Defense & Aerospace Report Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Feb 17, 2026] Look Ahead w/ Byron Callan
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Feb 17, 2026 Byron Callan, senior analyst at Capital Alpha Partners who tracks defense and aerospace policy, discusses takeaways from the Munich Security Conference. He outlines shifting transatlantic cooperation, Europe's push for industrial urgency, Canada’s new buy-domestic defense strategy, and the changing services market amid AI and budget politics. He also previews key geopolitical events for the week ahead.
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Tone Shift Without Strategic Convergence
- Munich 2026 showed tone change but not a sudden policy shift across the transatlantic alliance.
- Byron Callan says language softened but core divergence in goals remains.
No Shared Threat Focus
- Europe and the U.S. still disagree on what the alliance should defend and against whom.
- Callan highlights lack of shared threat perception as the core schism.
Europe Wants Industrial Strategic Weight
- European leaders are pushing for industrial scale and self-reliance in defense.
- Callan notes fiscal and demographic constraints but agrees Europe can regear if priorities align.