This week, it’s China, China, China. How has the pacing threat changed in 2025, and what’s ahead in 2026? We hear from Dr. Brendan Mulvaney, Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute at National Defense University, about systems, strategy, and more. Plus a bumper crop of #airpower headlines. Powered by GE!

On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference  Jan 27-28, 2026, in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Dr. Seth Jones, the president of the defense and security department and the Harold Brown chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his new book — “The American Edge: The Military Tech Nexus and the Sources of Great Power Dominance” — the nature of the threat posed by China to focus modernization efforts; lessons of the past to help America bolster its industrial capacity; importance of leadership and sufficient funding; grading the Trump administration’s effort to accelerate the delivery if needed capabilities at scale; and role of the entire industrial ecosystem including allies and partners in delivering more capabilities, more quickly. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

On today’s program, sponsored by Elbit America, Dr. Jerry McGinn, a former deputy industrial base chief who is now with the director of the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the new paper he coauthored with his colleague Cynthia Cook — “Putting the Industrial Base on a Wartime Footing” — including past spending cycles, survey of defense spending by US allies and adversaries, and what Washington must do if it’s rhetoric is to turn into reality.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead. Members of team Dr. Dov Zakheim and Chris Servello join to discuss the recent Reagan National Defense Forum.

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 DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations; the Tennessee special election; lawmakers’ frustration with the administration’s boat strikes and plans to cut troops from Europe; the new National Security Strategy that makes clear the United States will no longer shoulder responsibility for the global rules-based order it created, puts the Americas at the center of its strategy, criticizes Europe for impeding peace in Ukraine and that Washington will “cultivate resistance” by backing European nativist political parties that oppose migration and promote nationalism; characterizes China as primarily an economic threat although does call for a bigger US role in the IndoPacific to deter conflict and if necessary, fight and win; ongoing US efforts to pressure Ukraine to accept a deal to end fighting so Washington and Moscow can resume trade ties; American officials demanded rope to pick up NATO’s conventional defense responsibilities by 2027; Trump’s pressure on Japan’s hawkish Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to ease pro-Taiwan rhetoric that’s angered Beijing, the decision to not sanction Chinese spy agencies involved in the Salt Typhoon attack on US government and industry, and sale of some of advanced computer chips China wants; French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Beijing and Vladimir Putin’s trip to New Delhi; European efforts to convince Belgium to release 140 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine; and what to expect from the Reagan National Defense Forum this weekend at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

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 DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations; the Tennessee special election; lawmakers’ frustration with the administration’s boat strikes and plans to cut troops from Europe; the new National Security Strategy that makes clear the United States will no longer shoulder responsibility for the global rules-based order it created, puts the Americas at the center of its strategy, criticizes Europe for impeding peace in Ukraine and that Washington will “cultivate resistance” by backing European nativist political parties that oppose migration and promote nationalism; characterizes China as primarily an economic threat although does call for a bigger US role in the IndoPacific to deter conflict and if necessary, fight and win; ongoing US efforts to pressure Ukraine to accept a deal to end fighting so Washington and Moscow can resume trade ties; American officials demanded rope to pick up NATO’s conventional defense responsibilities by 2027; Trump’s pressure on Japan’s hawkish Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to ease pro-Taiwan rhetoric that’s angered Beijing, the decision to not Chinese spy agencies involved in the Salt Typhoon attack on US government and industry, and sale of some of advanced computer chips China wants; French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Beijing and Vladimir Putin’s trip to New Delhi; European efforts to convince Belgium to release 140 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine; and what to expect from the Reagan National Defense Forum this weekend at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

Silicon and Sanctuary: From the F-47 to a comeback for hypersonics, it’s been a big year for airpower technology. Dr. Mark Lewis, former chief scientist of the Air Force and head of Purdue’s Applied Research Institute, rates 2025’s developments and picks some technologies to watch in 2026.

And in this holiday season, we learn about a small church with big meaning for the United States Air Force and Britain’s Royal Air Force, with The Venerable Dr. Giles Legood, Air Vice-Marshal and Chaplain-in-Chief and Archdeacon for the RAF.

 

 Plus a few headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On today’s Land Warfare Series program, sponsored American Rheinmetall, Maj. Gen. Tom Feltey, the commander of the US Army’s 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, along with Col. Nick Dvonch, the division’s artillery commander, and Col. Jose Reyes, the commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade “Blackjack,” join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the 26-02 brigade certification rotation last month at the National Training Center where the 1st Cav’s novel waves-based approach to create advantage in highly contested future battlefields, whether in Europe, Asia or elsewhere, was tested under operational conditions.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the US drive to end the Ukraine war; whether a deal will fracture the NATO alliance; European support for Ukraine should Washington decide to partner with Moscow; impact of European Central Bank’s decision against being a “backstop” on Ukrainian use of 140 billion euros in seized Russian assets; the impact of the corruption scandal involving those close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Russian claims to have taken Pokrovsk from Ukrainian forces; and whether Ukraine is delivering as much pain on Russia through strikes on energy and shipping as Russia is on Ukraine through massive air strikes targeting civilians.

DEFAERO Daily Pod [Dec 01, 25] Week in Review & Byron Callan’s Week Ahead by Defense & Aerospace Report, sponsored by Bell