Join us for an in-depth discussion with Colonel Corey Klopstein, the Program Executive Officer for OTTI, and the Commander of System Delta 81, and Colonel Craig Hackbarth, Director of Capability, OTTI, to hear about their progress and the priorities of Space System Delta 81.

He leads efforts with allies and partners to plan, execute, and integrate military spacepower into multi-domain global operations to deter aggression, defend national interests, and when necessary, defeat threats. Join us for this can’t-miss Schriever Spacepower Series to hear first-hand how spacepower is evolving to meet emerging challenges.

However, decades of force cuts and deferred modernization have reduced the Air Force’s combat capacity to the point where it cannot simultaneously deter nuclear attacks, defend the U.S. homeland, and defeat adversary aggression at acceptable levels of risk.

New, long-range stealthy bombers and fighters that can deny sanctuaries to adversary forces wherever they are located are required at scale. A less-capable force cannot achieve peace through strength or win should deterrence fail. This is a strategic choice for the nation, not just the Air Force.

The authors examine this topic and solutions with guest, Gen. Tim Ray, USAF (Ret.), former Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command.

Joining the discussion is Maj. Gen. Brook “Tank” Leonard, USAF (Ret.), the inaugural Chief of Staff of U.S. Space Command. This is a must see deep-dive on the institutional reforms, operational changes, cultural shifts, and new technologies required to achieve space superiority through cross-domain operations.

In this event, we’re going to talk with Steve Russell, Vice President & General Manager, Edison Works at GE Aerospace about America’s propulsion advantage. How we achieved it, where does it stand today, and where do we need to go tomorrow?

However, today’s United States Air Force is the oldest, smallest, and least ready in its history. Facing the severely challenging global threat environment for the next decade and beyond, these shortfalls set the conditions for an existential national security crisis. Moreover, projected underfunding of the Air Force within the future years defense plan (FYDP) will exacerbate the service’s decline. The service’s FY 2025 budget request sought to divest 250 aircraft, while only procuring 91. The FY 2026 request seeks to divest 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. Anemic funding for operations and maintenance will only advance the downward trajectory of force readiness, taking already historic lows to levels once thought unfathomable. It is essential that the Trump administration and Congress reverse the service’s decline in a capacity, capability, and readiness.

The solution demands increasing the Air Force budget, while also shifting internal service funds from Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) into both procurement and operations and maintenance (O&M) accounts specifically aimed at re-establishing readiness to prevail in peer conflict. The Air Force’s innovative capabilities are only relevant if procured in operationally significant quantities and flown by an exceptionally well-trained force. If the declines in the U.S. Air Force are excused or ignored, the human and material losses we will suffer in the next major conflict risk being significant. Defeat is a very real possibility. That is a price the nation cannot afford.

Russia and China have spent the past three decades developing and fielding advanced weapons capable of striking the U.S. homeland—this includes nuclear and non-nuclear missiles. Military and civilian targets are more vulnerable to aerial attack than ever before. This is a major driver behind Golden Dome.

A Russian aircraft launching a hypersonic missile could strike New York or Washington D.C. in less than 60 minutes. Advanced cruise missiles—which are available in high numbers and at a low cost—can transit thousands of miles, evade existing radars, fly unpredictable flight paths, and deliver disastrous effects. The current devastation of major Ukrainian cities serves as a warning of what the United States could face in a future conflict.

Nowhere is the country’s exposure to attack more acute than from its Arctic approaches—the most direct corridor through which both Russia and China could strike the United States.  America has dealt with similar threats before. The Cold War saw the United States install and operate extensive arrays of early warning systems to ensure advanced detection of Soviet bomber aircraft across the Arctic region. However, those systems have aged out. U.S. Arctic domain awareness capabilities and capacity are woefully insufficient to meet today’s threats. A modern, effective enterprise must detect, track, and analyze military movements and other activities in real-time by using a variety of air, surface, and space sensors that collect and share information from multiple domains. It is time for the nation to rebuild its northern tier defenses.

China’s informationized warfighting strategies are specifically designed to counter America’s networked approach to warfare. This includes breaking long-range kill chains and denying penetrating strikes their highly networked reach-back connectivity. Given these vulnerabilities, it is crucial that the Air Force pursue disaggregated collaborative air operations (DCAO) as an operational concept that sidesteps these adversary strategies to dominate the battlespace information environment.

