from former Air Force chief scientist Dr. Mark Lewis, now Chief National Security Officer at Purdue University. And a remembrance of the 20th Air Force Secretary, Jim Roche. Plus the week’s top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Dr. Michael O’Hanlon, the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy as well as the director research for the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution and author of the new book — “To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution” — joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss lessons from the Ukraine and Iran wars for ground forces worldwide; the role of drones in the close fight and future of land vehicles; magazine depth and deterrence; recent moves by the acting Army Chief Gen. Chris LaNeve including his decision to convert a new drone battalion to an airborne infantry unit; deterring Russia as its provocations against NATO increase; and the US defense budget outlook and importance of oversight.

On this innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex Defense conference Jan. 27-28 next year in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the new operational problems shaped by the Ukraine and Iran wars that will be at the heart of the innovation and technology conference; and what to expect at Hudson’s Sept. 23 event that explored the factory as the centerpiece of 21st century defense.To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

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 factors that might change the outlook for US defense including the budget outlook; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s bond yield gambit; the Iran and Ukraine wars; breakdown of trade talks between Canada and the United States, and whether other nations will decide against what they deem to be bad deals; what a reduced Lyntris offering means for private equity; the US Army’s decision to award a contract to Hanwha for its K9 self-propelled howitzer; acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Chris LaNeve’s new strategy that included disbanding the drone unit and replacing it with an airborne infantry unit; and a look at the week ahead and 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 and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a down week on Wall Street after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s effort to curb rising bond yields backfired, startling investors and driving yields up; investors warn Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer, John Healey, to limit borrowing amid a bond sell off as he prepares a new budget for release Oct 28; Iran and the United States failed to formally end hostilities as more energy makes it through the Strait of Hormuz thanks to the US Navy and payments to Tehran for safe passage; trade war between Canada and the United States with 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion in lumber and dairy products from Canada as Ottawa moves to impose reciprocal tariffs on US steel, electronics, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, as well as pulp and paper; India’s order for another 114 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation and plans to replace Hawk trainers by BAE Systems and Antonov 32 transport planes; the US Air Force award to GE Aerospace and Kratos to adapt their 800-pound thrust GEK800 jet engine for Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile; and Boeing’s contingency plans if 17,000 of the company’s engineers and technicians who belong to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace ‌voted to give the union the power strike absent a deal when their contract expires Oct. 6.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD 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 implications of US debt passing $40 trillion as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent intervened in bond markets to cut yields, backfiring by alarming markets that reacted negatively to the move; President Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz as American territory, threatening Iran with an economic “D-Day” and Oman with strikes as the UAE, a financial gateway for Tehran, also imposed sanctions; Israel and Hamas rebuffed Jared Kushner as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared Turkey a threat, striking a facility in Syria where Turkish troops were based; France, Germany and the UN condemned Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir for calling on the execution of 30 to 40 Gazans a day; Ukrainian civilian casualties mount as Moscow concludes Ukraine can no longer defend against large-scale ballistic missile barrages; another corruption scandal involving a close aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opposition figures calling for elections; a suspected Russian drone is downed by a NATO fighter jet over Latvia as Moscow threatens London for supplying strike drones to Ukraine; the administration’s questionnaire asking allies to detail how nations are exhibiting loyalty to the US president and his policies; Trump’s order the Pentagon abruptly end annual military exercises with South Korea six days early to punish Seoul for not support the Iran War and saying North Korea is a nonthreatening state, which Pyongyang rebuffed with its largest missile tests in months; the impact economic warfare on Iran will have on China; and Taiwan’s defense spending increase that Washington demanded just as some in Washington debate the US pivoting away from Asia.

Planes fly on money, and nobody takes apart a budget like Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute. He joins us to get into what the $1.5 trillion budget means for airpower, what programs did better, and the chances the budget will pass with anything like that amount. Along the way, we’ll talk NGAD, B-21, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, weapons production, and the always thrilling… Congressional procedures. Plus the week’s top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Steve Beckey of the Oliver Wyman consultancy joints Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the report he co-wrote — with his colleagues — JD Kearney, Nathan Miller, and Tim Wickham — “The Defense Ramp-Up Reality Check: A $1 Trillion Question: Can the Defense Industrial Base Scale to Meet Unprecedented Demand?”

On today’s Land Warfare program, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, 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 the tenuous nature of the Ukraine war as both sides grapple for advantage over the front; use of autonomy, AI and unmanned ground systems; how Ukraine can defend itself from Russian ballistic missile attacks; role of North Korea in supporting Russia and the lessons Pyongyang is learning from the conflict; Vladimir Putin’s stability as the war becomes increasingly unpopular wi the Russians as Duma elections loom; and the Russian leader’s visit to the Kuril Islands last week.

