On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Jerry McGinn, the executive director of the Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University who served in the Pentagon’s office of manufacturing and industrial base policy and his colleague, Eric Lofgren, a research fellow specializing in government contracting, discuss their new report, with Lloyd Everhart — “Execution Flexibility and Bridging the Valley of Death” — on how innovative smaller companies with good ideas can survive the Pentagon acquisition process to grow into sustainable enterprises, grading DoD’s innovation initiatives aimed at more quickly harnessing technology to solve national security problems, how reforming the Planning, Programming, Budgeting & Execution could have a dramatic impact on both improving and accelerating the entire acquisition ecosystem, and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and the Center for a New American Security discusses what’s next now that Ukraine has liberated Kherson from Russian occupation, Moscow’s drive to circumvent the normal acquisition system to rush new equipment to the frontlines, and impact of mounting criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dr. Michael Shurkin of the Atlantic Council and Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, discusses France’s new defense strategy, priorities, building new capabilities and how Washington has to regard its oldest ally, and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses how the meeting between President Biden and China’s Xi Jinping changes the vector for US defense spending, the impact of the midterm on the Pentagon’s budget outlook, and a look at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Caitlin Dohrman, the president of Improbable US Defense & National Security, discusses the company’s unique synthetic environment capabilities, the role of cutting-edge commercial capabilities for defense applications for better wargaming, scenario development as well as immersive synthetic training environments, the future of the technology and how small companies can grow into tomorrow’s giants with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

In the second of a six-part series on command and control, sponsored Ultra Intelligence & Communications, Bryan Clark, the director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, Chris Dougherty of the Center for a New American Security, and Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, discuss the Pentagon’s new Joint All-Domain Command and Control strategy, whether the new approach will field capability at the speed of relevance, an update on each of the service’s command and control efforts — the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System, the Army’s Project Convergence, and the Navy’s Project Overmatch — and how to best integrate these efforts, and move faster with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and the Center for a New American Security discusses Russia’s strikes against Ukraine’s power, water and heating networks, how Ukrainian forces are defending against Russia’s Iranian-made drones, Ukraine’s forces’ advance on Kherson, impact of Russian mobilization and fresh forces on the Kherson front, Washington’s suggestion that Kyiv be open to negotiations, and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the impact of inflation on defense contractors, defense implications of Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun’s statement last week that the company won’t develop a new jetliner until the mid-2030s, and a look at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.  

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Eric Fanning, the president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, discusses the annual workforce study the trade body the organization develops with the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Ernst & Young consultancy — “How do you reshape today’s workforce and attract tomorrow’s talent?” — the impact of the CHIPS Act on developing future talent, the impact of inflation and supply chains on defense and aerospace manufacturing, the defense budget outlook as mid-term elections loom, the importance of congressional action on research and development tax credits that spur innovation, and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses who is also affiliated with the Center for a New American Security discuses Ukraine’s coordinated attack against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol using unmanned air and surface vehicles; Dr. Bill Conley, the chief technology officer at Mercury Systems who is also the chairman of the Association of Old Crows, discusses on takeaways from AOC’s 59th annual conference and tradeshow last week, lessons from Russia’s war on Ukraine, and moving faster to deliver electromagnetic, cyber and information capabilities; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses recent corporate earnings and emerging trends, the defense spending implications of next week’s national elections, and a look at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Randy Schriver, a former assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs who is now the chairman of the Project 2049 Institute to fully normalize relations between the United States and Taiwan, discusses think tank’s new China Economic Strategy Initiative that aims to help US leaders craft better strategies to compete against China — and do it more quickly — assessing the Biden administration’s toughening approach to Beijing, the competitive strategy Washington needs, takeaways from the Chinese Communist Party’s recent congress, the capabilities America and Taiwan need to field to deter Chinese aggression, lessons Beijing and Taipei are drawing from Russia’s war on Ukraine and the global response to Moscow’s aggression, update on the Taiwan Policy Act and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Harlan Ullman, an Atlantic Council senior advisor, strategist and author who is the chairman of the Killowen Group consultancy, discusses the Biden administration’s National Security Strategy and why it and the upcoming National Defense Strategy are both aspirational and unaffordable in his column “A National Security Strategy that is Viable and Affordable,” and the life and legacy of former Defense Secretary Ash Carter who died suddenly on Oct. 24 at age 68; and Paul Scharre, the vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security, discusses the new report he co-authored with his colleague Megan Lambert, “Artificial Intelligence and Arms Control,” why it may prove important to control AI, past arms control models that could prove effective, enforcement and how the Biden administration’s export bans on chip making equipment to China are a means of AI arms control against Beijing with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Todd Harrison, the managing director for Metrea Strategic Insights, discusses his analysis of the Biden administration’s defense budget plans including growing personnel costs even before a planned 4.6 percent pay raise, what happens if the pay raise jumps to 6 percent because of inflation, a possible shortfall in operations and maintenance funding, budget share by military service and why Air Force funding is falling short, and whether the administration has launched a series of major top secret programs or has created a “bishop’s” fund to cover future costs; and Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners on the administration’s export ban on chip making technology to China, whether additional countries will adopt Washington’s stance, curtailing Western hardware and software exports that improve Beijing’s military capabilities, lessons from Britain’s ruinous financial missteps and whether the GOP could follow suit in the wake of November electoral victory, Russia and Iran newsflow, and look at Lockheed Martin’s earnings and share buybacks and what to expect from the defense group as companies report earnings, and the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.