"As my high school football coach always quipped, 'Offense may win fans, but defense wins games,'" says leading growth stock expert Louis Basenese.

Here, the Oxford Club associate investment director takes a look at his three favorite defense stocks, noting, "When it comes to investing in the current environment, I'm convinced that you can't go wrong with this trio of companies."

"In my view, this sector willl never fall out of favor. The recent development with Russia serves to underscore another point I've been making for years. We always have to be prepared.

"Or, put another way, there will never be a good time for defense cuts, lest we want to leave our country vulnerable.Add it all up, and we can expect defense companies to enjoy steady demand. Even in the face of a recession.

"As the CEO of Rockwell notes, there has been absolutely no fallout in the defense industry as a result of the worldwide credit meltdown or other economic woes. So here's a quick run-down on the three defense companies we prefer for investors.

Referring to his long-recommended position in YUM! Brands (NYSE: YUM), Louis Basenese exclaims, "I've spent 1,308 days tracking its price movements and written 11,239 words expounding its virtues."

Indeed, the associate Investment Director for The Oxford Club states, "If I could only recommend one stock to own for the next decade, hands down YUM! Brands would be the one."

"YUM! Brands, operator of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, is quietly transforming itself into an international juggernaut. Today, roughly half of its operations and profits come from outside our borders. Tomorrow (okay, not that quickly, but soon), more than two thirds of its business will be based outside the United States.

"And the transition and timing couldn't be more perfect. More than half the word's investable market capitalization is now outside the United States. And that percentage keeps growing.

"When I evaluate the underlying fundamentals in the financial sector, I find myself ready to back up the truck," notes Louis Basenese, editor with The Oxford Club. Here he looks at a financial ETF.

"Recently GE shocked the world when it missed earnings expectations by seven cents because of difficulties in its financial services business, the seventh largest in the United States. Then Wachovia posted a worse-than expected $1.1 billion loss.

"Next was Washington Mutual which reported a $1.14 billion quarterly loss, worse than expected. And Merrill Lynch had a quarterly loss of $1.96 billion, also worse than expectations.

"Not to be outdone, the bottom of the line-up, regional banks (Comerica Inc., KeyCorp and PNC Financial Services Group) also struck out, reporting worse than expected first-quarter net income and/or mounting credit-loss provisions and net charge-offs.

"Remarkably, the Financial Select Sector SPDR (ASE: XLF) has barely budged. Indeed, its 15% higher than where it was when Bear Stearns collapsed.

"Consulting firm Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE: JEC) is squarely focused on helping the world solve its infrastructure problems," says David Fessler, advisory panelist for the Oxford Club.

"Jacobs offers broad-based, bumper-to-bumper technical services. With over 54,000 employees staffing 160 offices in 20 countries, Jacobs is one of the world's largest and most diverse providers of professional and technical services.

"And it's keeping plenty busy building and upgrading infrastructure the world over. Its latest big contract win -- worth about $550 million over a three-year period -- comes from the Louisiana Department of Education for post-Katrina reconstruction.

"The work will cover the replacement of damaged or destroyed school facilities as well as the construction of temporary facilities.