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 budget impact of debt, deficits, customs duties and refunds; prospect of higher food prices as Russia destroys Ukraine’s grain stocks; US brain drain and national security; the Mecca deal and midterms; what’s next for the Iran war; low-cost weapons and deterrence; the budget impact of Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg’s demand to accelerate weapons production; President Trump’s order that the Navy establish a fifth government shipyard, buy warships from overseas firms, and replace the electromagnetic catapults on the Ford-class aircraft carrier with steam ones; Trump’s order that the Pentagon dial back military exercises with South Korea to punish Seoul for not supporting the Iran war and claim that North Korea is a nonthreatening power; earnings takeaways; today’s announcement that Chris Kubasik was replaced with Sam Mehta as L3Harris’ CEO; and a look at the week ahead and 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 and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street’s near peak despite worse than expected unemployment figures as US Treasuries hit their highest since August 2001on debt and interest rate worries; US and Iranian forces continue to target Strait of Hormuz traffic as President Trump says US forces can maintain their blockade indefinitely — adding he’s considering making the international waterway American territory — but also warns Americans to brace for higher energy prices tops $6 per gallon for premium gas; an unprecedented European heat waves have dried up key rivers to their lowest levels since 2018, impacting trade and nuclear power generation that will undermine European economic growth this year; the Pentagon awards RTX and Boeing contracts to accelerate production of shipborne Standard air defense missiles; Trump orders the Navy to open a fifth government shipyard, acquire warships built overseas and replace the electromagnetic catapults on the Ford-class nuclear powered aircraft carriers with steam ones; M1 Flight Services beats Bell and Lockheed Martin for the US Army’s Flight School Next award that is valued at up to $10 billion over the coming 26 years; COMAC’s C919 jetliner made its first international commercial flight from Mongolia to Beijing; US investigators find that the Ryanair 737 from which a passenger was nearly sucked out of a window July 10 had suffered four bird strikes over the past year; Applied Aerospace, BETA Technologies, CAE, Elbit Systems, Embraer, Rocket Lab report earnings as GPS pioneer Magellan files chapter 11; Archer Aviation said it would buy Boeing's electric aircraft firm Wisk ​Aero and two other units for a nearly 20 percent stake in the air-taxi maker; and PitchBook’s estimate that private equity firms are stuck with more than 33,000 companies they can’t sell at the valuations their investors expect.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD 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 what’s next for the Iran war as Tehran taps a new top security leader — Mohsen Rezaee — and holds firm on its demands, striking shipping as President Trump says America can maintain and “indefinite” blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; USS Abraham Lincoln becomes emblematic of the war’s burden on the US military; more details on the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia pact; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu defies Trump on Gaza as his government continues to push Palestinians from the West Bank; how Europe should respond to Moscow’s increasingly kinetic moves as Germany investigates the suspected Aug 4 Russian drone attack on Leipzig’s airport; US efforts to gain control of Greenland as a US company, Greenland Energy, lands oil exploration equipment on the world’s largest island without necessary approvals; Europe’s elections as heat waves spark wildfires and dry up rivers, undermining growth; Russia uses North Korean ballistic missiles target Ukrainian civilians as well as Odesa and its grain supplies; Vladimir Putin visited Iturup on the Kuril Islands claimed by Japan and threatened to seize European ships if nations escalate efforts to combat Moscow’s sanctions-evading shadow fleet; former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongi’s legacy; Taiwan’s pledge to increase defense spending and anti-blockade drills; North Korea’s missile test; and the Trump administration touts its deterrence by denial and slams China’s tariff evasion.

The United States Air Force maintains the airborne leg of America’s nuclear triad with the B-2, and the land-based leg with Minuteman. But it also connects the triad with an elaborate and heavily secured command and control network. Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Ambassador Eric Edelman has a report out on that topic, and we’ll cover everything nuclear with him. And, of course, we have the week’s top headlines in airpower. Powered by GE Aerospace!

