On this Washington Roundtable episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast, sponsored by Bell, our guests in segment one are Michael Bayer, the chairman of the Defense Business Board and the president of the Dumbarton Strategies consultancy, and Arnold Punaro, the chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association and CEO of the Punaro Group consultancy to discuss the ongoing presidential transition and how to best accomplish the monumental task of a peaceful transition of power. 

In segment two our guest is Peter Van Praagh, the founding President of Halifax International Security Forum for a preview of this year's virtual conference.

In segment three, our roundtable guests are Dov Zakheim, PhD, former DoD comptroller, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Gordon Adams, PhD, Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute and Heather Conley, the director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Topics:

— Implications of a stalled transition as President-Elect Biden works to staff his administration and fight the coronavirus pandemic

— Look ahead to the Halifax International Security Forum, this year conducted virtually, including a new handbook on how democracies should approach China  

— Update on congressional budget and stimulus deliberations

— Analysis of President Trump’s abrupt decision with withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq

— Importance of top talent in staffing Biden Pentagon

— UK decision to boost defense spending