On today’s program, sponsored by HII, our editorial strategist and Cavas Ships podcast co-host Chris Servello looks back at the key events of 2024 as we look ahead to 2025; and Matt Warnick, the CEO of American Rheinmetall Vehicles, and Jason Atkinson, the CEO of Loc Performance, discuss the armored vehicle maker’s nearly $1 billion acquisition of the Michigan-based specialty company 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 aerospace and defense market performance as the Federal Reserved said it would pare back rate cuts, impact of continuing resolution turmoil fueled by Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Wall Street’s growing perception that Musk not Trump is the incoming president, how Trump’s warning that he wants Europeans to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense and how much of that increased spending will stay in Europe rather than flow to American suppliers, and a look at the events of 2024 that will shape the coming year from Boeing’s continuing challenges, Airbus failure to capitalize on its American rival’s woes, supply chain, Russia’s threat to Europe even if its war on Ukraine is paused, global trade and travel implications of economic warfare, Britain’s Strategic Defence Review, and predictions for 2025.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored in part by Hanwha Defense USA, 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 of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s torpedoing of a bipartisan spending measure of keep government open through March, prospects of a government shutdown through the holidays — potentially spanning through the inauguration — analysis of the key events of 2024 that will shape the coming year the coming year, and predictions for the United States, China, the Ukraine war, Syria and the broader Middle East.

What’d You Miss? We review 2024’s big airpower stories from the US and around the world with Dr. Brendan Mulvaney, Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute at National Defense University, and Aviation Week defense editor Steve Trimble. Plus the week’s top airpower headlines. All powered by GE!

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 key moments in Russia’s war on Ukraine during 2024; whether the end of the war in the coming months will come as a reprieve just as Moscow is feeling economic pressure and growing casualties, allowing it to recharge for its next confrontation with NATO; how the outgoing and incoming administrations are playing the roles of good cop-bad cop to end the war; implications of the ouster of Bashar al-Assad on Russia; the assassination of Russia’s nuclear and chemical forces chief Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov by Ukraine’s secret service; and what to expect from Moscow over the coming weeks as the prospect of the war’s end approaches.

Shyam Sankar, Palantir’s CTO and author of the 18 Theses, discusses transformative strategies for the U.S. industrial base. He emphasizes the need for systemic change beyond mere improvements, advocating for increased competition in defense akin to the commercial sector. The conversation critiques current procurement practices and highlights the importance of empowered leadership in driving innovation. Sankar also explores the balancing act between legacy and new companies, stressing that exceptional leadership can often determine the success of defense technology projects.

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 political, market and international surprises in 2024 that will be consequential in the coming year; a look at the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations expectations; the IISS’ global outlook; the Washington International Trade Association’s take on Trump and tariffs; the Defense Innovation Unit and the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft; HII’s shipyard acquisition; 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 mixed and bumpy week on Wall Street, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker’s decision to step down in January, Boeing’s decision to invest $1 billion to accelerate 787 Dreamliner production, defense spending implications of Moody’s decision to downgrade France’s credit rating after political turmoil in Paris, report that Donald Trump told Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet that he would cancel the F-35 Lighting II program that the defense giant flatly rejects, and update on the British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Program, eight years after leaving the European Union Britain’s Prime Minister Kier Starmer met with European Council President Antonio Costa to deepen cooperation, and Hensoldt’s capital markets day.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored in part by Hanwha Defense USA, 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 of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the increasing likelihood that Donald Trump will garner Senate approval for his controversial nominees including Pete Hegseth at DoD thanks to muscular intimidation tactics directed toward lawmakers, analysis of the $858 billion National Defense Authorization Act that includes another big military pay rise, support for Ukraine and Taiwan and an end to covid vaccine mandates, an update on an appropriations measure to keep government running as another debt debate looms, what’s next now that militants backed by Turkey have ended Bashar al Assad’s brutal regime as the Syrian dictator flees to Moscow, outlook for Ukraine as Trump meets with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, China stages a massive military exercise around Taiwan to protest Taiwanese president Lai Ching Te’s visit to Hawaii and Guam, South Korea still rocked by Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law, Washington’s latest effort to help end the Gaza war, and what to expect at this year’s 125th Army-Navy game outside Washington.

Army Aviation director BG Matt Braman joins us with the latest on the senior service’s efforts to leave the ground with and without pilots aboard. Introducing the VH-75! And the week’s top airpower headlines. All powered by GE!