On the Defense and Aerospace Report Podcast, Patrick Cronin discusses the United States military’s strategy and budget (10:25); the AUKUS security pact, which includes Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (13:40); the direction of US-India relations (26:00); Japan’s frigate deal with Australia (31:20); China’s foreign policy in the Solomon Islands (33:50); and a possible US-China trade deal (45:00).
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US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Japan’s Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi inspect a guard of honor on October 29, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Getty Images)