Aerospace Power: An Imperative for National Security

An Imperative for the Nation

The Mitchell Institute is the only aerospace power-focused think tank in the nation’s capital. The Institute informs the national security debate, educates about the essential role of aerospace power, and cultivates aerospace-minded talent.
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Featured

7th Annual West Coast Aerospace Forum
RAND Project Air Force, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, MITRE, the Aerospace Corporation, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies invite you to the 2022 West Coast Aerospace Forum to discuss lessons learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how those experiences will apply to security challenges in the Pacific theater and beyond. The day will start with Gen Kenneth S. Wilsbach, Commander of Pacific Air Forces, and Gen Jeffrey L. Harrigian, USAF (Ret.),
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Strategy

Aerospace Nation: Lauren Knausenberger
The Mitchell Institute invites you to join our virtual Aerospace Nation event with Lauren Knausenberger, Chief Information Officer for the Department of the Air Force, which includes both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, on Wednesday, November 30 at 10:00 AM EST. In this discussion, we will discuss the future digital environment as it relates to air and space power. Ms. Knausenberger leads two directorates and supports 20,000 cyber operations and support personnel
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Space

Schriever Spacepower Forum: Gen James H. Dickinson
The Mitchell Institute invites you to join our virtual Schriever Spacepower Forum event with Gen James H. Dickinson, Commander, U.S. Space Command on Tuesday, November 29 at 10:00 AM ET. During the forum, we will get an update on the wide variety of challenges and opportunities facing U.S. Space Command in its mission of protecting and defending vital space systems against the growing threat from Russia and China 100km and up, as well as the Command’s way
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Content

In the News & Commentary
The Mitchell Institute’s editorials, media articles featuring Mitchell expertise, and other content.
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Aerospace Nation Interview Series
The Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Nation Interview Series.
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Publications
Read Mitchell Institute Research Studies, Policy Papers, and the latest entries in the Mitchell Forum Paper series.
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Upcoming Events
Upcoming events feature thoughtful commentary from decisionmakers, thought leaders, and other authoritative voices from the aerospace power community.
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Aerospace Advantage Podcast
The Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Advantage Podcast.
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References
An Aerospace Power Reading List For National Security Professionals.
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Issues

Airpower

No matter the mission, from air superiority and long range strike to air mobility and command and control, a broad range of missions executed in the air provide vital options at the strategic, operational, and tactical realms.

Space

National security space activities are essential facets of any military operation, while also creating conditions essential for the civilian economy.

Acquisition

Empowering actors at all levels with a smart set of options at the right time and place demands procuring the most effective, efficient, and resilient set of tools.

Strategy

Meeting nationals security requirements today and tomorrow requires insightful, creative approaches that prioritize America’s strengths, while not projecting undue vulnerability.

Budgeting

Resource investment must prioritize investments that will yield best value for the Air Force, Space Force, and national security establishment as a whole.

Nuclear

Strategic deterrence is the bedrock of the national security enterprise thanks to the virtues and value of the triad.

In the News and Commentary

All News

Move Ukraine Beyond Stalemate By Supplying Combat Aircraft
Forbes | November 27, 2022 | Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
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B-21 Raider: The Indispensable Bomber
Air & Space Forces Magazine | November 3, 2022 | Chris Brunner
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Press Release – The Royal Canadian Air Force Visits the Mitchell Institute
ARLINGTON, VA | November 4, 2022On November 3, the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies team met with the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Brig Gen Chris McKenna, Director General Air and Space Force Development, and Brig Gen G. Michael Adamson, 3 Canadian Space Division Commander. The increase of global threats demands robust partnerships between allies, and the Mitchell Institute is proud to participate in these dialogues. The Mitchell Institute’s Dean, Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.),
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U.S. Cuts Pacific Airpower Presence As China’s Military Grows
Forbes | November 1, 2022 | Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
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Balance of Power: Putin Plays Down Nuclear Weapons Threat
Bloomberg | October 28, 2022 | Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
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What the Biden Administration’s New National Security Strategy Is and Isn’t for Space Security
The Downlink Podcast | Defense and Aerospace Report | October 16, 2022 | Chris Stone
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Publications

