Disconnected by Design: The Case for 5th and 6th Generation Airpower

This week we’re talking about what it’ll take to project airpower into the heart of the fight in a conflict with China. The American way of war, especially airpower, requires a lot of connectivity. That’s why China has focused a tremendous amount of energy to degrade and deny this communication. That has huge implications for our forces. It’s exactly what Mike Dahm investigated in his latest report—Disconnected by Design—Fifth and Sixth Generation Aircraft in Disaggregated Collaborative Air Operations. The concept relies upon a force of fifth and sixth-generation aircraft, plus CCA, that can penetrate adversary air defenses, sensing, coordinating, and executing individual actions at the tactical edge of the battlespace.

Homeland Sanctuary Lost: The Arctic Domain Awareness Challenge

The Arctic remains the most direct path between the U.S. and its adversaries. Modern airborne threats like cruise and hypersonic missiles, plus long-range drones threaten the homeland. Maj Gen Pete Fesler, USAF (Ret), Maj Gen Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret), and Brig Gen Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) discuss how to ensure we’re prepared for these threats.

Fixing the Munitions Gap: Building the Bullseye

America is running short on munitions. With so many conflicts ongoing, our consumption is outpacing what we can build. This episode explores this the munitions gap and what folks are doing to try and fix it. We speak with Nick Bucci, vice president of defense systems and technologies at General Atomic EMS. They recently partnered with Rafael to build their Bullseye missile here in the United States. This adds more domestic munitions production capacity, while also on-ramping in some new capabilities.

Aerospace Advantage