Defense & Aerospace Report

Join Brigadier General Pierre Gaudilliere, Chief of the French Air Force's Fighter Force, as he dives into the intricacies of the French Air and Space Force's global operations with a fleet of 160 fighters. He discusses the modernization of military strategies in light of escalating threats, particularly from Russia. Insights on the role of air power in contemporary conflicts and the integration of cutting-edge technologies like the Saab Global Eye system show how France plans to maintain air superiority. Get ready for an engaging exploration of aerospace strategy!

On today’s Technology Report, sponsored by Elbit America, Michael Greenman, the senior manager for cloud solutions at enterprise software firm Deltek, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss what’s next as Pentagon prepares to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification process to bolster US defense industrial base cyber security.

Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the latest on the Ukraine war as President Trump agrees to sell weapons to NATO nations to better support Kyiv and warns Moscow that severe sanctions will be imposed by the United States in 50 days unless a peace deal is struck; the evolving nature of the drone war between Ukrainian and Russian forces that include using fishing nets to block small air vehicles; how Ukraine is using UAVs to intercept other UAVs; and analysis of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new “drone dominance” strategy.

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 President Trump’s abrupt threat of against higher tariffs on the EU, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and others unless they accept his trade terms by Aug. 1 and its impact on the Defnese and aerospace ecosystem; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “drone dominance” guidance and whether it will accelerate the fielding of novel unmanned capabilities; what the unfounded priorities lists submitted by the US military services to Congress say about the administration’s budget; what to expect this week from appropriations hearings; second quarter outlays; what it will take to quadruple production of PAC-3 air and missile defense weapons; and a look at the week ahead.

Join Dr. Ron Epstein, a financial guru from Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa, a savvy analyst from Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert from AeroDynamic consultancy. They delve into Wall Street's reaction to Nvidia's soaring success and the geopolitical ripple effects of potential U.S. tariffs. Discussions highlight a historic nuclear agreement between Britain and France, the evolving landscape of fighter aircraft procurement with Peru's Gripen deal, and the EU’s strategic responses to trade challenges. A lively insight into the future of defense and aerospace!

Michael Herson, a lobbyist for American Defense International, joins Dov Zakheim, former Pentagon comptroller, and Patrick Cronin, Asia Pacific Security Chair at the Hudson Institute, along with Jim Townsend, ex-Pentagon Europe Chief. They discuss the legislative consequences of a tax-cut bill affecting defense funding and military readiness. The guests analyze rising geopolitical tensions, including U.S. tariffs and a newly forged UK-France nuclear pact, while also addressing escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

It’s a pretty sure bet that the future of airpower is increasingly uninhabited. Dr. Caitlin Lee of the RAND Corporation has six propositions to consider when trying to understand where we are with UAVs, and we’ll go through them in detail. And a lot going on in this week’s airpower headlines. Powered by GE!

On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Ben Barry, a retired British Army brigadier who is the director of land warfare studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his recent report, “Defending Europe Without the United States: Costs and Consequences;” how quickly Russia will be able to reconstitute its forces and pose a threat to NATO; what Europe has to do to build the capabilities to defend itself without relying on the United States; the critical role of more than 128,000 American military personnel in Europe; where member nations will find the $1 trillion they will need; coordinating industrial capacity to deliver needed systems; whether Europe can support Ukraine in the event Washington pulls the plug on Kyiv; whether there are a opportunities for US companies and more cooperation in the short and longer term; outlook for the Ukraine war; and case for tanks and attack as well as transport helicopters even in a highly kinetic battlefield environment.

On this episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Bran Ferren, the cofounder and CEO of the Applied Minds consultancy, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the merits of bringing interdisciplinary to problem solving; the need for the United States to adopt disruptive thinking to countering adversaries like China rather than playing their numbers game; how to drive innovation; why America has tracked the China threat in particular but failed to better prepare for it; why the Pentagon needs a variety of acquisition approaches with differing speeds depending on what’s being acquired; and enduring lessons from mankind’s greatest achievement, the Apollo moon landings.

Byron Callan, an analyst from Capital Alpha Partners with expertise in defense and market trends, joins to unpack the implications of President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' on defense funding. He discusses the fraught budget process, highlighting how midterm elections may shape fiscal priorities. Callan also analyzes the recent Israel-Iran conflict as a pivotal moment and recaps key insights from the NATO Summit. The conversation looks ahead at upcoming defense events, including discussions on drone warfare and Taiwan's military posture.