Defense & Aerospace Report Defense & Aerospace Report, sponsored by Bell

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, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim join host Vago Muradian to discuss House Speaker Mike Johnson keeps his job, the FY 2025 budget process churns ahead, President Biden denounces antisemitism and threatens arms shipments as Israel brushes aside warnings and starts its Rafah incursion, Europe’s perception of Israel’s Gaza war and how China is portraying US support for the war and prospect that Washington is fickle with allies, the EU moves to use Russian assets to help Ukraine as NATO working groups coordinate support for Kyiv, Xi Jinping makes his first visit to Europe in five years.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall traveled to Maxwell Air Force Base on May 7th, and allowed The Air Power Podcast to ride along.  He shared his experience in an AI-controlled fighter, his views on roles and missions for collaborative combat aircraft, the CCA competition, Replicator, the Space Force budget, the nuclear deterrent, and more. Plus we have top news in airpower. Powered by GE!

Jason Salata, a retired US Navy captain and former US Special Operations Command spokesman who is now with the Provision Advisors PR firm representing SOF Week 2024, discusses the key messages from US and international special operations leaders at this year’s SOF Week in Tampa, international cooperation as nations continue counterterror missions while increasing great power capabilities, concern that investment in SOF capabilities is declining, and how the technology focus at the exhibition has shifted from guns and gear to AI, big data and unmanned systems; and Michael Harpin of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency with the winners of the government-wide cyber competition with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On this month’s innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next January in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Gen. Dave Goldfein, USAF Ret., the US Air Force’s 21st chief of staff, who is now a Blackstone board member and Google Public Sector board chair and advisor to firms like Anduril and Shield Capital, discusses what he has learned since retirement that he wishes he new while in uniform, how to drive innovation, keys to quickly adapting commercial technologies for military needs, growing importance of data and software, the lessons from the Air Force’s decision to pick Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems as the finalists in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft contest, culture change and more with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

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, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy, join host Vago Muradian discuss prospect the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates now that new jobs creation has cooled, a shareholder advisory firm recommends investors vote to oust outgoing Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and two board members off the company’s board as the company issued $10 billion in debt, Embraer considers making bigger aircraft to compete with Boeing and Airbus, Sierra Nevada beats Boeing to win a $13 billion contract to develop the Air Force’s next generation nuclear command and control planes, analysis of Howmet, MTU, and Thales earnings, Air Force secretary Frank Kendall makes history in being the first senior leader to fly on an AI powered fighter, the legendary X-62A Vista jet, and as Boeing struggles with its star liner spacecraft China has launched a spacecraft to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples.