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, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute, Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO who is now with the Center for a New American Security and Michael Herson of American Defense International.

Topics:

— Analysis of the NDAA as Senate follows House in passing $858 billion measure that’s $45 billion higher than Biden administration’s request including increased spending for Navy, munitions and Ukraine as well as Taiwan assistance

— Outlook for continuing resolution and omnibus

— Update on Ukraine war as Russia steps up attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and prepares not only defenses in occupied areas but plots offensive early next year in second, more competent effort to take the entire country

— Whether Western nations appreciate the magnitude and focused efforts by Russia to learn lessons and play the long game to finish what it started in 2014

— Update on Indo-Pacific headlines including North Korea’s latest missile test and the watershed nature of Japan’s new national security and defense strategies

— Why Washington needs to more openly share technology with its closest allies and partners

— President Biden’s summit with African nations and pledge to invest $55 billion in the content and whether jaded leaders are open to the latest effort by Washington to woo nations away from China and Russia