DCAO centers upon combat air forces that operate as locally networked formations, that can operate even when disconnected from broader networks. The concept relies upon a force of fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft, plus collaborative combat aircraft, that can penetrate adversary air defenses, independently sense, coordinate, and execute individual actions at the tactical edge of the battlespace. This builds upon the proven U.S. Air Force employment of effects-based operations (EBO) and parallel warfare.

Just as precision weapons and stealth aircraft enabled effects-based operations in numerous conflicts following the Cold War, fifth-generation and beyond aircraft provide battlespace information dominance capabilities to enable new warfighting concepts that can achieve decisive effects forward in highly contested areas.

Maj Gen Jason Armagost is a life-long combat pilot. He began his career in the F-16 and then transitioned to flying B-2s and eventually B-52s. In his current role, he leads the Air Force’s bomber and airborne nuclear command and control forces. He is also commander of the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, which serves as the central command and control node for all operations within Air Force Global Strike Command, orchestrating warfighting and readiness activities for the Commander, Air Forces Strategic.

Bombers flying long-range strike missions are one of the most important capabilities in America’s arsenal. It’s a powerful motivator to deter adversaries in times of peace, and it nets powerful results when we’re at war. Only the Air Force possesses these aircraft, they don’t exist in other U.S. or allied service branches. Add refueling tankers, air superiority fighters, and powerful electronic warfare planes, and we’re talking about an incredible force mix that manifests the attributes of true global reach and power.

Rep. Bacon is a retired Air Force brigadier general who served 29 years in assignments including Director of ISR Strategy, Plans, Doctrine and Force Development; command of 55th Wing and the 435th Air Base Wing; Chief of Special Operations and Intelligence Information, Multi-National Force, Iraq; and Commander, 55th Electronic Combat Group. This will be an incredibly informative conversation focusing on defense through a Congressional lens.

The U.S. Air Force is fielding a future counterair force that is sized and shaped to achieve the degree of air superiority required to defeat China in a Pacific conflict. The Air Force is developing collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) as part of that force to achieve its counterair mission requirements. This will require the Air Force and its industry partners to continue to mature technologies that are key to developing CCA that can operate in a highly collaborative fashion with other aircraft. CCA will act as force multipliers that complement—but do not replace—the service’s F-22s, F-35s, and future F-47s. This collaborative combination will pose a diverse threat that is more difficult for adversaries to accurately characterize and counter in highly dynamic, time-compressed operational environments.

For these advantages to be realized, they’ll require adequate personnel, fuel, theater airlift, etc. Logistics are a key requirement to inform key performance parameters, including the mix of CCA the Air Force acquires and how they are employed.

This report summarizes insights from the third in a series of Mitchell Institute exercises that explored the potential for CCA with autonomous technologies to perform as counterair force multipliers. Its recommendations are derived from the assessments of teams of Air Force and industry planners, operational experts, and technologists on potential CCA use cases and logistics required to generate CCA sorties during a major Pacific conflict.

The Mitchell Institute is thrilled to welcome to the Schriever Spacepower Series Mr. Cordell DeLaPena, the Program Executive Officer responsible for military communications and PNT. Mr. DeLaPena has a long history of excellence in acquisition and the delivery of unmatched space systems. He will provide deep insight on status and plans of his $22 billion communication and PNT portfolio and provide perspectives on the evolving space acquisition landscape.

Today, a plethora of misinformation, falsehoods, and deliberate distortions concerning nuclear deterrence are espoused as “truth” in public forums. They are written in editorial pages, spoken on the news, and even touted by some members of Congress and their staffs. Left unchallenged, these statements run the risk of becoming accepted as factual by the American public. We must never underestimate the importance of the nuclear deterrent; it is the bedrock on which every element of U.S. national security depends.  

Read Original Policy Paper Here: https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/on-u-s-nuclear-deterrence/

Read Follow-On Policy Paper Here: https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/defending-the-record-on-u-s-nuclear-deterrence/ 

• Maj Gen Joseph D. Kunkel, Air Force Futures 

• Brig Gen Ryan Keeney, Air Force Futures

• Chris Flynn, Pratt & Whitney

• Renee Pasman, Lockheed Martin

Col Larry Fenner, 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing

Nick Bucci, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems

Paul DeLia, L3Harris

Chris Moeller, BAE Systems

The cost to recover the Air Force’s decline and adequately fund the growth of the Space Force will require an increase of at least $45 billion annually for at least the next five years. The Department of the Air Force underpins and enables warfare in every domain, not just air and space. Prioritizing these capabilities can help the Trump defense team achieve its objective of “pursue peace through strength” but doing so requires a new way of doing business and in particular not the conventional stove-piped, “salami slice” budget cutting approach. Using cost-per-effect assessments to make optimal decisions, the new administration can achieve the best use of the nation’s resources. There is no time left to delay reversing the Department of the Air Force’s current course. The fixes must start now, or the United States risks losing the next major war.

