Editorial companion

What stands out

A US Air Force (USAF) F-22 pilot shared a cockpit view flying over Washington for the 250th anniversary July 4 celebrations, footage Reuters ran before the fireworks and the President's speech. It is spectacle, a live bit of marketing for the defense establishment, and a reminder that air superiority systems still matter to national security and to the revenue streams of aerospace primes. For investors the takeaway is simple: public pageantry can nudge attention and political support, but durable orders and cash flows depend on budgets, programs and multiyear backlogs, not fireworks.