The Aerospace Advantage

Episode Summary: The air war over Vietnam represents one of the most dynamic, evolutionary periods of airpower innovation. This impacted tactics, operational concepts, training, and technological developments. In part two of this conversation, we continue our interview with two legendary Vietnam veteran airmen: Col. Leonard “Lucky” Ekman, USAF (Ret.) and ace Col. Chuck DeBellevue, USAF (Ret.). We...

Episode Summary: The air war over Vietnam represents one of the most dynamic, evolutionary periods of airpower innovation. The U.S. entered the conflict optimized to execute strikes against the Soviet Union, defend the homeland as part of Air Defense Command, and a host of other roles. Few of these missions matched the operational demands of what unfolded over Vietnam. Airmen had to rapidly adapt...

Episode Summary: This week we're talking about space launch. 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of liquid-fueled rockets, when Dr. Robert Goddard successfully pioneered the first launch from his aunt's farm in Auburn, MA. Like the Wright Brothers before him, Goddard’s breakthrough opened the door to a new domain and the exploration, operations, and economic development that have evolved ever since....

Episode Summary: In this episode, our team discusses Operation Epic Fury from an air and space set of perspectives. We also explore top defense issues in Washington, D.C., with a special focus on the FY27 defense budget. Plus, we explain the latest in spacepower—everything from missile warning & tracking developments to the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP). Credits: H...

Episode Summary: For decades, adversaries like China have pressed hard to erase the spacepower advantage of the United States. This includes weapons to attack our space systems and technologies on orbit to hold U.S. forces in all domains at risk. Bottom line, space is more contested today than ever before. Our Mitchell Institute team explores these realities with Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, t...

Episode Summary: As the United States military works to ensure its forces can effectively employ military power in an increasingly dangerous threat environment, it is imperative that its command-and-control air battle management (C2ABM) enterprise is postured for success. The ability to ensure forces are positioned at the right time and place to best secure the desired effects, while avoiding undu...

Episode Summary: Since the end of the Cold War, Central Command (CENTCOM) has been front and center for U.S. combat operations, with space playing an ever-increasing essential role in daily operations. That’s why the Space Force stood up its first component command,  U.S. Space Forces-Central (SPACECENT), in this combatant command. We discuss the history, current operations, and future of SPACECEN...

Episode Summary: Join Mitchell Institute fellows for an in-depth conversation to better understand the strategic, operational, and tactical factors surrounding Operation Epic Fury. Heather Penney leads an unrivaled set of experts for an important dialogue that will help make sense of the conflict—from Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Deptula explaining how to design an air campaign and Charles Galbreath exploring...

Episode Summary: Join Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE) for their key takeaways from this week's Warfare Symposium, in Aurora, Colorado. Get the key takeaways about Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink’s focus on acquisition, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman's take on growing and modernizing the service, and much, much more. Charles, Jen, and...

Episode Summary: Autonomy and artificial intelligence are going to have a massive impact upon aircraft, mission systems, weapons, battle management, and other command and control functions. But it isn’t enough to just write the algorithms for the autonomy and AI—we’ll need to train them to effectively coordinate with human teammates, rapidly adjust to a dynamic threat environment, adhere to comman...

Episode Summary: Since the end of the Cold War, Air Force resource shortfalls have hit the fighter inventory hard. Want proof? The Air Force was supposed to procure 750 F-22s, but only got 187. The F-35 inventory was supposed to be double what we currently field on flightlines. Added to that, the service continually cut the legacy inventory of F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s …but COCOM demand never slowed...

Episode Summary: In this episode, our team explores the top defense issues in Washington, D.C. and beyond. What are the key details in the defense appropriations legislation that was just signed into law, and what are the important considerations when it comes to the new National Defense Strategy? We also explore the push for acquisition reform in the Department of the Air Force, plus Secretary He...

Episode Summary: Global Reach, Global Power—you can’t exercise that without Air Force bombers. We explore the long-range strike mission with Lt. Col. Ryan “Duke” Stillwell. He’s spent most of his career flying the B-1, including time at the weapons school, and he just wrapped up command of the 9th Bomb Squadron at Dyess AFB. What factors have shaped the modern bomber inventory into its current for...

