Air Combat Survivability Through a POWs Experience

The Air Force lost 1,737 aircraft over Vietnam. That’s roughly 80% of the Air Force’s current fighter inventory. We discuss these realities with Lt Col Gene Smith, USAF (Ret.), a seasoned Vietnam combat pilot who went “downtown” and also spent over five years as a POW. Effective airpower demands that aircrew fly into harm’s way, execute their missions, and return to base—and then do it all over again. Tomorrow’s conflicts, however, promise to be far more costly, which is why it’s important to reflect on our history and learn from the past in order to properly leverage the effects of American airpower.

The Future of Uncrewed Airpower: Pilot Perspective

As the Air Force develops the operational construct for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, it is important for the service to tap into two decades of lessons learned flying highly sophisticated uncrewed aircraft like the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk, and RQ-170. While CCA will execute at an entirely new level of performance, there are also foundational realities tied to uncrewed aviation that will shape how these aircraft fly and fight.

F-47 Insights, Chinese “Dog Fighting in Space,” and DC Defense Developments

In this Rendezvous episode, we discuss top Air Force and Space Force developments in Washington, D.C., and beyond. Topics include Chief of Space Operations General Saltzman at Mitchell Institute, the impact a year-long continuing resolution, the FY26 defense budget, the F-47 NGAD announcement,, SECAF nominee testimony, and Chinese “dogfighting” in space.

Aerospace Advantage