The Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Nation Podcast

Strong alliances and robust space capabilities underpin global stability. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its growing emphasis on the importance of the space domain exemplify both facts. For the past 75 years, NATO has been the pinnacle alliance for the United States and the front line of deterrence against Russia. Now, as we see Russia and China cooperating militarily and weapons around the globe can threaten the space capabilities critical to NATO, the challenges NATO faces are greater than ever. Join us for an in-depth discussion with Maj. Gen. Devin R. Pepper to learn how NATO is responding to the rapidly evolving and complex global security environment.

Operational Imperatives, re-optimizing for great power competition, and a security environment experiencing massive change—these are just a portion of the challenges Dr. Grayson has focused on over the past few years. Given his time at DARPA, the Intelligence Community, and the technology world, Dr. Grayson brings an incredibly unique perspective. With the scale and scope of his portfolio, he is shaping future vectors for air and space power that will be felt for decades. Join us for an insightful discussion with Dr. Grayson to better understand where the Department of the Air Force is headed and why.

The airmen at U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa are charged with addressing some of the most complex security challenges on the globe. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has dramatically altered the security calculus in the region and beyond. At the same time, in Africa, the U.S. is facing a complex mix of challenges: everything from violent extremism to the increasing influence of both China and Russia. Airpower is vital to empower smart policy options and strategies in both regions.

The Air Force is at the epicenter of generational transformation. The security environment is posing severe risks the likes of which have not been seen in decades; the force is in the middle of a massive modernization cycle—including two legs of the nuclear triad and NC3; the information age is radically redefining elements of how missions are executed; and the attributes required for individual Airmen to meet mission objectives continue to evolve. All of this is occurring at a time of extreme budget pressure, high COCOM demand, and challenges tied to recruiting and retention. This is a no-fail era for the Air Force. The decisions made in the coming years will radically impact options available to future leaders for decades.

Key Takeaways:

With China engaged in a nuclear break-out, Russia upgrading its nuclear capabilities, plus Iran and North Korea aggressively pursuing their nuclear ambitions—a credible, capable, and safe U.S. nuclear deterrent is more important than ever. The imperatives are clear: to deter adversaries, reassure allies, and provide national leaders with key options whether in peacetime or war. That is why it is so important the U.S. pursue modernization for all three legs of its nuclear triad, including command and control. While present capabilities remain viable, their advanced age and the evolution of the threat environment demand new solutions. This is especially true for the Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missile and bomber legs of the triad. Lt Gen Gebara is a key defense leader in this effort.

Brig Gen Michael “Jekyll” Winkler, USAF (Ret.), the Deputy Director for Air and Cyberspace Operations of the Pacific Air Forces, and Mitchell's J. Michael Dahm explore how the Department of Defense and Congress can and must prepare the Air Force to fight from their forward air bases to generate combat effects while under attack.

Link to the report

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to enjoy our Aerospace Nation with Gen Kenneth S. Wilsbach, Commander, Air Combat Command.

Whether discussing missions like air superiority, air battle management, electromagnetic spectrum operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or combat search and rescue—the airmen of ACC execute missions that are foundational to modern warfare. Ask any combatant commander and they want more ACC airpower. However, years of budget pressures and non-stop operational deployments have yielded a force that is stretched thin. This decade marks a major wave of modernization to reset units throughout ACC, with many of these investments combining long standing tenets of air warfare with new realities of the information age. Pair those realities with a burgeoning threat environment and it is clear General Wilsbach and his team are looking at a distinct number of challenges and opportunities. What’s beyond certainty is that ACC will be an essential actor in any operation today and tomorrow.

Listen to our thought-provoking conversation with one of America’s top air commanders to learn where ACC is today and where it’s going in the future.

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to enjoy our Schriever Spacepower Series with Lt Gen David N. Miller, Jr., Commander, Space Operations Command, United States Space Force.

As part of Great Power Competition, the United States today confronts numerous threats to our space capabilities and infrastructure. China has demonstrated the ability to strike ground sites, command and control networks, and satellites in orbit. Ensuring the Space Force is postured for this operational reality is the responsibility of the Space Operations Command (SpOC) under the command of Lt Gen David “Rock” Miller, Jr.

Listen to our event audio for an insightful discussion with Lt Gen Miller about SpOC priorities and current efforts to meet and overcome emerging challenges to our space superiority.