The Aerospace Advantage

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Marine veteran Andrew Bain spent the past 30 years living and working in Ukraine. He and Adm. Ihor Voronchenko (Ret), former commander of the Ukrainian Navy, join hosts Heather "Lucky" Penney and Lt. Gen. David Deptula...

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney talks to Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Charles Galbreath, Kyle “Puma” Pumroy, Todd “Sledge” Harmer, and Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski about the top defense issues this month in...

China, Russia, and other adversaries can strike the U.S. through a range of air and missile technologies. In this episode, we discuss solutions with former NORTHCOM-NORAD commander Gen. Glen VanHerck, USAF (Ret.) and...

When the Soviet Union gained atomic weapons technology in the early days of the Cold War, U.S. homeland defense catapulted to the top of America’s security priorities. The idea that Soviet bombers, and later ICBMs...

Adversaries, including China and Russia, possess the means to strike the U.S. through a range of air and missile technologies. While some of these threats, like ICBMs, have existed for decades, a new range of cruise...

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney talks to Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Jennifer "Boots" Reeves, Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, Jeff Rowlison, and Brig. Gen. Houston "Slider" Cantwell...

Major Kyle “Ghengis” Rimando, Chief of the Space Strategy Branch at SF S5/8, and Dr. John J. “Patsy” Klein, Senior Fellow and Strategist at Falcon Research Inc., join host Heather “Lucky” Penney—along with Mitchell...

Heather Penney explores national security artificial intelligence applications and considerations with Sean Moriarty and Leonard Law of Primer, a leading AI company. We explore how AI can help improve U.S. defense...

AI is one of the hottest topics in defense, especially when it ties to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). While seeing these new aircraft fly is super impressive, it’s crucial that we think about all phases of the...

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney talks to Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Charles Galbreath, Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, JV Venable, and Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) about the...

America’s ability to secure its interests, whether deterring conflict or fighting and wining, demands a robust Air Force. The current security environment will tolerate nothing less. The service has traditionally...

This week we’re talking about what it’ll take to project airpower into the heart of the fight in a conflict with China. Most of the time we think about enemy fighter planes, surface-to-air missiles, and AAA, but the...

During the Cold War, all eyes faced north anticipating a Soviet attack across the North Pole. The U.S. Air Force was front and center operating air defense radars and sitting alert. Decades later, America finds itself...

America is running short on munitions. With so many conflicts ongoing, our consumption is outpacing what we can build, and we are digging into their stockpiles to sustain current operations. And to be clear…if America...

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney talks to Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Jen Reeves, and Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski about the top defense issues this month in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Our team digs into...

Spacepower is fundamentally reliant on the cyber domain—it is the backbone of connectivity for constellations on orbit, their ground stations, and connectivity to warfighters. Point blank: every bit of data and every...

As America’s interests in space grow and humanity ventures further from Earth, the need to have Guardians in space to secure and protect U.S. interests will likely stand as an emerging requirement. We’ve seen this with...