On today’s program, sponsored by Elbit America, Bill Alderman of Alderman & Company, a boutique firm specializing in aerospace and defense mergers and acquisitions, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the impact of the US government shutdown on small companies across the sector and how soon before the closure becomes painful; how personnel cuts impact the contracting and regulatory oversight ecosystems; growth areas in the budget; what thoughtful supply chain management means as the Pentagon seeks to accelerate production of weapons large and small; the new administration’s approach to merger and acquisition approvals; and the implications of the US government taking ownership stakes in companies that accept Pentagon investment funding.