On this week’s Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, James Hackett, the head of defense and military analysis at the International institute for Strategic Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the updated report he co-edited — “Progress and Shortfalls in Europe’s Defence: An Assessment.”
On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners discusses the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.
On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a Wall Street rally despite weaker than expected jobs numbers and hiccups with their disclosure; Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s hosts Vladimir Putin and Narenda Modi in Beijing as three decades of US effort to woo India and drive wedges between Beijing and Moscow collapse; Russia’s targeting of EU President Ursula von der Lyen’s plane with GPS jamming signals as French President Emmanuel Macron brought together Ukraine’s allies to craft a plan to support the country; reports of a TNT shortage because of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the global rearmament drive it’s sparked; whether the Fitch ratings agency’s decision to downgrade Poland over fiscal concerns could undermine the country’s role and ambition as a European defense leader; Norway’s decision to pick Britain’s Type 26 frigate by BAE Systems over Fincantieri’s Constellation-class, Naval Group’s Admiral Ronar’c, and Thyssen Krupp’s Type 127 ships, joining Australia and Canada as export customers for the new antisubmarine warship; Babcock Marine’s investor day; the US Navy taps Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman move head in the service’s program for an autonomous strike aircraft as Lockheed Martin is tapped to develop the command system for the new planes; Government Accountability Office’s latest report criticizing late deliveries of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter; Peru’s interest in Saab’s Gripen fighter and Global Eye radar plane; GE Aerospace’s $300 million investment in electric aircraft-maker Beta Technologies; and what to expect at the 2025 edition of DSEI tradeshow next week in London.
Welcome to the CavasShips Podcast with Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello…a weekly podcast looking at naval and maritime events and issues of the day – in the US, across the seas and around the world. This week…New President of the Surface Navy Association Retired Vice Admiral Ron Boxall joins us to discuss SNA’s upcoming west coast symposium, latest Navy headlines and the contribution surface warfare is making around the globe.
On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Congress’ return to Washington as government shutdown worries mount; the National Defense Authorization Act moves from the Senate to the House; Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst decision to retire; Texas, California and Missouri redistricting moves; how lawmakers and industry view the prospect the Trump administration will acquire stakes in defense contractors; the administration’s deployment of naval forces to the Caribbean that launched the first of what officials says will be more strikes on drug runners; China hosts leaders from two dozen nations seeking to thwart US power worldwide and the significance of Xi Jinping holding hands with Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi; French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Ukraine’s European allies in Paris to discuss peacekeepers in the country as Russia continues to reject the prospect of troops on Ukrainian soil; and Israel continues its Gaza occupation despite opposition from the country’s top security officials.
U.S. Naval aviation is rebuilding its decks. In a rollicking conversation, former Director of Air Warfare, Nimitz skipper, and current Tailhook Association chairman RAdm Mike “Nasty” Manazir gets into the details on F/A-XX, F-35, MQ-25, and the whole future of Naval aviation. It’s fun and deeply informative. Powered by GE!
On today’s Technology Report podcast, sponsored by Elbit America, Scott Sloan, the president of Stratascorp Technologies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his commentary on the AFCEA website — “Data Won’t Solve Everything, But It Will Help: Interdepartmental data-sharing could be a game-changer for the future of the maritime industrial base workforce” — how to leverage data to more thoughtfully address workforce challenges; the importance of structuring data collection systems with sharing in mind; engineering data systems to ensure collaboration across government and industry; roles of artificial intelligence and machine learning in data collection and analysis; how to scale recruiting beyond the maritime industry to also include air, land, space, and cyber fields; opportunities and challenges as the Trump administration implements the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification approach to improve cybersecurity.
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 Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s proposal that the government take stakes in defense contractors as it did in chip-maker Intel and why state ownership of US defense contractors would be problematic; the outlook for US-India strategic and industrial cooperation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi literally holds hands with China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in the wake of US tariffs imposed on New Delhi; prospect of US military action against drug cartels in Caribbean and Latin America as American warships increase their regional presence; Norway’s decision to adopt Britain’s Type 26 by BAE Systems as its next surface combatant; the US budget outlook as investors return from summer holidays as Washington prepares to run out of money at the end of the month; takeaways from the National Defense Industrial Association’s annual Emerging Technologies Institute conference in Washington last week; and a look at the week ahead.
When then presidential candidate Donald Trump made a promise to create a Space National Guard, he received a standing ovation. Now 12 months later, that promise is broken, with far reaching and costly effects. Laura Winter speaks with National Guard Association President Maj. Gen. (ret.) Frank McGinn; and Director of Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Colorado, Brig. Gen. Michael Bruno, who is the National Guard Association’s Task Force Space Chair.
On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street flat week as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the Pentagon is considering stakes in major defense contractors that he said were “basically an arm of the federal government;”a federal appeals court rejected President Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on nations worldwide as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the ruling would be a dangerous diplomatic embarrassment and the president said returning the $96 billion raised since April would plunge the nation into depression; the administration slaps tariffs on goods of $800 or less; Trump continued his attacks on the Federal Reserve; the prospect that Washington will back Russia’s proposalChinese forces serve as peacekeepers in Ukraine; the French government teeters on the verge of collapse as Safran says it will develop a new fighter engine with India; Rheinmetall considers buying shipbuilder Lürssen; General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ YFQ-42A — the company’s entry into the US Air Force’s competition for its first increment collaborative combat aircraft — made its successful first flight near Edwards Air Force base in California; and Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy for a second time in a year.