Interviews

Defense News offers exclusive interviews with military and industry decision-makers from around the globe.


  • Turkey Appoints Gonul New Defense Minister
    Turkey Appoints Gonul New Defense Minister

    ANKARA — The interim government of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday appointed Vecdi Gonul new Turkish defense minister.

  • Analysts: Muilenburg Offers Smooth Transition at Boeing
    Analysts: Muilenburg Offers Smooth Transition at Boeing

    WASHINGTON — Dennis Muilenburg’s promotion to CEO of Boeing Aircraft represents a smooth transition for the American airplane maker, and likely indicates that Boeing has no intention of leaving the defense sector even as some of its signature platforms are winding down.

  • Tod Wolters Named J-3 at Pentagon
    Tod Wolters Named J-3 at Pentagon

    WASHINGTON — The decision by the Pentagon to add US Air Force Lt. Gen. Tod Wolters to the Joint Staff has caused a shuffle down the line at key operations positions for the service

  • Interview: US Army Gen. Dennis Via
    Interview: US Army Gen. Dennis Via

    The US Army Materiel Command might be the most essential military organization you never heard of. It operates the service’s research and development labs, its depots, arsenals, ammunition plants, and maintains the Army’s prepositioned stocks on land and afloat around the world, under the command of Gen. Dennis Via.

  • Pentagon Names New Public Affairs Head
    Pentagon Names New Public Affairs Head

    Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is tapping Maura Sullivan to fill the role of assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.

  • Interview: DGA’s Laurent Collet-Billon
    Interview: DGA’s Laurent Collet-Billon

    Laurent Collet-Billon, head of the French defense procurement office, Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), is very much in a good mood as he delivers an overview of developing, building and delivering weapon systems.

  • Interview: Dassault’s Eric Trappier
    Interview: Dassault’s Eric Trappier

    Dassault Aviation is poised to enter a new era with renewed strength in the order book for the Rafale fighter and preparing for the future with studies on combat and surveillance drones, said Eric Trappier, chairman and chief executive.

  • India Requests ISTAR Aircraft From US
    India Requests ISTAR Aircraft From US

    India has offered to buy two intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft from Raytheon on a government- to-government basis.

  • Interview: IMI President & CEO Avi Felder
    Interview: IMI President & CEO Avi Felder

    Over the past few years, Avi Felder has worked to ready Israel Military Industries (IMI) for privatization through sweeping efficiency measures, a streamlined workforce, transparent reporting procedures and a new portfolio of advanced systems, many of them combat-proven in last summer’s Gaza war.

  • Interview: Tom Kennedy
    Interview: Tom Kennedy

    Tom Kennedy began in Raytheon’s radar development unit in 1983, rising through the ranks to become CEO in March 2014 and chairman seven months later. With a doctorate in engineering, the former US Air Force captain is positioning the giant for growth by continuing to invest in technology and cyber. Investment allowed Raytheon to win…

  • Turkey Appoints Gonul New Defense Minister
    Turkey Appoints Gonul New Defense Minister

    ANKARA — The interim government of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday appointed Vecdi Gonul new Turkish defense minister.

  • Analysts: Muilenburg Offers Smooth Transition at Boeing
    Analysts: Muilenburg Offers Smooth Transition at Boeing

    WASHINGTON — Dennis Muilenburg’s promotion to CEO of Boeing Aircraft represents a smooth transition for the American airplane maker, and likely indicates that Boeing has no intention of leaving the defense sector even as some of its signature platforms are winding down.

  • Tod Wolters Named J-3 at Pentagon
    Tod Wolters Named J-3 at Pentagon

    WASHINGTON — The decision by the Pentagon to add US Air Force Lt. Gen. Tod Wolters to the Joint Staff has caused a shuffle down the line at key operations positions for the service

  • Interview: US Army Gen. Dennis Via
    Interview: US Army Gen. Dennis Via

    The US Army Materiel Command might be the most essential military organization you never heard of. It operates the service’s research and development labs, its depots, arsenals, ammunition plants, and maintains the Army’s prepositioned stocks on land and afloat around the world, under the command of Gen. Dennis Via.

  • Pentagon Names New Public Affairs Head
    Pentagon Names New Public Affairs Head

    Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is tapping Maura Sullivan to fill the role of assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.