Episode Summary: The global security environment is nearing a fever pitch, but China remains the pacing military challenge for the United States. The central issue shaping that challenge is China’s threat to Taiwan. Can Taiwan defend itself against coercion or invasion from China’s People’s Liberation Army? Join us for an in-depth assessment as Heather Penney explores this critical topic with Mitc...

Episode Summary: One of the most cutting-edge topics in combat airpower is collaborative mission autonomy. This is the technology that teams a crewed aircraft, like an F-35 or B-21, with an uncrewed aircraft, like a CCA. Collaboration promises to unlock greater mission effects than what either plane could realize on its own. Heather Penney explores this with Steve Fino and Ryan Bunge from Collins...

Episode Summary: Space superiority is essential to U.S. national security. Achieving that requires the Department of War to conduct a review of space roles and missions to clarify institutional responsibilities and prioritize cross-domain capability investments. Jennifer Reeves discusses her recommendations from her new policy paper, Charting a Path to Space Superiority: The Cross-Domain Imperativ...

Episode Summary: In this episode, members of the Mitchell team share some of their most memorable experiences from their time in uniform. You normally hear us talking about policy and budget issues, but over the holiday season, we decided it was time to kick back and reflect upon the high adventures of past years. JV Venable almost ejects from an OV-10, Lt. Gen. David. A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.) jugg...

Episode Summary: In this episode, members of the Mitchell Institute team chat about some of their most memorable experiences from their time in uniform. Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.) talks about what it’s like to launch in the Space Shuttle, and Kyle Pumroy explains what it was like to pioneer the delivery of spacepower on the front lines of Afghanistan, and Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF...

Episode Summary: In this episode, members of the Mitchell team share some of their most memorable experiences from their time in uniform. You normally hear us talking about policy and budget issues, but over the holiday season, we decided it was time to kick back and reflect upon the high adventures of past years. JV Venable almost ejects from an OV-10, Lt. Gen. David. A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.) jugg...

Episode Summary: The air war over Vietnam in 1972 was incredibly intense, with campaigns like Linebacker I and II defining the fight. Join us as we chat with Ace Colonel Chuck DeBellevue, USAF (Ret.) as he recounts the bravery and unique abilities of Major Bob Lodge, a fighter pilot from the famed 555th Fighter Squadron who made the ultimate sacrifice over North Vietnam. Lodge’s contributions were...

Episode Summary: The U.S. Air Force doesn’t have enough airlift. Today’s inventory is half the size of what it was in the Cold War, but current demands are far higher and more complex. This isn’t just an Air Force problem; it impacts the entire Department of War. Join us as Heather “Lucky” Penney talks with former AMC commander Gen. Mike Minihan, USAF (Ret.) and Mitchell Institute Non-Resident Fel...

Episode Summary: In this episode, our team explores the top defense issues in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Where do the defense bills stand? What’s up with the new Air Force fighter force structure report, plus Secretary of War Hegseth’s acquisition speech? We also explore Gen. Wilsbach’s new priorities, F-35s to Saudia Arabia, as well as Lt. Gen. White’s nomination for a new job as DRPM. The conv...

Episode Summary: Now that space is a warfighting domain, the Space Force and Space Command must pursue capabilities and operational concepts that increase resilience and effectiveness. That’s where dynamic space operations comes into play. By evolving on-orbit capabilities and activities, ground operations, the link segments, and even launch operations, the U.S. space enterprise can be more flexib...

Episode Summary: Today, the U.S. Air Force is at a key inflection point when it comes to jet propulsion. Most of the service’s aircraft are flying with engines designed during the Cold War. Newer types are now multiple decades old. This is why the Air Force has invested in multiple programs to pursue new engines. Heather Penney and Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) talk with Lt. Gen. Steve...

Episode Summary: The Air Force is facing a readiness crisis, one that threatens our airmen’s ability to prevail in a peer conflict. A key constraint is the inability to accurately replicate advanced adversary capabilities on open air, live fly ranges. Between constrained physical range space, electromagnetic spectrum challenges, and operational security, it’s tough. However, we must do better. As...