
Free Daily Podcast Summary
by Defense & Aerospace Report, sponsored by Bell
Welcome to the Defense and Aerospace Report podcast, our weekly podcast on the global defense and aerospace business, and hosted by Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian. Each week, we’ll bring you interviews with industry leaders and the business’ best analysts to put events in context, identify trends and keep an eye on what’s next in a fast-moving world. Defense & Aerospace Report is your global source for national security and aerospace news, thought leadership and analysis, founded and edited by Vago Muradian.
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
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 the Sept. 24 summit between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping; changing defense sentiment; implications of the deal the president claims gives US more rights in Greenland than the 1951 agreement between Washington and Copenhagen; more takeaways from the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual Air Space Cyber conference and tradeshow, including more Iran war lessons; the Air Force’s plan for 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft and 500 Massed Modular Aircraft; the service’s interest in new F16 Fighting Falcon jets by Lockheed Martin to fill out its aging force structure; RTX’s deal with hypersonic aircraft maker Hermeus to produce F100 engines; the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ new report, “The Defence of Europe in a New Era: An Assessment;” and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.
On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss an up week on Wall Street as the Iran war continues and Tehran-backed Houthi rebels move on Yemen’s oil-rich Marib province and strike Saudi energy facilities; President Trump declines a request from Riyadh for help, but approves the sale of F-35 Lighting II fighters despite concerns from US intelligence that the stealth jet’s technology could leak to China; implications of the EU’s offer of associate membership for Canada that Trump has said could be a “hostile act,” threatening to block trade with Europe; the Swedish government awarded Saab a $400 million contract to develop next-generation combat aircraft technologies; US Air Force leaders seek 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft and another 500 Massed Modular Aircraft — envisioned as cheaper version of the MQ-9 Reaper — as well as new F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to fill out the service’s aging force structure; startup hypersonic aircraft maker Hermeus’ deal with Pratt & Whitney to build the jet maker’s F100 engines under license; Lockheed said that 22 days after signing a contract with General Motors for PAC-3 missile parts, the car maker started delivering the “mission critical” components; Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg’s statement that the ramp up 737 and 787 jet production would take longer than expected even as he expected certification of the Max 10 airliner to be secured soon; GE Aerospace’s confidence that mid-engine seal issues with its GE9X — the most powerful commercial aviation powerplant ever built — won’t delay Boeing’s 777X from entering service; and IndiGo’s Willie Walsh plan to build bigger fleet and turn New Delhi into an Asia gateway.
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 reconciliation being punted to the lame duck session as work on appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act conference accelerate; new Russia sanctions head to the White House for President Trump’s signature as the Pentagon reportedly prepares to withdraw tens of thousands of US troops from NATO; US and Iranian forces trade fire as the Pentagon says war costs top $33 billion; with control of the Bab al Mandab, Tehran-backed Houthi rebels advance on oil-rich Marib province and strike Saudi oil facilities as Trump rebuffed Saudi calls for help, striking his own deal with the Houthis for safe passage of US and Israeli ships; China’s effort to avoid the Bab al Mandab and Suez Canal by sailing the first commercial ship via a northern route from China to Europe via the Russian Arctic Coast; Trump approves F-35 fighters for Saudi Arabia despite intelligence community concerns the stealth jet’s technology could leak to China; Gulf states question US reliability as American forces pull back from regional bases meant to deter Iranian attack; Washington’s approval of a $2.8 billion in arms package for Israel including 2,000-pound bombs blocked by the Biden administration as the White House again blocks a visa for Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to visit the UN; as Washington woos Russia to peace in Ukraine with lucrative deals, Moscow ramps up attacks on Europe, with one of its warships firing flares at a Danish helicopter, Dutch rail lines sabotaged and a second Bulgarian ammunition depot since August that caught fire and exploded; Finland becomes the 10th nation to joins France’s nuclear deterrence initiative; as the US-Canada trade war continues, Prime Minister Mark Carney sought a trillion dollars in investment and the European Union offered the country associate member status that Trump said could be “a hostile act” and threatened to block trade with Europe; speculation about Xi Jinping’s health; South Korean President Lee Jae Myung rules out combat forces for the Gulf; and former Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl dies at age 84.
Crib Sheet: If you missed the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space, Cyber conference outside Washington DC (or even if you didn’t!), this is your show. By turns rollicking, feisty, and thoughtful, Laura Winter of the Downlink podcast; Tobias Naegele of Air and Space Forces magazine; and retired Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, Dean of The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies join us to review the conference, including space weapons, CCAs, budgets, and more. Plus we have the week’s top airpower headlines. Powered by GE Aerospace!
On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jim Lewis of the Center for European Policy Analysis and Justin Sherman of the Global Cyber Strategies advisory firm and the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the Trump administration’s adoption of AI for national security and how the technology was used during the recent Iran war; whether learning the right lessons from the Iran war can help the US military improve capabilities to better deter China; the call by leading AI firms to delay development of new models to improve security; and potential national security implications on abrupt and growing public backlash to data centers.
On today’s program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the latest headlines and looks at the week ahead.
On today’s program, sponsored by GE Aerospace, Gen. Ken “Cruiser” Wilsbach, the 24th chief of staff of the US Air Force, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss his priorities, lessons from the Ukraine and Iran wars that are shaping air power; Chinese, Russian, Iranian and North Korean capabilities that are shaping how the Air Force plans, operates, trains and equips; whether the service has sufficient margin to deter China and if necessary defeat it given concerns about weapon stocks; what kind of long-range strike and anti-air weapons the force will need to “outstick” adversaries; integration of short, medium and long-range unmanned systems; what happens if lawmakers don’t approve the service’s spending request; and whether airmen need the kind of nuclear training they received during the Cold War as the force presses ahead with modernizing its nuclear forces.
On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. “Rocket” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a down week on Wall Street on energy worries as US and Iranian forces trade fire and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis rebels exert control over the Bab al-Mandab strike Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities; the US-Canada trade war as Ottawa seeks to attract $1 trillion in investment, positioning the country as a trade safe haven against President Trump’s volatility as it also seeks associate EU membership; Washington’s drive to resume trade ties with Russia even as Moscow continues to provoke Europe as the second Bulgarian arms depot catches fire and explodes since August and Reuters reported a US, UK and Norwegian operation in April interrupted — in real time — a Russian test of a new undersea system to disrupt seabed infrastructure near Norway’s Svalbard archipelago; France’s turn toward United Arab Emirates as a military partner on new weapons including the F5 version of Dassault’s Rafale fighter as Finance Minister Roland Lescure warned geopolitical risks including higher energy prices in the wake of the Iran war and bond market turmoil will drive up France’s debt servicing costs by 25 percent to 65 billion euros a year, squeezing everything from social to defense spending; Boeing and its engineers’ union send a tentative four-year agreement that would raise wages to 17,000 members for a vote as the current contract expires on Oct. 6; GE Aerospace’s proposed $11.5 billion acquisition of Consolidated Precision Products that would bolster the giant’s in-house capabilities as primes and suppliers work to bolster supply chains to meet surging commercial and defense demand; and reflections as America and the world commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000.
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Listeners also like.

