Arlington, VA | July 28, 2026 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies announces a new entry in its Forum Paper series, Winning at Sea by Controlling the Air: The Strategic Centrality of Airbase Defense, by Lt Col Jonathan F. Vogel, USAF.

The lessons learned by the Chinese at the 1894 Battle of the Yalu River underpin their modern anti-access strategy in the maritime domain. China’s contemporary naval expansion relies fundamentally on the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) to neutralize American airpower—the decisive arbiter of maritime control. The solution lies in developing organic, layered missile defense capabilities, particularly directed energy weapons, to defend critical air installations. By enabling sustained airpower generation from forward bases, robust active defense undercuts China’s anti-access strategy, restores American air dominance, and denies the People’s Republic of China (PRC) its maritime ambitions. The proposed approach transforms airbase defense from a passive measure into an offensive enabler, ensuring the United States can project the decisive airpower necessary to control the global commons and counter Chinese expansionism.

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