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 DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the appropriations process as the Senate Armed Services Committee finishes its version of the National Defense Authorization Act and the outlook for reconciliation and an Iran war supplemental; prospects for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after President Trump directed his nominee to become the next Director of National Intelligence, US attorney Jay Clayton, to skip his confirmation hearing clearing the way for housing chief Bill Pulte to serve in an acting capacity; Washington and Tehran’s 14-point ceasefire memorandum of understanding giving the two sides 60-days to negotiate a lasting deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz that lawmakers and Israel blast as too generous toward Iran; Vice President Vance’s warning to Jerusalem; G7’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and impose more sanctions on Russia as Britain and France organize nations for a military mission to restore traffic through the strait; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launches another broadside at the alliance as Washington considers withdrawing key withdrawing air and naval capabilities; South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s invitation for Trump to lead a peace talks with North Korea; Beijing’s ability to strike Australia; and the Pentagon’s decision to change the US Indo-Pacific Command back to the US Pacific Command.

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 DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the Senate markup of its version of the National Defense Authorization Act as House appropriators unveil their $1.07 trillion defense spending measure; as lawmakers pass Reconciliation 2.0 that funds President Trump’s immigration efforts, Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, see dim prospects for the $350 billion Reconciliation 3.0 plus up for the Pentagon; how the administration and lawmakers can pack $1.5 trillion in planned spending into a smaller funding package; the future of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; the president’s decision to tap US attorney Jay Clayton as the next Director of National Intelligence; what’s next for the Iran war as Trump declares a deal involving Tehran and Jerusalem is imminent, a stance Iran and Israel deny; as Russia escalates its provocations against Europe, Washington prepares deep cuts to US capabilities for NATO, including cuts to fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, and refueling aircraft as well as a missile sub and warships including an aircraft carrier as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Alex “Grinch” Grynkewich tells a European audience that “Russia is not looking for a conflict;” British Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns resigned to protest Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s unwillingness to increase defense spending to bolster the country’s flagging military capabilities; Starmer visits Tokyo where officials express frustration that Britain is underfunding the Global Combat Air Program that includes Japan and Italy; Japan and South Korea work increasingly closely with Europe with the Takaichi to expand her tour of Europe during the upcoming G7 meeting; China continues to salami slice in South China Sea and arrests US citizen Min Zin, testing its detente with Washington; and Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang bolstered Kim Jong Un’s nuclear hand.

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 DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Senate passage of the $70 billion Reconciliation 2.0 package and what it means for the $350 Reconciliation 3.0 measure for the Pentagon; the House Armed Services Committee’s National Defense Authorization Act and chairman’s markup of the administration’s $1.15 trillion 2027 defense spending request; House passage of war powers resolution; outlook for US-Iran talks as two sides trade fire; Trump orders Israel to not strike Beirut to prevent collapse of talks with Iran, prompting Israel and Lebanon to strike new ceasefire; House approval of $8 billion in new Ukraine aid; Kyiv struck St. Petersburg oil facilities as Vladimir Putin convened his annual economic forum where Saudi Arabia was a special guest; Moscow’s $25 billion Iran nuclear deal; Washington’s decision to block Tomahawk cruise missiles for Germany to avoid provoking Moscow as Norway joined France’s European nuclear deterrent initiative; Chinese coercive maritime behavior; Japan’s quasi-alliances with Australia, the Philippines and — perhaps — SouthKorea; undersea warfare and uncrewed technologies become the first AUKUS Pillar II elements; the 17-nation Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges; impact of Trump’s proposal to elevate Federal Housing Finance Agency as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac boss Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence on renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; and US politics.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another record Wall Street close on strong tech performance and prospect of a US-Iran ceasefire as a quarter of trapped Persian Gulf tankers have reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz with US Navy help; airlines grapple with higher fuel costs and declining traffic as the Department of Homeland Security threatens to pull immigration and customs enforcement officers from major US international airports to punish cities the Trump administration deems insufficiently supportive of its immigration crackdown as analysts warn the move would have a catastrophic impact on business and leisure travel to the United States; a banner week for Saab as Ukraine commits to acquiring up to 150 Gripen jets, Canada opts for four of the company’s GlobalEye radar planes, and the Swedish firm strikes a partnership to mount its LoyalEye radar on General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ MQ-9; analysis of the Pentagon’s plan to spend tens of billions of dollars on buying drones and investing in companies that make them; major Space Force contracts for SpaceX as the company launches history’s largest ever initial public offering valued at $1.8 trillion, including a $4 billion award to develop a space-based air moving target indicator capability by 2028 that would make airborne early warning aircraft obsolete and $4 billion for missile tracking radars for Golden Dome missile defense system; and Elbit and Heico earnings.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss prospect of a US-Iran ceasefire deal after both sides exchange fire; Israel ramps up strikes on Hezbollah in South Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza; Russia pounds Ukraine, warning foreigners to leave Kyiv lest they be targeted as a Russian drone overshoots Ukraine to hit an apartment building in Romania; Moscow ramping up of threats and intimidation against the Baltics as America shifts its force posture in Europe and reduce capabilities devoted to NATO; Ukraine’s decision to buy Saab’s Gripen fighter as Stockholm opts for French frigates and Canada buys Swedish radar planes; what to expect from the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 24th annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore; South Korea’s decision to pursue nuclear attack submarines; the Quad — America, Australia, India and Japan — launches its first security organization, the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation Initiative; and the latest rift between the Israel and the UN.