Defense & Aerospace Report

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy, join host Vago Muradian discuss stocks drop after a three-week winning streak, impact of Airbus profit and deliveries warning across the sector, a disastrous US presidential debate as Britain and France hold key elections, Justice Department investigators recommend criminal charges against Boeing of criminal conspiracy over two deadly 737 crashes that killed 346, Boeing’s ongoing acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, Anduril reportedly is poised to raise $1.5 billion in funding, DoD’s Replicator program is funded to $1 billion and the U.S. Army wants more than 1000 Switchblade 600 loitering munitions from AeroVironment in the next year.

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 Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss the disastrous US presidential debate and its impact on perceptions of the United States and American global leadership; analysis of the security implications of elections in France, Iran and Britain; analysis of defense, State Department and Foreign Operations, as well as Homeland Security appropriations; efforts by GOP lawmakers to keep Steve Bannon from going to jail for contempt of Congress and imprison Attorney General Merrick Garland on the same charge; the implications of recent primary outcomes including the defeat of progressive Rep. Jamal Bowman, D-NY, by centrist George Latimer; what to expect from NATO’s upcoming 75th anniversary summit including proposal to “bridge” Ukraine toward membership; China and North Korea continue to ratchet up regional tensions as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accepts US plea deal to return to Australia; Israel’s defense minister visits Washington as Jerusalem and Beirut make a “handshake” deal to avoid war, and impact of Israel’s Supreme Court decision to allow government to draft orthodox students into IDF service.

On this episode of our Land Warfare program, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Doug Bush, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Ukraine war lessons that are shaping US Army acquisition efforts, increasing the adoption of novel technologies into core acquisition efforts, progress in increasing ammunition production and what will be needed to further surge if needed, role of allies and partners in increasing weapons and munition capacity, the Army’s central role in global US military logistics, the service’s new software policy that some claim will discourage innovative firms from pursing contracts, and 2026 budget pressures and how the service would spend more money if Congress raises funding levels.

China’s accelerating air capabilities are complicating U.S. planning, and may have led to a delay in the Next-Generation Air Dominance program. In this expanded edition, Dr. Brendan Mulvaney, Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute at National Defense University, will help us understand just how fast Bejing is moving. And futurist Clint “Q” Hinote, formerly head of Air Force planning, on what to do about it. Powered by GE!

On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next January in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Rob Harper, the co-founder and chief executive of Rowden Technologies, discusses lessons that shaped the innovative British AI, data and machine learning company, lessons from the Ukraine war, the future of AI and how best to harness the technology for military applications, what human control of AI-enabled systems means, adapting commercial AI tools like GPT-4 for military uses, what governments can do to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies, how small companies can negotiate the “valley of death” with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexevents.org

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses, discuss the dead terror attacks on two churches and a synagogue in Dagestan, Ukraine’s deadly strikes on Sevastopol, the first anniversary of late Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s run on Moscow, and analysis of Vladimir Putin’s trips to North Korea and Vietnam last week; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses potential flaws with the Congressional Budget Office’s debt projections, a defense spending update, update on whether Congress will increase defense spending, analysis of former National Security Adviser Dr. Robert O’Brien’s Foreign Affairs article, whether defense will feature in the June 27 presidential debate, the industrial implications of recent major program cancellations or delays, Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider bomber statement, and a look at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy, join host Vago Muradian discuss defense and aerospace stock performance on a jittery Wall Street, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun’s testimony before the Senate about the company’s problems and accusations management put profit ahead of safety, helium leaks and thruster problems prompt NASA to keep Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in orbit longer than planned, the Boeing-led upgrade of B-52 Stratofortress bombers is delayed by three years to 2033, Israel to receive more F-15 fighters, Northrop Grumman announces a cost cap increase on B-21 Raider stealth bomber, and takeaways from the Eurosatory 2024 land warfare tradeshow and conference.

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 Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss the Senate Armed Services Committee boost to defense spending as details of it’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act emerge, the White House surges air defense weapons to Ukraine and broadens Kyiv’s ability to use US weapons to strike Russia, Vladimir Putin visits North Korea and Vietnam to ink a mutual security pact with Pyongyang and deepen relations with Hanoi, House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner blasts the Biden administration for not disclosing details of Russia’s plans to put a nuclear capability in space and doing more to stop it, announcement that outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will succeeded Jens Stoltenberg as NATO’s 14th secretary general, China ratchets up tensions against the Philippines, Bibi Netanyahu accuses Washington of withholding weapons — a charge the White House denies — as the Israel Defense Force increasingly finds itself at odds with the country’s own prime minister.

On today’s first ever Air-Land episode, JJ Gertler, the co-host of The Air Power Podcast, sponsored by GE Aerospace, discusses the US Air Force’s re-consideration of the fighter element of its centerpiece Next Generation Air Dominance program in the wake of both the changing nature of the threat and how US forces are likely to fight in the future; and in our Land Warfare update, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Dan Roper of the Association of the United States Army discusses key themes from the biennial Eurosatory 2024 land systems tradeshow and conference with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, 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, discuss the cou tours of the war as Moscow presses its offensive and Ukraine responds with new Western weapons and permission to use them against targets in Russia, how Ukraine is using Western weapons to change the strategic dynamic in Crimea, Russian forces learn lessons but still relies on artillery and manpower, the G7’leaders key to supporting Ukraine will survive elections as Russia and China undermine support for them, whether efforts to undermine Putin will succeed, how newly appointed Defense Minister Andrey Belousev is revamping Russia’s military, new tactics and weapons in war, Putin visits North Korea for more support and if Washington can pressure Beijing to halt its military assistance for Moscow, and where Putin’s red lines truly lie as the Russian leader once again resorts to nuclear saber rattling with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.