Episode Summary:

In episode 53 of the Aerospace advantage podcast F-22, F-15EX, F-35, NGAD, and Beyond: Fighter Force Recommendations for the Next Decade, host John “Slick” Baum and members of the Mitchell Institute team explore a U.S. Air Force fighter force that is in crisis and look to future solutions. After three decades of canceled, curtailed, and delayed investment in modernization, the nation now finds itself in major need of these capabilities with far too few advanced fighter aircraft to meet demand. This isn’t just an Air Force problem—it affects every aspect of U.S. national security. No form of power projection in any domain is viable without control of the sky. Ships at sea, forces on the ground, space control centers, cyber facilities, logistics hubs, and more just won’t make it when hit with high-intensity attacks from the sky. And we haven’t had to think like this in decades, but we are now at that merge given where China and Russia and pushing. Learn more about these challenges and proposed vectors for the future.

Credits:

Host: Lt Col (Ret.) John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Daniel C. Rice

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Maj (Ret.) Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Lt Gen (Ret.) David Deptula, Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Doug Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Col (Ret.) Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger, Director of Future Concepts and Capabilities Assessments, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

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