All Publications

Hardened Shelters and UCAVs: Understanding The Chinese Threat Facing Taiwan
Arlington, VA | November 9, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies announces a new entry in its Forum Paper series, Hardened Shelters and UCAVs: Understanding The Chinese Threat Facing Taiwan by non-resident fellow Daniel Rice. This analysis of unclassified aerial imagery concludes that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) airfields adjacent to the Taiwan Strait are intended for permanent, sustained operations in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan. Previous
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The Indispensable Domain: The Critical Role of Space in JADC2
Arlington, VA | October 20, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce a new entry in its Policy Paper series, The Indispensable Domain: The Critical Role of Space in JADC2 by Tim Ryan, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies at the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence. Coming out of the Cold War, the U.S. military possessed the capabilities and capacity to dominate global military operations when and where it
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Five Imperatives for Developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Teaming Operations
Arlington, VA | October 6, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce a new entry in its Policy Paper series, Five Imperatives for Developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Teaming Operations by Heather R. Penney, Senior Resident Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The Air Force lacks the force capacity, lethality, and survivability needed to fight a peer-level conflict with China. To address these shortfalls, Air Force leaders are
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Decades of Air Force Underfunding Threaten America’s Ability to Win
The Air Force’s budget has been less than the Navy and Army’s for the last 30 years in a row. The Army received over $1.3 trillion more than the Air Force between 2002–2021, an average of $66 billion more per year than the Air Force. These sorts of realities repeatedly prompted service officials to pursue “divest to invest” modernization strategies that introduced significant risk and failed to effectively balance modernization, force size, and readiness. Resetting the Air Force to meet the national security demands of today and tomorrow is possible, but it will take forceful leadership at the highest levels of the Department of Defense. Without modernizing our geriatric Air Force and building it to the capacity required by our national defense strategy, the U.S. is a great risk of losing its next major conflict.
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The Nuances of Air Control in Great Power Competition: What the No-Fly Zone Debate is Missing
Arlington, VA | August 2, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies announces a new entry in its Forum Paper series, The Nuances of Air Control in Great Power Competition: What the No-Fly Zone Debate is Missing by Lt Col Dave Cochran, USAF. Ukraine’s request for a “no-fly-zone” in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion sparked a debate in the United States over the use of this policy instrument against a nuclear-armed opponent. It is
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Orbital Vigilance: The Need for Enhanced Space-Based Missile Warning and Tracking
Arlington, VA | June 7, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce a new entry in its Policy Paper series, Orbital Vigilance: The Need for Enhanced Space-Based Missile Warning and Tracking by Christopher Stone, Senior Fellow for Space Studies at the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence. Today, both China and Russia are fielding a new generation of hypersonic, low-flying missiles that U.S. ground-based radars are unable to track
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Building Alliances and Competing with China: The Imperative for UAV Export Reforms
Arlington, VA | April 18, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce a new entry in its Policy Paper series, Building Alliances and Competing with China: The Imperative for UAV Export Reforms by Heather R. Penney, Senior Resident Fellow at the Mitchell Institute. At a time when the American public is demanding to know what more we can do to help forces in Ukraine resist the invasion of Russia, we
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The Arctic Intersection: Site of the Next Collision with Russia?
Arlington, VA | March 30, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies announces a new entry in its Forum Paper series, The Arctic Intersection: Site of the Next Collision with Russia? by Col John Cody Mosbey, Ph.D., USAF (Ret.). Especially in light of the threat posed by Russian expansionist ambitions laid bare in Ukraine, now is the time America must seriously consider the growing value of keeping the high north secure. In this paper,
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About the
Mitchell Institute

The Mitchell Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research organization established to provide fact-based policy options, inform debate, and empower our nation’s leaders.

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1,763
Air Force F-35 Procurement Requirement to Outpace Advancing Threats

Flying & Fighting
in the Modern Age

Employing successful modern combat aerospace power today and in the future demands questioning long-standing assumptions and seeking smarter ways of achieving desired mission goals.

270
The Number of Bombers Required to Meet Real-World Demand

Future Trends

Individuals engaging in tomorrow’s aerospace domain, whether at the tactical, operational, or strategic levels, will face a future far different than what they experienced in the past. The last century saw aerospace power ascend in the industrial age, when the state of the art was governed by mechanical prowess.

29.2
Average Age of an Aircraft in the Air Force Inventory

Dollars & Sense

The US Air Force is embarking upon a crucial modernization cycle. Presently, airmen are flying combat missions in aircraft that average over a quarter of a century in age. Said another way, many pilots are younger than the aircraft in which they are taking into the sky.

386
The Number of Operational Squadrons Required by the US Air Force

Analysis

Learn more from our additional resources of studies, policy papers, forums, and other featured news articles.

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