Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence presents:

2nd Annual Spacepower Security Forum

5 April, 2023, 9 am – 3 pm | Army Navy Country Club 1700 Army Navy Dr Arlington, VA 22202
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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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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In the News and Commentary

All News

Press Release – Mitchell Institute Senior Fellow Lt Gen Joseph Guastella, USAF (Ret.), Testimony on “Confronting Threats Posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the U.S. Homeland”

Arlington, Virginia | March 9, 2023 Lt Gen Joseph T. Guastella, USAF (Ret.), Senior Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, appeared before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence on Thursday. The subcommittee hearing focused on the numerous threats the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses to the United States homeland and what steps must be taken to mitigate the threat to United States homeland equities, especially by addressing our
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Press Release – Mitchell Institute Dean Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Delivers Keynote Address at the 28th Annual National Security Law Conference at Duke University

Arlington, Virginia | March 6, 2023 The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies was honored to be part of the 28th Annual National Security Law Conference at Duke University’s Center for Law, Ethics, and National Security from February 23-25, 2023. The conference at Duke University hosted over 250 attendees representing schools from across the country, including students from each of the United States service academies. Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.) delivered a keynote address on
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Press Release – Mitchell Institute Team Adds Two New Research Analysts

Arlington, Virginia | March 1, 2023 The Mitchell Institute is pleased to announce two additions to its research team: Aidan Poling and Christopher Byron have both joined as research analysts. The Mitchell Institute’s mission involves developing young professionals in airpower research and advocacy to ensure continued innovation in the air and space community. These analysts will also provide invaluable support as the Mitchell Institute continues its efforts to foster important conversations in the air and
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Press Release – Charles Galbreath joins the Mitchell Institute Team as Senior Fellow for Space Studies

Arlington, Virginia | February 28, 2023 The Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence is pleased to announce that Charles Galbreath has joined our team as a Senior Fellow for Space Studies. This reflects Mitchell Institute’s commitment to helping empower the smart growth of spacepower in the national security enterprise. Charles Galbreath is a retired United States Space Force Colonel, who previously served as the Deputy Chief Technology and Innovation Officer on the Headquarters United
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Why Ukraine Needs F-16s

Wall Street Journal | David A. Deptula and Evelyn N. Farkas | February 24, 2023
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Publications

All Publications

Back to the Future: Balloons in the Modern Security Paradigm

Arlington, VA | March 17, 2023 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies announces a new entry in its Forum Paper series, Back to the Future: Balloons in the Modern Security Paradigm by Dr. Greg Canavan and Dr. John Browne. It is clear from the coverage and commentary on the recently downed Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon that it caught America’s defense establishment on the back foot. These and other of China’s recent activities appear to
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Understanding the B-21 Raider: America’s Deterrence Bomber

Arlington, VA | March 23, 2023 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce a new entry in its Research Studies series, Understanding the B-21 Raider: America’s Deterrence Bomber by Mark Gunzinger, Director of Future Concepts and Capability Assessments at the Mitchell Institute. Today’s U.S. bomber force falls short of having the penetrating strike capacity needed to meet the objectives of the 2022 National Defense Strategy. Thirty years of successive inventory cuts
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C2 Series: Clearing the Fog and Friction of Command and Control

Arlington, VA | January 9, 2023 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is proud to announce three new Forum Papers in a series on command and control (C2) by Col Frederick “Trey” Coleman, the commander of the 505th Command and Control Wing. With an Air Force still pondering how it can accelerate change (or lose), as well as grappling with the requirements to realize a Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concept, these short
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The Next Frontier: UAVs for Great Power Conflict | Part 1: Penetrating Strike

Arlington, VA | December 7, 2022 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce a new entry in its Research Studies series, The Next Frontier: UAVs for Great Power Conflict | Part 1: Penetrating Strike by Caitlin Lee, Senior Resident Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and Mark A. Gunzinger, Director of Future Concepts and Capability Assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Only a few years ago, the
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Joint All-Domain Command and Control: The Role for Space

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce the publication of its submission to the 2022 Air Power Journal for the Dubai International Air Chiefs’ Conference (DIACC), titled Joint All-Domain Command and Control: The Role for Space, and authored by Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies Tim Ryan. Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) will collect information from any sensor and any domain, rapidly transmit large volumes of data across vast physical distances, process
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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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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

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