Defense & Aerospace Report

Just when people were saying the future of air power was small, distributed systems like UAVs, the US struck Iran’s nuclear program infrastructure with an old-fashioned manned penetrating bombing raid. Which future is it? We ask two experts: retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, the planner behind Operation Desert Storm, and Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn of the Center for a New American Security. Plus headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On this episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Technology Series, sponsored by Elbit America, Mark Montgomery, a retired US Navy rear admiral who is now the senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a senior adviser on the bipartisan Cyberspace Solarium Commission, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what’s next in the wake of the war between Israel and Iran that included US air strikes; how Iran might retaliate, including in cyberspace, and whether the administration’s cybersecurity cuts will jeopardize America’s ability to defend critical infrastructure; the implications of US strikes that damaged, but not destroyed, Iran’s facilities; lessons from the conflict; analysis of the administrations plans to cut cyber and science; and a look at defense spending as the NATO leaders convene in The Hague of this year’s alliance summit.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, André Loesekrug-Pietri, the director of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative, joins Defense & Aerospace Reporter Editor Vago Muradian to discuss JEDI and how it aims to serve as Europe’s advanced research projects agency to improve both economic competitiveness as well as military capabilities. Our coverage of the Paris Air Show was sponsored by Alderman & Co.

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 US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and what’s next; potential unintended consequences of the attack as well as how it will play with President Trump’s supporters as well as military members; whether the strikes bolstered Washington’s credibility or undermined it; what to expect from the NATO Summit in The Hague that convenes tomorrow; a look at the administration’s 2026 defense spending request; update on budget expectations as Congress continues to deliberate reconciliation, the National Defense Authorization Act, and rescissions; and a look 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, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a down week on Wall Street with modest losses; the Federal Reserve suggested rate cuts; the United States joined Israel in attacking Iran, mobilizing good old-fashioned heavy air power with 125 aircraft involved including B-2 bombers dropping 14 30,000-pound bunker buster weapons — each Spirit can carry two of the Boeing weapons — against Tehran’s nuclear sites including the deeply buried Fordo facility; the administration’s 2026 defense budget request; Paris Air Show takeaways as Boeing and GE have a muted week in the wake of the Air India tragedy before the show with the American jet-maker opting against making announcements; Airbus disclosed orders with AviLease, Poland’s LOT, Saudi Arabia’s startup Riyadh Air, Vietnam’s VietJet and others ordering new planes; Embraer sells more commercial aircraft as well as KC-390 tanker-transports; France considers buying Global Eye jets; and some between Dassault and Airbus over the new phase of the French-German-Spanish-Belgian program to develop a new next generation family of combat aircraft.

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 Reconciliation and Senate rescissions as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee; two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses were shot and two are killed; Israel and Iran continue to trade attacks as Jerusalem presses ahead its drive to destroy Tehran’s nuclear capabilities through air attacks and troops on the ground; after initially demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” President Trump has said he’s given Iranian leaders an “ultimate ultimatum” to give up its nuclear aspirations while still weighing whether US forces should join Israel in strike; America is the only nation with the capabilities to bomb Iran’s deeply buried sites, but doing so might cause nuclear contamination; at the G7 meeting in Canada, Trump again sided with Russia as leaders prepare to converge on The Hague for what will be an abbreviated NATO summit during which the US president is expected to announce the withdrawal of some American troops from Europe; the US Indo-Pacific Command raises its threat level as two Chinese aircraft carriers operate together in the South China Sea; as Britain’s HMS Prince of Wales also is operating in the region; and the president cleaned the acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel after demanding the US government hold a “golden share” in the new entity.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics chief Greg Ulmer joins us with fresh insights on the futures of F-35 (Block 5!), NGAD (more!), F-55, airlift, and more. Plus airpower headlines, including fussin’ up at the FCAS Ranch. Powered by GE!

On today’s program from the Paris Air Show, sponsored by Alderman & Co., Steve Parker, the interim head of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, joint Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what winning the US Air Force’s contract to develop the manned-fighter element of the Next-Generation Air Dominance program — dubbed the F-47 — means for the company, the investment required to win, how the company worked to bound troubled programs and get them back on track, implications should the E-7 airborne warning and control aircraft be cancelled as proposed by the Trump administration, Golden Dome, the F-15EX, FA-XX and the prospect of more F/A-18 Super Hornet jets, and the export outlook in the wake of President Trump’s rhetoric and imposition of tariffs.

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Dr. John Nagl, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel who is now a professor of Warfighting Studies in the Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations at the Army War College, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to analyze the US Army's lessons learned from the Ukraine war and the service's new Army Transformation Initiative, an update on efforts to better prepare the force for war in the Indo-Pacific and Cold War lessons worth relearning, attributes that should shape the Army's next tank and ground vehicles, and more.

On this week’s Look Ahead Podcast, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss Israel’s attack on Iran and whether the long-planned strikes will stop Tehran’s drive to acquire nuclear weapons; the trade deal between Washington and Beijing; the budget outlook as lawmakers build a national budget, and what happens if efforts to craft a reconciliation package fail; takeaways from hearings including on the F-35 Lightning II; additional thoughts on Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web attacks on Russia; and a look at the week ahead.