Defense & Aerospace Report

The US Air Force is building an uninhabited future with its collaborative combat aircraft. There’s been a lot of focus on their capabilities and procurement, but not so much on how to keep them effective in the fight. Mark Gunzinger, Director of Future Concepts and Capability Assessments at the Mitchell Institute, joins us to fill in that critical blank. Plus other headlines in airpower. All powered by GE!

Former acting Navy Secretary Tom Harker and retired Rear Adm. Christian “Boris” Becker who led the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, now senior advisers with Pantheon Data, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the commentary they co-wrote with Pantheon Data CEO Kris Kenefic, — “The Need for Decision-Making Speed: Leveraging Enterprise Data for National Security” — on how to speed acquisition of data and AI capabilities that can help commanders with everything from faster and better decision-making to accountability; impediments to change; how to accelerate the acquisition process; and keys to ensuring cybersecurity.

On today’s Land Warfare Series program, sponsored American Rheinmetall, 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 that latest on the Ukraine war including Moscow’s drive push Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk region; the evolving use of unmanned systems as both sides try to out innovate the other; why Vladimir Putin proposed a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire after President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Russia’s unchanged aims for the war, despite talks with Washington and Kyiv; prospect that fighting will cease anytime soon; whether Ukraine — working with Europe — can stand on its own if Washington “walks away” from talks as well as material and intelligence support; Ukraine’s role in Europe drive to rapidly rearm; why Russia’s recent air attacks on Ukrainian cities have been increasingly successful; and how long before Russia resets its forces as Moscow retains the same designed on its neighbors’ territory.

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 the $150 billion House Armed Services Committee’s reconciliation package that will be deliberated this week that prioritizes ships, missile defense and autonomous systems; implications of tariffs across the defense industrial base; takeaways from earnings reports last week; outlook for combat aircraft programs like the B-21 Spirit bomber as well as F-35 Lightning II and the Navy’s FA-XX future fighters; takeaways from the joint event by the Washington International Trade Association and the Asia Society; 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 Wall Street’s up week as President Trump backtracked on firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and that Washington was talking to Beijing on a tariff deal — China said no talks were underway — Deutsche Bank predicts a decade-long decline in the dollar as gold soars; a massive earnings week as Babcock, Boeing, GE Aerospace, General Dynamics, Hexcel, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Saab, Safran, Teledyne, Textron, and Thales report results; and how Europe’s ESG focus is impeding efforts to re-industrialize.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, 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 President Trump’s endorsement of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the wake of additional revelations of using messaging apps for official business; the president’s shifting stance on tariffs and ousting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell after markets reacted furiously to his suggestion that the central banker’s tenure should be ended; how the shifts are being interpreted in Beijing, Brussels and elsewhere; China lifts sanctions on European lawmakers to warm ties with Europe; after heavy attacks on Ukrainian cities, Trump called on Vladimir Putin to stop attacks while his administration continues to pressure Kyiv to recognize Crimea and other occupied territories as Russian otherwise America would walk away from peace negotiations; Vice President Vance visits India as the administration orders US diplomats to avoid events commemorating the end of the Vietnam War; and claims by Ronen Bar, the former chief of the Shin Bet, Israel’s interior security force fired by Bibi Netanyahu that the prime minister wants to turn the country into a police state.

The US Air Force continues to reshape itself to meet today’s challenges – and tomorrow’s. Major General Mark Mitchum is riding point on developing and delivering capabilities to the force as commander of the Integrated Capabilities Command. He brings us up to date on what’s been achieved and what’s next. And, of course, headlines in airpower. All powered by GE!

On this episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jerry McGinn, the director of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University, and Bill Alderman of Alderman & Company, a boutique firm specializing in aerospace and defense mergers and acquisitions, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump’s executive orders on reforming defense acquisition, defense acquisition and a maritime strategy; how such orders shape the actions of smaller firms in the aerospace and defense industrial base; the outlook for military spending and whether higher material costs in the wake of the president’s tariff decisions could undermine the Pentagon’s buying power; how big contractors squeeze their smaller suppliers in the name of “partnering for success,” and how the big-small dynamic is changing; the inability of US leaders to think strategically, for example, on building rare earth mineral capacity; and more.

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 the answers to the three questions that will shape what US defense looks like in 2028; the outlook for ending the Ukraine war; the world economic outlook as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund hold their spring meetings in Washington; whether it matters that the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia expires in less than a year; what to expect from first quarter earnings reports this week; 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 another down week for markets as President Trump predicts tariffs deals with the EU, China and others after a brief tussle with Fed Chair Jerome Powell that jolted markets; Beijing stopped accepting Boeing jetliners as analysts debate what’s next for the global aerospace and defense economy; Korea says it wont fight the president’s tariffs rather will change its own as a sign of its gratitude for all America has done for the country since the Korean War; whether Europe alone can support Ukraine if Washington walks away from Kyiv; Germany blocks Britain’s possible sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoons to Turkey to protest Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to jail his leading opponent, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu; and the abrupt departure of Lockheed Martin’s chief financial officer sparks speculation whether other changes may be coming at the top of the world’s leading defense contractor; and a look ahead to first quarter 2025 earnings.