On this episode of the Business Podcast, sponsored by Bell, our guests are “Rocket Ron” Epstein, PhD, of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory and Sash Tusa of Agency Partners.

Topics:

— US and European aerospace and defense stock performance as American job growth remains strong and gas prices and inflation decrease

— Market expectations that Federal Reserve will ease off on raising short-term borrowing rates to curb inflation as central bankers seek to avoid fueling recession

— Job cuts at big tech firms and whether defense could benefit from flood flood of available talent

— Prime constructors worry recession will hurt valuations and access to capital for themselves as well as their second- and third-tier suppliers

— Airbus production falls short as the European giant cuts its dependence on Russian titanium

— Reports of further delays for Boeing-Saab T-7 trainerfor the US Air Force

— Prospect Japan will join UK-led Tempest program that includes Italy and Sweden

— Implications of Stockholm acquiring F-35 fighters as Sweden prepares to a NATO alliance where the stealth jet is increasingly a common aircraft

— Outlook for Saab’s Gripen E fighter and company’s vaunted combat aircraft capability

— Analysis of Northrop Grumman’s new B-21 Raider bomber unveiled at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale and whether the new jet constrained by unit cost caps lacks speed, payload and range to be effective in the Indo-Pacific