Defense & Aerospace Report

On this week’s Technology Report, 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 the executive director of the Cyber Solarium 2.0 project, discusses the cyber elements of the Biden administration’s FY 2025 budget request including planned an government-wide increase in spending to $13 billion and a $5 billion addition at DoD that would bring spending to $14 billion, the impact of continuing resolutions on the Pentagon and government’s ability to plan and execute, how to better harness artificial intelligence to improve cybersecurity, analysis of the Pentagon’s budget request specifically the $10 billion Pacific Defense Initiative, and who will pick up the mantle from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., after his retirement next year 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, discusses the still-static nature of the Russo-Ukraine war, the signal President Biden sent by featuring support for Ukraine and allies at the top of his State of the Union address. whether soaring Russian casualty rates will impact Vladimir Putin’s reelection prospects, how both sides are increasingly using unmanned systems almost none of which are truly autonomous, how Russia uses nuclear intimidation to shape its adversaries’ strategies including the United States and European states like Germany, and Moscow’s threats against Sweden as the Scandinavian nation becomes NATO’s 32nd member with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the Biden administration’s FY 2025 $849.8 billion defense budget request, the importance of the Ukraine supplemental to rearming the Pentagon, takeaways from President Biden’s state of the union address, alternative defense futures to ponder, takeaways from GE Aerospace’s investor day and congressional hearing on Army Aviation, and and a look at the week ahead; and Tim Chrisman, the executive director of the Foundation for the Future who is also a partner in the space practice at the Distinctive Edge Partners PR firm, discusses the winners of the innovation competition at this year’s SXSW gathering in Austin 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 to discuss another big week on Wall Street as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says interest rates will be cut this year, impact of President Biden’s state of the union address at home and aboard, more bad news for Boeing as Justice Department reportedly opens criminal investigation into blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max jet, Federal Aviation Administration confirms rudder pedal incident on a United 737 Max jet, implications of Biden’s comments seeking to close business aviation loopholes, update on Dassault Aviation’s results including Falcon business jet and Rafale fighter production rates, Palantir beats Raytheon to win US Army’s TITAN battlefield targeting system contract, Russia discloses conversation among German generals discussing the export of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine and how France and Britain help Kyiv target the weapons, Moscow’s brazen missile strike that landed 300 feet from Greece and Ukraine’s leaders in Odesa, and United Airlines recent spate of emergency landings and incidents.

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 House passage of a $460 billion appropriations bill to avert a government shutdown, outlook for Ukraine funding as President Biden makes case for more assistance for Ukraine in the State of the Union address, analysis of the SOTU including reaction to the address in America and around the world, Biden’s announcement that the US military would build a temporary pier to allow international humanitarian aid to enter Gaza from the sea, an empowered Russia fires a ballistic missile at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that lands 300 feet from the two leaders as they tour Odesa, China ends its ritual annual leadership press conference, Super Tuesday takeaways including whether third party candidates will help Donald Trump return to office, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell endorses the former president who insulted him and his family, and the final report from the commission to reform the Pentagon’s Planning Programming Budget Execution system.

For decades, AeroVironment has been a company that does things more than a little differently. Their CEO, Wahid Nawabi, joins us to talk about CCAs, Replicator, the new shape of airpower, and where his company fits in. And of course, we have headlines. Powered by GE!

On this week’s Technology Report, Brandon Tseng, the cofounder and president of Shield AI, what differentiates the company in a crowded field, the Pentagon’s innovation drive, how to accelerate programs, the need to change the requirements process, how small companies can remain competitive in AI in an era of giants, the company’s growth plans with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this month’s Land Warfare program, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Gabe Camarillo, the under secretary of the US Army, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how life under prolonged continuing resolutions is impeding America’s ability to rearm itself as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea increasingly field dangerous capabilities, why supplemental funding is vital not just to support its Ukrainian ally but also cover the cost of bolstering the Pentagon’s weapons stocks, lessons from the Ukraine war that are already shaping the future of the force, a look at the Army’s plans to transform its great power capabilities and how that plan will be reflected in the service’s upcoming budget request, the Army’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and the rationale behind the cancellation of the Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft program.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the latest continuing resolution to forestall a government shutdown, how an unprecedented half-year of continuing resolutions and delays to the Ukraine supplemental is complicating the Pentagon’s ability to rearm, the global implications of US presidential candidates and lawmakers parroting Vladimir Putin’s talking points, the prospect that Kyiv will fall if US aid ends or is further delayed, what to expect from the Biden administration’s upcoming budget request to be submitted to Congress on March 11, news reports that Boeing is considering acquiring Spirit AeroSystems, BWXT’s different business model, 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 to discuss defense and aerospace stock performance last week as markets roared, Boeing considers buying Spirit AeroSystems, Leonardo and MTU results, BoA’s report on what the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft might look like, Russia’s nuclear threats prompts German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz denies sending Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine and criticizes Britain and France for escalating tensions with Moscow by furnishing Kyiv with precision weapons.