Defense & Aerospace Report

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!

On today’s show, Jay Meil, the vice president for artificial intelligence and data analytics and the chief data officer at SAIC, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss US AI capabilities in comparison to adversaries and the key to remaining ahead in a global race, abilitiesm, what constitutes AI, how it differs from machine learning, better gathering in standardized and usable form the vast amounts of data the Pentagon produces, whether the DoD should be developing its own AI capabilities of become a smarter buyer of the technology from commercial industry, how to get AI to the edge and be usable in emission denied environments, and more.

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Young Bang, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics & technology, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the digital transformation of the force, areas for improvement as the second Trump administrations prepares to take office, delivering capabilities at the speed of relevance, lessons from the other military services to help the Army step up its digital game, addressing criticism of the software modernization memorandum issued earlier this year, concerns the service if more focused on process before it sets requirements for major systems, bringing together small start ups as well as heritage contractors to develop capabilities, and harnessing AI and preparing for a quantum computing future.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim and emeritus National Defense Industrial Association Chairman Arnold Punaro discuss key takeaways from the 11th Reagan National Defense forum; Building the Base podcast hosts former Navy Acquisition chief Hondo Geurts and Beacon Global Strategies’ Lauren Bedula discuss defense industrial themes at Reagan; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses defense implications of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and what’s next for the region, the NDAA, Vivek Ramaswamy’s comments at Aspen next week and what they mean for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, defense mobilization, 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 aerospace and defense stock performance on Wall Street and in Europe, Airbus’ delivery figures and whether 737 Max production remained stalled after a seven-week strike, a federal judge rejected Boeing’s $1 billion plea deal for misleading regulators leading to two deadly 737 crashes, Safran’s capital markets day, the US Air Force decision to leave the fate of the manned fighter element of the service’s Next Generation Air Dominance program to the incoming Trump administration, a week after Elon Musk criticized the F-35 Lightning II fighters Britain’s defense chief Adm. Sir Tony Radakin lauded the “power” of the stealthy jet noting Israel used them and low observable JASSM cruise missiles — fired from more than 100 miles outside Iran’s borders — to devastate the country’s air defenses, India’s interest in more Rafale fighters as Saudi Arabia also eyes the Dassault Aviation jet, and Sweden, Denmark and Ukraine order $2.5 billion in CV90 combat vehicles from BAE Systems.

In this discussion, Michael Herson advocates for strong defense strategies, emphasizing the importance of military readiness. Dov Zakheim analyzes the ramifications of Biden's recent pardons amidst political backlash. Jim Townsend highlights the escalating tensions with Russia and its implications for U.S. security. Patrick Cronin sheds light on the evolving military dynamics in Ukraine and South Korea. Together, they dissect the complexities of U.S. foreign policy and military appropriations during a turbulent political landscape.

When Elon Musk declares manned military aircraft should be entirely replaced by drones, is he taking a step too far? Renowned aviation journalist and technologist Bill Sweetman joins us to look at whether the future is (or even can be) entirely uninhabited.  And the week’s top airpower headlines. All powered by GE!

On today’s Technology Report, David Schild, the executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, discusses proposed Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates legislation as part of the tax reconciliation package that would cut taxes on printed circuit boards and substrates by 25 percent, the case for supporting an industry that left the United States in search of lower production costs, and the association’s 2025 agenda; and Dr. Charles Middleton, the chief technology officer at Critical Frequency Design, discusses the role of photonics technologies that promise to revolutionize military communications, the company’s Free Space Optics (FSO) communications solution that was recently tested under the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division’s Silent Swarm 2024 exercise, the future of the technology, and the outlook of the company as it seeks to navigate the Valley of Death with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.