Defense & Aerospace Report

This week, Anduril Industries unveiled its Roadrunner, a new concept in air defense. We’ll hear about it from their Pat Morris. And A.J. Piplica, the CEO of Hermeus, on their new contract and forthcoming hypersonics tests.  Of course, we also have this week’s airpower headlines. With power from GE!

On today’s program, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Jerry Hendrix, a retired US Navy captain and strategist who is now a senior fellow with the Sagamore Institute, discusses his new National Review article — “Save the Military-Industrial Complex: The government must ensure our nation’s war making capacity” — that recommends establishing a White House lead to oversee the rebuilding of America’s defense and commercial industrial capabilities necessary for national security with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Bill LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and Sustainment, and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall discuss what the Defense Department is doing to rebuild the industrial capacity that they and others maintain is a key to deterrence, reward innovative new suppliers, and artificial intelligence with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discuss takeaways from the 10th annual Reagan National Defense Forum, and 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 Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the week on world markets, Wall Street’s view of the US defense spending outlook as lawmakers work toward a budget deal, Germany’s rearmament drive, Rolls-Royce’s capital markets day and plans to exit electric propulsion, big week for Boeing as 787 deliveries to China are to resume and P-8 Poseidon win in Canada, but the company is eliminated from USAF contest to replace E-4B “doomsday” nuclear command and control planes, more change at Spirit AeroSystems as Textron cuts workforce, and worries over the safety of America’s air traffic control system.

Experts discuss budget deal, Israel-Hamas war, NATO's support for Ukraine, Geert Wilders' win in Netherlands, US-India relations, Kissinger's legacy, and expectations from Reagan National Defense Forum. They also touch upon NDAA progress, ongoing negotiations in Israel-Hamas conflict, European elections, and complexity of decision-making in wartime.

Learn how optimizing fuel efficiency enhances combat capability as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Roberto Guerrero, shares insights. Topics include updates on aircraft retirement, acquisitions, and contracts in the defense and aerospace industry; the history and future of moving target indication in the Air Force; data interpretation and future programs; and funding and initiatives for operational efficiency in the Air Force.

On this week’s Technology Report, Dr. Wes Naylor, a retired US Navy captain and former commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training and Simulation Division who is now the CEO of Helicon Chemical, and Chris Servello, the co-host of the Cavas Ships podcast and Defense & Aerospace Report producer who is a co-founder of the Provision Advisor PR firm, discuss takeaways from this year’s Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), technologies that will shape the future of training and simulation that in turn will shape large-scale synthetic environments and CJADC2, the Biden administration’s new supply chain approach and cyber security, as well as the legacy of Rear Adm. Jim Robb, USN Ret., who as president of the National Defense Industrial Association’s National Training and Simulation Association was a driving force in I/ITSEC’s growth with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by Bell, Ilan Berman, the president of the American Foreign Policy Council, discusses his new report — “Challenging Moscow’s Message: Russian Disinformation and the Western Response” — the history of Russian disinformation efforts, its successful Cold War campaigns as well as its more recent efforts, how to counter disinformation, and lessons from Israel’s war on Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses discusses the long-range unmanned systems duel between Ukraine and Russia as Moscow strikes Ukrainians targets and Kyiv responds, Russia’s improvements on Iran’s Shahed-136 attack drones that are not being produced outside Moscow, Russia’s improving capabilities and how Ukraine is adapting, how Iran, North Korea and Turkey are helping the Russian war effort, and Vladimir Putin’s comments at the AI Journey conference; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the six key questions to consider about the future of defense spending as the outlook for the Pentagon budget outlook as well as aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan remains uncertain, what to expect at the upcoming Reagan National Defense Forum, and a look at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.