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 why the end of the Iran war would be good news for the US defense industry; what to expect the upcoming summit between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping; how nations worldwide are realigning defense purchases to reduce their dependence on US suppliers without alarming Washington; US defense budget deliberations as lawmakers return to the Capitol; what happens if Democrats won’t retake the House or Senate; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s video lambasting heritage contractors while touting commercial and fixed-price contract terms as outlined by the president’s recent executive order; first quarter earnings thoughts; and a look at the week ahead in Washington and beyond.

Justin Sherman, the founder of Global Cyber Strategies, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, and the author of the book “Navigating Technology and National Security” joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the cyber aspects of the Trump administration’s 2027 federal spending request, changes lawmakers should consider to improve cyber security, impact of new AI models like Anthropic’s Mythos on improving cyber defenses, the administration’s interest in testing AI models before their release and how such tests should be conducted, and growing role of AI in warfare and the government’s oversight over contractors during military operations.

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 Iran war scenarios as President Trumps says US forces will escort neutral ships through the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran warns it will fire on ships that transit the waterway without permission; the latest rupture between the United States and its European allies after the administration announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, leaving 30,000 in the nation; the Pentagon’s warning to allies in Europe and Asia to expect long delays in filling arms orders as new production is redirected to fill depleted US stocks and decision to “fast track” $8 billion in weapons to Gulf allies including $4 billion in Patriot missiles to Qatar; whether delays in US delivers will give opportunities to other European suppliers, Ukraine and South Korea; the president’s fixed-price contracting executive order; defense budget update as lawmakers express reservations about Reconciliation 2.0; the Pentagon’s $54 billion Defense Autonomous Warfare Group funding block; takeaways from Modern Day Marine; and a look at the week ahead in Washington and beyond.

The Defense & Aerospace Report Team — Laura Winter of The DownLink, Cavas Ships Podcast cohosts Chris Cavas and Chris Servello, and Air Power Podcast co-host JJ Gertler join Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the air, land, sea and space elements of the Trump administration’s defense budget request across its $1.15 trillion base budget, $350 billion “Reconciliation 2.0” plan, and as-yet-undisclosed Iran war supplemental.

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 continuing US-Israel war on Iran despite a lull in shooting; diminishing US offensive and defensive precision weapons stocks and how they might shape American deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere; economic factors that could drive even rich nations to redirect spending from military programs; the continuing global defense realignment as nations work to forge new partnerships to reduce reliance on the United States; takeaways from the Trump administration’s 2027 base budget request and prospects for Reconciliation 2.0; a look earnings as Boeing, CACI, GE Aerospace, Hexcel, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Saab, Teledyne and Thales all report; market impact in the wake of the latest instance of American political violence as a shooter tries to break into the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington; and a look at the week ahead in Washington and beyond.

Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to preview the Trump administration’s $1.15 trillion 2027 defense budget request; what will be included in the Reconciliation 2.0 measure that will boost 2027 military spending to $1.5 trillion; what would be included in a supplemental funding measure for Iran war costs; and analysis of Navy, Air Force and Army department budgets.

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 what’s next as both Tehran and Washington test the ceasefire adopted last week that paused the US-Israel war on Iran; whether higher government spending to offset higher energy and other societal costs in the wake of the conflict will reduce resources for defense; what to expect as the Trump administration prepares to submit its 2027 defense spending request to Congress; thoughts on drone and counter-drone warfare; tradeoffs nations are making among drones, novel capabilities and legacy systems; what to expect at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference and tradeshow next week; and a look at the week ahead in Washington and beyond.

Cavas Ships co-hosts Chris Cavas and Chris Servello join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what they expect to hear from US Navy leaders at the Sea-Air-Space conference and tradeshow next week. Cavas Ships will produce daily content and our coverage is sponsored by RTX.

On today’s Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners and Cavas Ships Podcast co-host Chris Servello join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the planned US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; what’s next in the US-Israel war on Iran; how the focus of US capabilities in the Middle East will impact America’s ability to deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific; what’s next for the conflict; outlook for the Iran war supplemental the Trump administration will seek; expectations as companies prepare to report earnings; and a look at the week ahead in Washington and beyond.

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 next phase in the US-Israel war on Iran as President Trump threatens to devastate the country’s power plants and bridges unless Tehran opens the Strait of Hormuz; the questions the war raises for the defense ecosystem; defense and aerospace stock performance in the wake of the conflict; the administration’s $1.5 budget request — $1.15 billion for the base budget and the rest through “Reconciliation 2.0” — plus an upcoming request for another $240 billion to cover war costs; and a look ahead to the major events of the coming week in Washington and beyond.