Defense & Aerospace Report

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 the outlook for President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” that’s in peril as senators worry that tax cuts will increase the debt as the Congressional Budget Office warns that the debt will increase by another $2.4 trillion; Elon Musk called the spending plan a “disgusting abomination,” prompting a flurry of insults between the president and the man who helped getting him reelected as the world’s richest man turned his sights on Republican leaders; reconciliation, the NDAA, appropriations as well as he administration’s rescission and more detailed budget plans; the White House’s decision tap US Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich as NATO’s next Supreme Allied Commander Europe, signaling America will keep the top military job in NATO; Britain’s Strategic Defence Review that proposes more spending for nuclear weapons, doubling the attack sub fleet, buying more F-35 fighters, improving ground forces and jointness; Ukraine’s daring attacks on Russia’s strategic bombers and Kerch bridge; the consequential Shangri-La dialogue including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s warning about the threat posed by China; elections change the political dynamics in Seoul and Warsaw; Gaza descends further into chaos as Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu says that Israel needs to wean itself off US weaponry.

There’s fast, and then there’s hyperfast. Hermeus is developing a hypersonic transport for the U.S. Air Force, and they took a big step recently with the first flight of their proof-of-concept plane. Founder and CEO A.J. Piplica joins us with the inside story. Plus this week’s headlines in airpower. Powered by GE!

On this special edition of the Air Power Podcast, sponsored by GE Aerospace, Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Tim Walton of the Hudson Institute, Air Power Podcast co-host JJ Gertler and Cavas Ships podcast co-host Chris Servello join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb attack on strategic bomber bases across Russia; the lessons from from the attack that are applicable to US forces; how to secure American bases at home and abroad; and learning from China’s use of large unmanned aircraft to carry large numbers of smaller unmanned craft to swarm targets.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how Ukraine executed “Operation Spider Web” drone attack on strategic bomber bases across Russia; implications of the attack and whether it changes the increasingly grim outlook of the war as Russia masses forces to take Sumy; the growing scale of Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Ukraine; whether the US has enough air and missile defense weapons remaining to give Kyiv to blunt the assaults; what to expect from Washington as President Trump criticizes Vladimir Putin but declines to penalize him; the Senate’s new Russia sanctions package; Ukrainian and Russian representatives meet in Istanbul; how after three years of war Ukraine can put enough pressure on Russia to help end the war; and what Karol Nawrocki’s election in Poland means for Warsaw’s support for war.

On this week’s Look Ahead Podcast, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss the US defense budget outlook that could include a big jump in spending that flattens; the complex dynamics between the administration and Congress; the impact of tariffs and how nations like China will retaliate; takeaways from IISS’ Shanghai-La Dialogue; Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb attack on Russia’s bomber bases; and a look at the week ahead.