The Lawfare Podcast
Discussions with experts on national security, law, and policy covering foreign policy, intelligence, cybersecurity, and governance.

The DSR Daily
Daily news coverage of foreign policy and national security developments from global media sources.

The Lawfare Podcast: Patreon Edition
Experts and policymakers discuss national security, law, and policy issues including foreign policy, intelligence, and cybersecurity.

Global Security Briefing
Experts analyze global security challenges and international defense policies, with a focus on the UK, Indo-Pacific, and Gulf regions.

Fighter Pilot Podcast
Explores military aviation through stories of fighter pilots, aircraft, weapons systems, and emerging technologies like AI in air combat.

The Team House
Deep-dive conversations on national security with special operations veterans, intelligence professionals, and frontline reporters.

The Proceedings Podcast
Discusses naval affairs, sea service developments, and global security with experts and authors from the Naval Institute.

NatSec Matters
Former national security officials interview top leaders on critical security challenges and U.S. policy responses.

Cleared Hot - Powered By BRCC
A former military pilot shares stories of adventure, fitness, and leadership to explore resilience and personal growth.

The Wright Report
A former CIA officer provides daily morning news updates and analysis on global events, drawing on intelligence experience to explain key developments.

The Afterburn Podcast
Follows the personal experiences of military pilots and service members through their missions and aircraft.

Battleground America Podcast
Examines the forces shaping American politics and culture through daily analysis of current events and underlying power dynamics.
Welcome to the Defense and Aerospace Report podcast, our weekly podcast on the global defense and aerospace business, and hosted by Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian. Each week, we’ll bring you interviews with industry leaders and the business’ best analysts to put events in context, identify trends and keep an eye on what’s next in a fast-moving world. Defense & Aerospace Report is your global source for national security and aerospace news, thought leadership and analysis, founded and edited by Vago Muradian.
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Get key takeaways from Defense & Aerospace Report in a 5-minute read.
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Defense & Aerospace Report as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Defense & Aerospace Report, sponsored by Bell.
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
Defense & Aerospace Report publishes daily. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
Defense & Aerospace Report covers topics including News. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.