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Eric Fanning, the president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US defense budget outlook as the Senate approves a continuing resolution that funds the government through Dec. 11; Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg’s Aug. 5 memo giving companies 21 days to submit plans to accelerate production of select platforms, sensors and munitions; concerns about the Pentagon’s approach to intellectual property in its bid to accelerate programs and bolster the prospects of startups; update on legislation spanning from “right to repair” to share buybacks; and takeaways from the Farnborough International Airshow.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Tom Mahnken, the president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the report he co-wrote his son Thomas Mahnken who is an analyst with the think tank — “Rising Stars Over the Pacific: Cultivating Indo-Pacific Expertise in the US Armed Forces” — that focuses on the importance of promoting senior officers with Indo-Pacific experience to better prepare prepare America’s military for potential conflict in the region.

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 Senate passage of a continuing resolution and implications for this year’s defense budget; why debt and deficit will be a 2027-2028 issues; Deputy Secretary Feinberg’s memo to industry giving companies 21 says to submit detailed plans to accelerate production of key platforms and systems, including munitions; whether it would make better sense to focus on munitions to better prioritize resources rather than accelerate everything all at once; why the initiative might be fleeting; analysis of the Defiant-class battleship that President Trump wants as the centerpiece of his “Golden Fleet;” BWXT, CACI, Honeywell Aerospace, Howmet, Palantir, Redwire, Rheinmetall and SpaceX earnings; and a look at the week ahead and 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 Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a slightly up Wall Street despite continuing Middle East tensions, rising energy prices and a dismal jobs report as Tehran demands Washington make more concessions before the Strait of Hormuz is reopened; the Senate passes a continuing resolution to keep the government open until Dec. 11; Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg gives US defense contractors 21 days to draw up plans to accelerate production of key sensors, platforms and electronic warfare, munitions and space systems; Northrop Grumman’s B-21 bomber has been accelerated by 25 percent thanks to $4.5 billion invested in the program in last year’s reconciliation measure and Boeing’s F-47 fighter is on track for a 2028 fight flight, according to Gen. Dale White who’s overseeing B-21, the Sentinel ballistic missile effort, the F-47 and Air Force One; the joint Boeing-Lockheed Martin United Launch Alliance raised $500 million through a bond sale to refinance its debt; BETA Technologies struck a $1 billion deal with the Export-Import Bank of the United States to expand manufacturing and partnered with Lockheed Martin to bring the giant’s Matrix autonomy capabilities to BETA’s MV250 autonomous aircraft that debuted at the Farnborough International Airshow last month; and BWXT, Honeywell Aerospace, Howmet, Palantir, Redwire, Rheinmetall and SpaceX report earnings.

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 former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the future of reconciliation, a continuing resolution and appropriations as well as the confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general; President Trump reportedly blasted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the acute shortage of weapons that are said to have curtailed US options against Iran; US intelligence warns Russia might test NATO through a limited incursion into alliance territory as Washington frays relations with its European allies and faces depleted magazines; Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg’s Aug 5 memo to defense executives giving them 21 days to develop concrete plans to accelerate production of sensors, platforms and electronic warfare, munitions, and space systems; Democratic senators accuse Feinberg of steering contracts to firms involving the president’s sons; Iran and Oman continue to negotiate an agreement to jointly manage the strait of Hormuz including a transit corridor for traffic; Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan’s mutual security pact; Trump’s deal between Israel and Hamas, Jerusalem struck Hamas in Gaza as Hamas said it won’t give up its weapons, just lock them up; Russia is suspected of using explosive drones on Leipzig’s airport in the vicinity of Ukrainian cargo planes; China tightens its grip on the Scarborough Shoal as Beijing acknowledges two Chinese sailors were killed last year when one of its destroyers collided with one of its coast guard cutters while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel; Japan’s new defense white paper — “Preparing for a New Era of Warfare;” Taiwan’s“Han Kuang” exercise to test wartime readiness; and why Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby wants to go to China.

Last week, we talked air and missile defenses with Dr. Tom Karako of CSIS. This week, we opened the aperture to include all missile systems, as the various US services proceed on different paths to replenish and modernize their stocks. Steve Trimble, the defense editor of Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine and a certified missile head is with us for that tour of the horizon. And, of course, we have the week’s top headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

Is ship count the right metric for measuring naval power? Carriers, missiles, people, the industrial base, where should the Navy invest or divest to ensure the fleet of the near future is sized at the appropriate capability and cost. These issues and more are addressed in depth in the Hudson Institute’s upcoming Fleet Design report. The CavasShips team of Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello cover for Vago today and share their recent conversation with Hudson's Bryan Clark, where he previews the study and discusses current naval operations.

Joe Kochan, the chief executive officer of the National Spectrum Consortium, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the importance of better management and sharing of limited spectrum for national security needs, provides an update on new technologies members are offering the Department of War and the value of other transactional authority when it come to prototyping and moving faster.