Defense & Aerospace Report

On today’s Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Washington’s moves to pressure Ukraine cede to Russian demands and its implications for US export orders; the budget outlook; what military mobilization looks like today; takeaways from Joanna Speed’s Aerospace Event in Washington, the Association of the United States Army’s conference and trade show, and the Wharton Aerospace Ventures gathering; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond. Our coverage at AUSA was sponsored by Lockheed Martin.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD 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 efforts by congressional staffers on the National Defense Authorization Act, appropriations and reconciliation that lawmakers will have to address after the November election as the Trump administration doubles down on its demand for a $350 billion reconciliation measure for the Pentagon; global outrage after President Trump’s alignment with Vladimir Putin to hobble Ukraine to advantage Russia in exchange for 2 million barrels of diesel to mitigate his electoral losses; NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Alex Grynkewich warning to Russia that any attack on the alliance would be utterly futile given its forces were ready to block, blunt and destroy a Russian attack; Iran’s attacks on Strait of Hormuz shipping including the sinking of a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship; Tehran-backed Houthi rebels strike Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni presidential complex in Sanaa; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s call on Trump to attack Iran before November elections as former Israeli security chief Ronan Barr files “blood libel” suit against his former boss for blaming the Oct 7 attack on intelligence services; escalating settler violence on the West Bank; Beijing’s latest verbal assault on Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan; the US Army’s third Indo-Pacific multi-domain task force; Asia braces for a possible post-midterm political shift in Washington; and growing prospects for a meeting between Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

On today’s Land Warfare Series program, sponsored American Rheinmetall, Tim Cahill, the president of Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss accelerating and increasing production of top priority air defense weapons like the PAC-3 missile; how the company is working with the government to pare back unnecessary requirements and specifications or redesign and substitute components to speed or simply production; investing in the supply chain and navigating bottlenecks; pooling procurement of key materials across Lockheed Martin to benefit from better economies of purchasing scale; and what happens if projected spending on new weaponry fails to materialize. Our coverage of AUSA is sponsored by Lockheed Martin.

On today’s Look Ahead 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 implications of President Trump’s steady efforts to normalize relations with Russia including the recent deal with Vladimir Putin to acquire 4 million tons of diesel fuel to reduce costs increased by the Iran war; the ongoing Iran war; major Pentagon deals including the US Navy’s contract with RTX for Standard Missile-6 weapons and the subcontractor to Boeing to triple production of seeks for Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 missile; the US Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit’s decision to award contracts to several competitors in the service’s Massed Modular Aiorcraft competition for a lower cost replacement for the Reaper aircraft; the Navy’s contract with Anduril for submarine parts; expectations as companies prepare to release third quarter earnings; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

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 DoD 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 Russia’s expanding strikes on Ukraine and Black Sea shipping, sinking a Togo-flagged cargo ship off the Bulgarian coast with all hands missing; how NATO should respond to Moscow’s escalating hybrid operations as well as kinetic actions to deter further aggression; questions about the alliance’s cohesion as Washington continues to warm relations with Moscow, inviting Vladimir Putin to attend the upcoming G20 meeting; Britain and Germany agree to bolster military and economic cooperation; the US Air Force withdraws bombers from Britain over security concerns as Israel says Iran was targeting American bases in Europe; Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s address in Athens; the backlash in the wake of the arrest of a US Marine on Okinawa accused of killing a local woman; the FBI arrest of a Chinese national accused of spying on the Taiwanese leader’s son; the growing US-China AI competition; Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey help Saudi Arabia in its fight against Houthis attacking the kingdom’s energy infrastructure as Washington quietly supports Riyadh despite having inked a deal with the Tehran-backed Yemeni group for safe passage of US and Israel ships through the Bab al-Mandab; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu tries to exploit the heroism of Israeli passengers that thwarted an attempt by the pilot to crash a recent FlyDubai flight, but faces criticism for failing to investigate the background of the pilot to who surveilled Ben Gurion airport before the flight; and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a long-time Israel supporter who now opposes aid.

The air and missile defense world is changing fast, with new concepts being developed and tried in operations around the world. We cover all the latest with Dr. Tom Karako, Director of the Air and Missile Defense program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Plus, did Boeing win F/A-XX… by a nose? Powered by GE Aerospace!

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 latest headlines and looks at the week ahead.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD 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 Trump administration’s obligation of $142 billion in spending before the funding expired, US bond yields hit nearly 5.3 percent, the highest since 2002; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out his vision for the force to junior leaders, including a panel to study of the future of war, a new drone combatant command and a giant new base to house American troops returning to the United States; Russia threatens NATO with nuclear weapons as the alliance grapples with how to respond to Moscow’s increasing hybrid provocations; President Trump turns down a deal with Iran; Abu Dhabi and Riyadh work to reconcile differences as Syria and Hezbollah meet in Turkey; Israel’s prime minister visits the UAE; Xi Jinping marks China’s national day after returning from his summit with President Trump; Beijing’s second military base in the Indo-Pacific; and Seoul approves the first major investment in the United States since President Lee Jae Myung made his pledge last year to spend $350 billion in America.

On this month’s Technology Report, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Brad Rockstroh of Netzer Metalworks joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the critical role small metal and machining companies play in America’s defense and commercial industrial ecosystem; the impact of the Trump administration’s efforts to expand US manufacturing including defense production; outlook for recruiting workers into manufacturing jobs and how long it takes train skilled workers; and how a revolution in manufacturing technology is changing the game.

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 latest headlines and looks at the week ahead.

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 DoD 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 Pentagon officials engaging defense authorizers and appropriators to make the case for their budget; rise in bond yields and gas prices in the wake of the Iran war; Steve Witkof's meeting with Iran’s Abbas Arakchi; Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats of strikes on US forces if Washington intervenes; highlights from the leader addresses at the UN General Assembly; Xi Jinping's state visit, US-Denmark Greenland agreement; Russian elections as Ukraine hammered Moscow’s refineries and much more.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Michael O’Hanlon, the Philip H. Knight Chair in defense and strategy as well as the director of foreign policy research at the Brookings Institution, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his latest book — “To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution” published in January by Yale University Press.

On today’s Look Ahead 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 Sept. 24 summit between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping; changing defense sentiment; implications of the deal the president claims gives US more rights in Greenland than the 1951 agreement between Washington and Copenhagen; more takeaways from the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual Air Space Cyber conference and tradeshow, including more Iran war lessons; the Air Force’s plan for 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft and 500 Massed Modular Aircraft; the service’s interest in new F16 Fighting Falcon jets by Lockheed Martin to fill out its aging force structure; RTX’s deal with hypersonic aircraft maker Hermeus to produce F100 engines; the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ new report, “The Defence of Europe in a New Era: An Assessment;” and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.