On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the Aerodynamic advisory consultancy joint Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to review the week on world markets and the impact of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on the defense innovation ecosystem and whether the shock will prompt the Federal Reserve to forgo additional interest rate hikes to control inflation, the US government’s decision not to bail the bank out, the new Anglo-French accord and earnings of leading firms like Dassault Aviation as well as Leonardo and Thales, Embraer earnings and GE’s investor day, plans by Saudi Arabia’s new carrier to acquire 100 wide-body jetliners, the industrial and national security implications of the AUKUS deal to be announced tomorrow to furnish Canberra with nuclear-powered attack submarines, analysis of the Biden administration’s $842 billion defense budget request including US Air Force plans to develop an all-new aerial tanker able to operate in contested airspace and the cost-plus nature of Boeing’s contract for new E-7 radar planes, the Navy’s decision to gap amphibious ship purchases, and expectations that Congress will dramatically increase spending.
