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 in the wake of Wagner Group CEO Yevgeny Prigozhin aborted mutiny, how Russia changes as a threat after the chaotic weekend that saw mercenary forces advance to within 125 miles of Moscow, prospect of increased French defense spending and Berlin’s plan to invest up to 10 billion euros on ammunition and combat vehicles, lessons from the widespread flight cancellations across the United States as Americans head on vacation before Independence Day, the impact of the new agreement between Spirit AeroSystems management and its union that will yield a 36 percent pay raise, the US Army’s decision to select GD Land Systems and Rheinmetall for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Leonardo partners with Hanwha on Advanced Electronically Scanned Array radar technology, China’s flight test of a J20 fighter equipped with Chinese-made WS15 engines and what the development means for Comac’s C919 airliner, and the FAA’s awarding of a special airworthiness certificate to Joby Aviation to allow the company to deliver its first production electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to the US Air Force next year under the Agility contract valued at up to $131 million.
