On this Washington Roundtable episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast, sponsored by Bell, our guests are Dov Zakheim, PhD, former DoD comptroller, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Michael Herson of American Defense International, Lt. Gen. Wallace “Chip” Gregson, USMC Ret., former assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs who is also a distinguished senior fellow with Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA and Chris Servello, a founder of Provision Advisors public relations firm (and Defense and Aerospace team member).

Topics:

— House passage of Inflation Reduction Act and implications on midterm elections

— Defense authorization and appropriations update

— Why Congress should approve Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s request for $500 million to fund “critical munitions” for Ukraine

— Primaries and former President Trump’s hold on Republican Party

— Whether Biden administration’s increased military assistance to Ukraine is enough to help Kyiv prevail

— Ukraine’s strikes in Russian-occupied Crimea as Moscow turns Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into a base to attack Ukrainian targets

— China’s continued intimidation of Taiwan and whether Beijing has shifted its strategy to forcibly uniting with the island democracy

— Wider political and civil-military implications of FBI raid Trump’s Florida home to secure nuclear-related documents

— Analysis of the unprecedented challenges faced by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley during his tenure as Trump’s senior military adviser

— Iran nuclear talks progress to uncertain outcome

— Biden signs legislation to treat active duty and veterans suffering from burn pit-related health problems