American Security Project

Following a week of Q4 earnings from defense contractors and President Trump's executive order targeting stock buybacks and dividends, here's important context: aerospace and defense ranks NEAR THE BOTTOM of all industries for capital returns to shareholders.

The data: A&D dividend yields average just 1.9%, compared to 6.89% for steel, 2.7% for automobile production, and 3.29% for oil and gas.

The path to faster production isn't micromanaging financial decisions—it's long-term contracts that give companies confidence to invest.

Read more:
https://www.americansecurityproject.org/building-defense-capacity-through-partnership-not-control/

⏳ Time is running out on the last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control treaty.

New START, the final nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, is set to expire within hours. For 15 years, the treaty has helped limit the world’s largest nuclear arsenals and reduce the risk of a costly and dangerous arms race.

As outlined in a recent analysis by ASP CEO Matthew Wallin, negotiating a replacement for New START is not something that can be done quickly. Arms control treaties require years of technical negotiations, verification mechanisms, and sustained political commitment. Allowing New START to expire without a clear alternative in place risks an unconstrained buildup of nuclear forces and increases the danger of miscalculation or escalation.

If a replacement treaty is not immediately feasible, accepting a short-term extension while working to restore full compliance and pursue a longer-term agreement may be the most responsible path forward. Nuclear brinksmanship carries consequences that extend far beyond politics.

Read the full ASP analysis here:
https://www.americansecurityproject.org/the-u-s-needs-to-do-something-about-new-start/

The U.S. Needs to do Something about New START New START has served as the bedrock of nuclear arms control between the world’s most heavily armed nuclear powers for 15 years.