Defense & Aerospace Report

Luke Savoie, the president and CEO of Elbit America, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how the Pentagon is moving to accelerate the delivery of capabilities; the keys to agility and speed; the prospect that the US government will acquire stakes in contractors if they accept Pentagon development funding; the company’s top markets; the future of border control systems and technologies; how to integrate border control technologies with the administration’s top priority Golden Dome air and missile defense system; merger and acquisition outlook; and what to expect at both the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber tradeshow and the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic 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, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss details of Russia’s drone attacks on Poland, Romania and Moldova — the first and largest such attack against the alliance; how the alliance can respond given President Trump’s conditioning of US support on all alliance members agreeing to halting energy purchases from Russia and imposing penalties on China; the changing nature of Russia’s ever larger attacks on Ukraine; the joint Russian-Belorussian Zapad 2025 exercises and how Moscow and Minsk are working to improve capabilities; whether the exercise is cover for potential future action against NATO given how Russia used past Zapad exercises to pre-position forces and equipment for the 2022 attack on Ukraine; the implications of US military observers at Zapad; and whether Washington’s engagement with Minsk will change Belarus’ alignment with Russia.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners and Chris Servello, the co-host of our Cavas Ships podcast joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street gains ground on expectations the Federal Reserve will cut borrowing rates next week on a shaky jobs market; Denmark picked Europe’s SAMP-T air and missile defense system over the US Patriot system as part of a wider air and missile defense upgrade worth $9 billion; Boeing’s unionized machinists in St Louis rejection of the company’s latest offer to end a month long strike; low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines order for 50 Embraer E195-E2 jetliners in a $4.4 billion deal . . . the arrival of two Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers at Edwards Air Force Base for flight testing; and takeaways from the world’s biggest defense show, the DSEI exhibition in London; including how US companies are increasing cooperation with global partners like cooperative venture between Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and BAE Systems’ Falcon Works to develop innovative new unmanned systems, and Global Combat Air Program led by Britain with Italy and Japan suggests there would be room for Germany and Spain on the program to develop a new sixth generation air system should the countries — already frustrated with France’s hold on the SCAF program — what to jump ship and be part of a more collaborative effort.

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, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss House’s $892 billion version of the National Defense Authorization Act as the measure heads to the Senate as fights over a continuing resolution and a government shutdown continue to loom; the assassination of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk becomes the latest act of American political violence; Russia launched some two dozen long-range drones at a base in Poland that’s key to supporting Ukraine, Moscow’s first direct attack on the alliance as Warsaw called for Article 4 consultations and Russia stepped up attacks on Ukraine; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth makes his first call with China’s Defense Minister Adm Dong Jun during which he stressed America does not seek conflict in the Indo-Pacific, but will defend its interests; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said America will split profits from Japan’s investment in America 50-50, but after Japan earns back its $550 billion, Washington will get 90 percent of profits and Tokyo just 10 percent; after arresting 475 at a joint Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia, the administration was prepared to release 300 South Korean workers, but said they could stay in the United States if they helped train American workers; and Israel launched an air strike on Hamas’ office in Doha, involved in Gaza negotiations, but despite worldwide ire Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu demanded Qatar either expel or bring to justice Hamas officials otherwise Israel would.

With a new Chief of Staff inbound for the US Air Force, we assembled a team of airpower experts to lay out a day one agenda for getting the service from today to tomorrow. And we’ll have the latest from the world’s largest defense exposition -- along with this week’s headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On today’s Technology Report podcast, sponsored by Elbit America, Dr Kelvin Hamilton of FlareBright, GOS-free drone navigation firm and Toby Townrow of UK sovereign UAV-maker Drone Evolution join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what makes the small, innovative companies different from their competitors, scaling to deliver capabilities more quickly, accelerating the process and more from the DSEI 2025 exhibition in London. We are partnered with DSEI’s parent Clarion Defence on the annual Apex innovation conference in Washington Jan. 27-29, 2026.

On this week’s Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, James Hackett, the head of defense and military analysis at the International institute for Strategic Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the updated report he co-edited — “Progress and Shortfalls in Europe’s Defence: An Assessment.”

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the latest headlines and looks 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, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a Wall Street rally despite weaker than expected jobs numbers and hiccups with their disclosure; Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s hosts Vladimir Putin and Narenda Modi in Beijing as three decades of US effort to woo India and drive wedges between Beijing and Moscow collapse; Russia’s targeting of EU President Ursula von der Lyen’s plane with GPS jamming signals as French President Emmanuel Macron brought together Ukraine’s allies to craft a plan to support the country; reports of a TNT shortage because of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the global rearmament drive it’s sparked; whether the Fitch ratings agency’s decision to downgrade Poland over fiscal concerns could undermine the country’s role and ambition as a European defense leader; Norway’s decision to pick Britain’s Type 26 frigate by BAE Systems over Fincantieri’s Constellation-class, Naval Group’s Admiral Ronar’c, and Thyssen Krupp’s Type 127 ships, joining Australia and Canada as export customers for the new antisubmarine warship; Babcock Marine’s investor day; the US Navy taps Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman move head in the service’s program for an autonomous strike aircraft as Lockheed Martin is tapped to develop the command system for the new planes; Government Accountability Office’s latest report criticizing late deliveries of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter; Peru’s interest in Saab’s Gripen fighter and Global Eye radar plane; GE Aerospace’s $300 million investment in electric aircraft-maker Beta Technologies; and what to expect at the 2025 edition of DSEI tradeshow next week in London.