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss outlook for reconciliation as Senate GOP lawmakers rebelled against President Trump’s $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies prosecuted for their actions and $1 billion to pay for a new White House ballroom after the president backed Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in Texas and Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his Louisiana primary in Louisiana; prospect of a deal between Washington and Tehran as Iran continues efforts to formalize its control over the Strait of Hormuz; Vladimir Putin’s escalating provocations against the Baltics as Washington reconsiders its obligations to NATO and shifts troops in Europe; reverberations of Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping as the Chinese leader hosted Putin; Washington’s move to shift more operational control to South Korea as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Taikichi hold a landmark meeting; Seoul and New Delhi strike a security agreement as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rome to ink another security deal; and Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would evict Palestinian Bedouins from a West Bank village in retaliation for an ICC warrant seeking his arrest.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Congress and the Trump administration’s $1.15 trillion defense budget request, Reconciliation 2.0 as well as a new 3.0 version; lawmaker reaction to Pentagon’s claim the Iran war has cost $29 billion; update on talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran as the CIA estimates Tehran has reconstituted much of its capabilities as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed except to shipping Iran allows; news reports that Emirati and Saudi aircraft participated in operations against Iran as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited the UAE where Israeli air defenses troops are stationed; Saudi Arabia proposes a nonaggression pact with Iran; in the first of four planned summits, President Trump flatters Xi Jinping but the Chinese leader warns of Taiwan as a flashpoint in the relationship that could lead to conflict as American eagerness for more business for US firms fails to land deals; Vladimir Putin suggests his Ukraine war is coming to an end even as he continues to bombard the country and Kyiv disrupts Moscow’s Victory Day commemorations; bipartisan lawmakers force a vote on Ukraine aid as the administration continues to punish Europe for not supporting the Iran war by abruptly canceling a planned nine-month deployment to Poland of 4,000 troops from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, some of whom had already arrived in the country to help deter Russian aggression; and an update on redistricting and their impact on November’s elections.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank,Cavas Ships podcast co-host Chris Servello; former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what’s next for the Iran war as Tehran and Washington continue talks while exchanging fire that damaged cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the UAE’s key oil port at Fujairah; Washington’s Project Freedom mission to escort ships through the strait; Israel’s continuing strikes on Lebanon; how the energy crisis precipitated by the war shaped the European Political Community summit in Yerevan and the ASEAN meeting in the Philippines; Ukraine gains the upper hand with strikes deep into Russia as Moscow prepares to commemorate Victory Day and Russians grow increasingly frustrated with the war; President Trump threatens European allies with a 25 percent tariff on cars if the EU doesn’t approve a trade pact by July 4; analysis of the administration’s decision to cut 5,000 of 36,000 American troops from Germany and threat to pare back US forces from Italy and Spain as well; what to expect when Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing; Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Australia and Vietnam as Tokyo considers exporting used warships to the Philippines; and North Korea’s new constitution that drops reuniting with the south as a goal.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank,Michael Herson of American Defense International; former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss a chaotic week as House lawmakers advance a budget resolution to increase Immigrations and Customs Enforcement funding, extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and end the 80-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine testify before Congress as Hegseth lambasts members over the Iran war, arguing the ceasefire effectively stppped the 60-day War Powers Resolution clock; GOP lawmakers move to secure public funding President Trump’s top priority White House ballroom after the attack on the White House Correspondents Association dinner that prompted the evacuation of the president and top officials; continuing talks continue to end the US-Israel war on Iran as the United Arab Emirates dropped out of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; Trump engaged Vladimir Putin to renew efforts to force Ukraine to accept a ceasefire as Russia continues to take a beating at Ukrainian hands as its mercenaries are trounced in Mali and its “no limits” partnership with Beijing shows cracks; NATO nations consider scrapping their upcoming summit to avoid a clash with Trump; Germany’s drives ahead to become Europe’s defense leader; nuclear signaling by China and both Koreas as the Nonproliferation Treaty conference convenes in New York; defying Beijing, Paraguay’s President Santiago Pena to visit Taiwan in May as China again warned Japan about its commitment to a “free and open” Indo-Pacific; and takeaways from King Charles’ state visit and his historic address to a joint session of Congress on America’s 250th birthday.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International; former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the Trump administration’s $1.15 trillion 2027 defense budget request and opposition from veteran Republican lawmakers to funding key programs like the Golden Dome missile defense project through reconciliation as a GOP civil war erupts over reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, complicating efforts to fund the Department of Homeland Security; President Trump — citing a request from Pakistan — again extended the ceasefire with Iran to negotiate a deal as both US and Iranian forces seize ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and announced a three-week ceasefire extension to allow Jerusalem and Beirut to negotiate a deal over Hezbollah in South Lebanon; the Pentagon reportedly seeks to punish NATO allies for not supporting the Iran war, including “suspending” Spain’s membership and siding with Argentina against Britain’s sovereignty over the Falklands as the White House prepares to host King Charles for a state visit to celebrate America’s 250th birthday; Berlin plans to become Europe’s leading military by 2039 as the EU approved a 90 billion loan to Ukraine; top US Indo-Pacific commanders testify before the Senate as Washington tells Taipei to pass a defense budget in exchange for military assistance; Japan participates in US-Philippine exercises as Tokyo says it will allow arms sales to allies and partners, prompting protests from Beijing that sailed warships through Yokoate waterway; Trump fired his Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sacked Navy Secretary John Phelan; Democratic Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned; and Virginia voters approved the latest gerrymandering plan that could give Democrats an edge in November elections.