GCG Managing Director and Head of Aerospace & Defense, Peter Frankfort, recently joined Defense and Munitions Magazine, part of GIE Media’s Manufacturing Group, to present for an in-depth webinar on the latest defense industry trends, offering critical insights for aerospace and defense suppliers, manufacturers, and investors navigating today’s rapidly evolving defense market.

During the webinar, Peter explored the current state of the defense market, including defense budget trends and priorities, and the supply chain implications of Operation Epic Fury. The session also addressed the rise of venture capital and private equity investment in defense technology, emerging drone and autonomous systems programs, and M&A activity across the aerospace and defense supply chain.

Peter highlighted the defense budget’s strong growth trajectory, approaching $1 trillion in FY26 with a 5.6% compound annual growth rate over the last decade. With the Trump administration signaling interest in a $1.5 trillion defense budget for FY27, demand across the defense manufacturing supply chain is expected to accelerate significantly in the years ahead.

The webinar also examined the Department of Defense’s shift toward new procurement paradigms and desires for speed and capacity as well as modular, software-centric, and autonomous systems. Peter discussed the DoD’s initiative to produce 300,000+ low-cost unmanned drone systems, and the explosive growth of venture capital in the defense technology sector, which has grown 10x over the last decade to $50 billion in funding.

Additional topics included private equity investment trends in aerospace and defense and actionable advice for middle market defense suppliers looking to position themselves for long-term growth in an increasingly competitive defense landscape.

Click here to download the webinar presentation slides.

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