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 budget impact of debt, deficits, customs duties and refunds; prospect of higher food prices as Russia destroys Ukraine’s grain stocks; US brain drain and national security; the Mecca deal and midterms; what’s next for the Iran war; low-cost weapons and deterrence; the budget impact of Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg’s demand to accelerate weapons production; President Trump’s order that the Navy establish a fifth government shipyard, buy warships from overseas firms, and replace the electromagnetic catapults on the Ford-class aircraft carrier with steam ones; Trump’s order that the Pentagon dial back military exercises with South Korea to punish Seoul for not supporting the Iran war and claim that North Korea is a nonthreatening power; earnings takeaways; today’s announcement that Chris Kubasik was replaced with Sam Mehta as L3Harris’ CEO; and a look at the week ahead and 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 Senate passage of a continuing resolution and implications for this year’s defense budget; why debt and deficit will be a 2027-2028 issues; Deputy Secretary Feinberg’s memo to industry giving companies 21 says to submit detailed plans to accelerate production of key platforms and systems, including munitions; whether it would make better sense to focus on munitions to better prioritize resources rather than accelerate everything all at once; why the initiative might be fleeting; analysis of the Defiant-class battleship that President Trump wants as the centerpiece of his “Golden Fleet;” BWXT, CACI, Honeywell Aerospace, Howmet, Palantir, Redwire, Rheinmetall and SpaceX earnings; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

Is ship count the right metric for measuring naval power? Carriers, missiles, people, the industrial base, where should the Navy invest or divest to ensure the fleet of the near future is sized at the appropriate capability and cost. These issues and more are addressed in depth in the Hudson Institute’s upcoming Fleet Design report. The CavasShips team of Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello cover for Vago today and share their recent conversation with Hudson’s Bryan Clark, where he previews the study and discusses current naval operations. 

Joe Kochan, the chief executive officer of the National Spectrum Consortium, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the importance of better management and sharing of limited spectrum for national security needs, provides an update on new technologies members are offering the Department of War and the value of other transactional authority when it come to prototyping and moving faster.

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.

Illy Andrews and Dr. Justin Goldberg of Amentum join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the company’s role in UK defense as the government invests in a new generation of air, nuclear and strike technologies.

Jim Currier, the president and CEO of the Honeywell Aerospace, and Mike Vallillo, the vice president for international defense, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the new company’s independence after its June 29 spinoff and its role in the global defense and aerospace ecosystem; how it will help deliver President Trump’s call to accelerate weapons production; managing supply chains; investing for the future, including to develop products that are immune from US export controls; and the implications of “right to repair” legislation on companies that invest to develop proprietary technologies.

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.

Steve Parker, the chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how the giant is working to answer the Trump administration’s demand for accelerated missile and weapons production; the company’s new approach to managing supply chains to improve performance; how the Pentagon is making it easier for contractors to move faster; how moving is moving faster on programs delivery; efforts to attract, retain and nurture a more experienced workforce to improve program execution as veteran workers retire or move to other companies; Boeing’s new culture of performance; Ukraine lessons shaping the company’s strategy, investment and products; thoughts on “right to repair” and capital allocation as lawmakers consider legislation; and whether the administration’s rhetoric that’s propelling allies to develop “sovereign” capabilities will negatively impact the company’s future prospects.