Please join us for a conversation with Brig. Gen. Robert Lyons III, the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Weapons and Director of the Armament Directorate. In this position, Brig. Gen. Lyons and his team are responsible for the planning and execution of all life cycle activities for air-delivered munitions. The portfolio also includes ammunition, combat training systems, threat emitters for test and training purposes, and aerial targets. Register: mitchellaerospacepower.org/e…

Over the past decades, insufficient funding and a strategy of divest to invest have left the U.S. Air Force fighter fleet smaller and smaller with each passing year. Meanwhile, demand for airpower has only grown. As recent operations demonstrate, manned aircraft have been the tip of the spear, providing proven capabilities that are critical for success. Multi-year contracts are the key to reversing the decline of our fighter fleet and ensuring our warfighters have the capability and capacity they need to fight and win for years to come.

The Mitchell Institute welcomes the Department of War and Lockheed Martin's recent announcement of a framework agreement to procure F-35s for the next 10 years. With the threat landscape growing ever more complex, this multi-year framework is essential to deliver fighter capability and capacity for the only 5th-generation aircraft currently in production. Now, Congress must act to authorize and fund this multi-year agreement to ensure our Airmen have the aircraft they need to fight and win. Read more about this landmark agreement: airandspaceforces.com/pentag…

Without any funding relief, current Air Force operations are "cutting into the bone" of readiness. Listen: mitchellaerospacepower.org/p…

In this episode of America 250: The Air & Space Power Story, the Mitchell team looks at the impact of Nevada and Nellis Air Force Base on the Air Force's fighter pilot development. Watch: mitchellaerospacepower.org/p… #America250 #AirSpacePower250 @America250

China’s Massive KJ-3000 AWACS Has Entered Production. Here’s Why It Matters. Senior Fellow J. Michael Dahm examines new satellite imagery that suggests China’s KJ-3000 airborne early warning and control aircraft has entered production. Built on the Y-20 transport platform, the KJ-3000 is expected to become a key node in the PLA Air Force’s future command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) architecture. With four aircraft now visible at Xi’an’s Y-20 production facility, the KJ-3000 may represent a significant step beyond airborne early warning toward a true airborne battle management capability.

Readiness is one of the biggest challenges facing the Air Force as Airmen strive to meet surging demand with an aircraft inventory that is old and small. Learn how AI is being leveraged to find actionable data to put resources where they're needed most. Listen: mitchellaerospacepower.org/p…

As technology advances, the stakes in space continue to grow. In @novapbs's Space Wars, Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence, examines the realities of space competition and why decisions made today will shape the future of security, commerce, and daily life. 🎥 Watch the full documentary: pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/spac…

Today the demand signals placed on the Air Force are surging across every combat command. From ongoing combat operations in CENTCOM, to meeting the demand for airpower in other theaters, Airmen have never been busier. At the center of all this action is Air Force Materiel Command. Join us for a conversation you won’t want to miss regarding how AFMC is executing major sustainment and modernization efforts across the force. Register: mitchellaerospacepower.org/e…

“The first move in space is the most precious move that this country will make.” At #AFANational, Gen. Mike Minihan, USAF (Ret.), emphasized that future conflicts will demand more than successful launches. They will require resilient, agile space access that can adapt to disruption, respond rapidly, and keep critical capabilities moving when warfighters need them most. Watch the full panel: youtu.be/NFl6-aC3ENw?si=Kd0V…

What would a war in space actually look like? In @novapbs Space Wars, our very own Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.) explores the realities of space competition and the growing challenges facing the space domain. "There has not been a domain that human beings have not figured out how to fight in. Why is space any different?" - Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence 🎥 Watch the full documentary: pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/spac…

Power underpins everything in space. As missions become more demanding and threats continue to evolve, the need for greater on-orbit power is becoming impossible to ignore. During #AFANational, Dr. Gillian Bussey explained why nuclear energy could be a game-changing enabler for the next generation of space capabilities. Watch the full panel: youtu.be/tqNw34_ZPyQ?si=LTul…

Updating aircraft isn't always about new engines or sensors, it's about software. Watch: mitchellaerospacepower.org/e…

Heather Penney (@LuckyF16), Director of Studies and Research, reflects on the enduring legacy of service and sacrifice, and why that reminder remains as important today as ever.

In the debut episode of Eye on China, Senior Fellow J. Michael Dahm examines a newly opened China-Laos air base built in less than a year at Ban Keun, Laos. While Beijing describes the facility as a joint training center, its location along a key Belt and Road corridor raises bigger questions about how China is expanding military access and influence abroad. Could this become a model for future PLA presence around the world?

In this edition of the Schriever Spacepower Series, Brig. Gen. Todd Benson discusses how the Space Force is delivering combat power across the U.S. Central Command theater. From missile defense and regional deterrence to commercial capabilities and coalition operations, this conversation offers a rare operational perspective on how space has become indispensable to modern warfare. Register: mitchellaerospacepower.org/e…

Brigadier Gen. Timothy Helfrich, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command joined the Mitchell team to discuss service plans for the development, production, fielding, sustainment, and modernization of the Air Force fighter portfolio. Listen: mitchellaerospacepower.org/e…

Talon Blue is Northrop’s so-called “loyal wingman” drone, an autonomous aircraft designed to pair with crewed fighters. The Oct. 3 flight was an important milestone for the firm as it looks to break into the Air Force’s CCA program—thus far, the service has awarded production contracts to General Atomics and Anduril Industries, but more “increments” are expected in the coming years. Read more: airandspaceforces.com/northr…

"Defend the mission, not the network boundary." During the Cyber Resilience and Mission Assurance panel at #AFANational, Lt. Gen. Chris Weggeman, USAF (Ret.), shared why mission assurance requires looking beyond traditional cyber perimeters and focusing on the systems and dependencies that enable combat operations. Watch the full panel: youtu.be/ghQPS2iFgxw?si=43Fm…