Defense & Aerospace Report

Dr. Patrick Cronin, Michael Herson, Jim Townsend, and Dr. Dov Zakheim discuss House Armed Services Committee marks, Russia's offensive in Ukraine, potential NATO troop support, Russia's nuclear anti-satellite system, Putin's defense leadership shakeup, Israel's Rafah operation, and geopolitical partnerships amidst global turmoil on a recent podcast episode.

Congress has begun to weigh in on this year’s defense budget with the House Armed Services Committee chairman’s mark. Where does airpower stand in this year’s deliberations? Budget guru Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute explains what the numbers mean – and don’t. Plus the week’s headlines in airpower.

John Kelly, the chief executive officer of Hanwha Defense USA, the American arm of the South Korean defense firm discusses his plan to grow the company‘s US footprint over the next decade, how lessons from his three decades navigating BAE System’s rise in America will help guide Hanwha’s growth, the role the company’s culture of investment and speed plays in making it an attractive supplier especially for munitions as the US Army applies supplemental funding to refill its stocks, the case for the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer in US service, unmanned systems and other capabilities the company has developed and is developing with partners like Anduril, Hanwha’s growing naval prowess, and a look at its merger and acquisition approach that will play a key factor in its growth, including an update on a possible Austal deal with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

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 Biden administrations four new documents — National Security Memorandum 22, the International Cyber Strategy, the Cyber Posture Review, and the second version of the implementation plan — the House Armed Services Committee chairman’s marks to the cyber elements of the National Defense Authorization Act and the Senate’s sentiment on cyber priorities, concern by cyber firms that the administration’s drive to hold Chief Information Security Officers personally responsible for lapses, and how the battle against Russian and Chinese disinformation is being lost with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses discusses Russia’s advances into Northern Ukraine and whether they mark a negative turning point for Kyiv, Vladimir Putin’s cabinet reshuffle and what it means, Russian messaging during May 9 “Victory Day” events, Putin’s latest round of nuclear rhetoric that includes tactical drills and news reports of a facility in Belarus; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses budget outlook as House Armed Services Committee works on its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, analysis of first quarter 2024 earnings data, takeaways from congressional testimony including from US Air Force leaders on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft effort and fleet air and missile defense, 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 discuss another winning week on Wall Street, inflation worries, the latest FAA investigation into Boeing, this time for allegedly falsifying records on the company’s 787 widebody, BWXT, Embraer, Hendsoldt, Leonardo, Palantir, Spirit, and Transdigm earnings, AerCap and KBR host investor days, and Europe moves to use seized Russian assets to help Ukraine and NATO works to rearm itself and Ukraine.

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 House Speaker Mike Johnson keeps his job, the FY 2025 budget process churns ahead, President Biden denounces antisemitism and threatens arms shipments as Israel brushes aside warnings and starts its Rafah incursion, Europe’s perception of Israel’s Gaza war and how China is portraying US support for the war and prospect that Washington is fickle with allies, the EU moves to use Russian assets to help Ukraine as NATO working groups coordinate support for Kyiv, Xi Jinping makes his first visit to Europe in five years.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall traveled to Maxwell Air Force Base on May 7th, and allowed The Air Power Podcast to ride along.  He shared his experience in an AI-controlled fighter, his views on roles and missions for collaborative combat aircraft, the CCA competition, Replicator, the Space Force budget, the nuclear deterrent, and more. Plus we have top news in airpower. Powered by GE!

Jason Salata, a retired US Navy captain and former US Special Operations Command spokesman who is now with the Provision Advisors PR firm representing SOF Week 2024, discusses the key messages from US and international special operations leaders at this year’s SOF Week in Tampa, international cooperation as nations continue counterterror missions while increasing great power capabilities, concern that investment in SOF capabilities is declining, and how the technology focus at the exhibition has shifted from guns and gear to AI, big data and unmanned systems; and Michael Harpin of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency with the winners of the government-wide cyber competition with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next January in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Gen. Dave Goldfein, USAF Ret., the US Air Force’s 21st chief of staff, who is now a Blackstone board member and Google Public Sector board chair and advisor to firms like Anduril and Shield Capital, discusses what he has learned since retirement that he wishes he new while in uniform, how to drive innovation, keys to quickly adapting commercial technologies for military needs, growing importance of data and software, the lessons from the Air Force’s decision to pick Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems as the finalists in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft contest, culture change and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.