  • Interview: DGA’s Laurent Collet-Billon
    Interview: DGA’s Laurent Collet-Billon

    Laurent Collet-Billon, head of the French defense procurement office, Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), is very much in a good mood as he delivers an overview of developing, building and delivering weapon systems.

  • Interview: Dassault’s Eric Trappier
    Interview: Dassault’s Eric Trappier

    Dassault Aviation is poised to enter a new era with renewed strength in the order book for the Rafale fighter and preparing for the future with studies on combat and surveillance drones, said Eric Trappier, chairman and chief executive.

  • India Requests ISTAR Aircraft From US
    India Requests ISTAR Aircraft From US

    India has offered to buy two intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft from Raytheon on a government- to-government basis.

  • Interview: IMI President & CEO Avi Felder
    Interview: IMI President & CEO Avi Felder

    Over the past few years, Avi Felder has worked to ready Israel Military Industries (IMI) for privatization through sweeping efficiency measures, a streamlined workforce, transparent reporting procedures and a new portfolio of advanced systems, many of them combat-proven in last summer’s Gaza war.

  • Interview: Tom Kennedy
    Interview: Tom Kennedy

    Tom Kennedy began in Raytheon’s radar development unit in 1983, rising through the ranks to become CEO in March 2014 and chairman seven months later. With a doctorate in engineering, the former US Air Force captain is positioning the giant for growth by continuing to invest in technology and cyber. Investment allowed Raytheon to win…

  • Turkey Appoints Gonul New Defense Minister
    Turkey Appoints Gonul New Defense Minister

    ANKARA — The interim government of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday appointed Vecdi Gonul new Turkish defense minister.

  • Analysts: Muilenburg Offers Smooth Transition at Boeing
    Analysts: Muilenburg Offers Smooth Transition at Boeing

    WASHINGTON — Dennis Muilenburg’s promotion to CEO of Boeing Aircraft represents a smooth transition for the American airplane maker, and likely indicates that Boeing has no intention of leaving the defense sector even as some of its signature platforms are winding down.

  • Tod Wolters Named J-3 at Pentagon
    Tod Wolters Named J-3 at Pentagon

    WASHINGTON — The decision by the Pentagon to add US Air Force Lt. Gen. Tod Wolters to the Joint Staff has caused a shuffle down the line at key operations positions for the service

  • Interview: US Army Gen. Dennis Via
    Interview: US Army Gen. Dennis Via

    The US Army Materiel Command might be the most essential military organization you never heard of. It operates the service’s research and development labs, its depots, arsenals, ammunition plants, and maintains the Army’s prepositioned stocks on land and afloat around the world, under the command of Gen. Dennis Via.

  • Pentagon Names New Public Affairs Head
    Pentagon Names New Public Affairs Head

    Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is tapping Maura Sullivan to fill the role of assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.

  • Interview: DGA’s Laurent Collet-Billon
    Interview: DGA’s Laurent Collet-Billon

    Laurent Collet-Billon, head of the French defense procurement office, Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), is very much in a good mood as he delivers an overview of developing, building and delivering weapon systems.

  • Interview: Dassault’s Eric Trappier
    Interview: Dassault’s Eric Trappier

    Dassault Aviation is poised to enter a new era with renewed strength in the order book for the Rafale fighter and preparing for the future with studies on combat and surveillance drones, said Eric Trappier, chairman and chief executive.

  • India Requests ISTAR Aircraft From US
    India Requests ISTAR Aircraft From US

    India has offered to buy two intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft from Raytheon on a government- to-government basis.

  • Interview: IMI President & CEO Avi Felder
    Interview: IMI President & CEO Avi Felder

    Over the past few years, Avi Felder has worked to ready Israel Military Industries (IMI) for privatization through sweeping efficiency measures, a streamlined workforce, transparent reporting procedures and a new portfolio of advanced systems, many of them combat-proven in last summer’s Gaza war.

  • Interview: Tom Kennedy
    Interview: Tom Kennedy

    Tom Kennedy began in Raytheon’s radar development unit in 1983, rising through the ranks to become CEO in March 2014 and chairman seven months later. With a doctorate in engineering, the former US Air Force captain is positioning the giant for growth by continuing to invest in technology and cyber. Investment allowed Raytheon to win…