• The Space Force must proactively lead cooperative efforts with Allies and international and commercial Partners to fully integrate and synchronize capability development and operations in a deliberate manner to ensure the most effective and efficient use of resources for all
• Over a protracted competition with China, the ability of the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, Allies, and Partners to have a spacepower advantage hinges on maintaining popular support and national will
• To gain support and sustain national will, the Space Force must actively and continually articulate why it exists and what it does to Congress, the American people, and even to Guardians
• Given existing policy, budget, and personnel realities, the Space Force’s Theory of Competitive Endurance provides a stable way forward but may create unintended consequences that undermine a warfighting mentality and Guardian identity
• Systemic issues exist within the Space Force and Department of Defense threatening the success of the Space Force in a long-term competition with China, e.g., proper authorities and resources, a lack of clearly defined and understood roles & missions, and a warfighting ethos
• Workshop findings reinforced that existing Space Force lines of effort, such as improved domain awareness, architecture resilience, and security classification reform, are critical and must be expanded to overcome a range of challenges that the United States might face throughout an extended competition
• For the Space Force to succeed as a military service, defensive and offensive counterspace operations must be normalized with warfighting operations to gain superiority like those in all other domains performed by the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps

Deficiencies of the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Reform Act severely restrict the ability on the services to prioritize long-term strategic threats in favor of the immediate, non-combat demands of the combatant commands and civilian defense bureaucracy. Too often, long-term defense procurement strategies and requirements are neglected given these dynamics. The resulting failure of U.S. forces to prudently modernize and recapitalize have emboldened America’s adversaries to use violence to pursue their expansionist goals, setting the United States on a path toward a great power war. To prevent this and retain the current rules-based world order, it is time for a new vector.

Hear from the Secretary as he reflects upon his accomplishments, while also exploring what challenges require continued attention.

Listen to learn more about airpower and the Indo-Pacific as we chat with Gen Kevin B. Schneider, Commander of Pacific Air Forces; and Air Component Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Dr. Derek Tournear, the Director of the Space Development Agency, provides updates on SDA’s progress and future plans.

Listen to our conversation with Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, the inaugural commander of S4S, as he takes us through the journey of its stand-up, its make-up, and a look to its future.

Join us for an insightful discussion with Dr. Troy Meink, Deputy Director of the NRO, as we examine the NRO’s relationship with the Space Force and learn more about how the NRO is changing to meet emerging challenges in the space domain.

Link to the report

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to enjoy our Aerospace Nation with Gen Kenneth S. Wilsbach, Commander, Air Combat Command.

Whether discussing missions like air superiority, air battle management, electromagnetic spectrum operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or combat search and rescue—the airmen of ACC execute missions that are foundational to modern warfare. Ask any combatant commander and they want more ACC airpower. However, years of budget pressures and non-stop operational deployments have yielded a force that is stretched thin. This decade marks a major wave of modernization to reset units throughout ACC, with many of these investments combining long standing tenets of air warfare with new realities of the information age. Pair those realities with a burgeoning threat environment and it is clear General Wilsbach and his team are looking at a distinct number of challenges and opportunities. What’s beyond certainty is that ACC will be an essential actor in any operation today and tomorrow.

Listen to our thought-provoking conversation with one of America’s top air commanders to learn where ACC is today and where it’s going in the future.

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to enjoy our Schriever Spacepower Series with Lt Gen David N. Miller, Jr., Commander, Space Operations Command, United States Space Force.

As part of Great Power Competition, the United States today confronts numerous threats to our space capabilities and infrastructure. China has demonstrated the ability to strike ground sites, command and control networks, and satellites in orbit. Ensuring the Space Force is postured for this operational reality is the responsibility of the Space Operations Command (SpOC) under the command of Lt Gen David “Rock” Miller, Jr.

Listen to our event audio for an insightful discussion with Lt Gen Miller about SpOC priorities and current efforts to meet and overcome emerging challenges to our space superiority.

It’s no secret: whether considering the relative scale of Russia’s military power or confining rules of engagement, Ukraine’s fight to reclaim territory is challenging. Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, and co-author Dr. Christopher Bowie released a new solution-oriented report on the conflict that includes a comprehensive, integrated approach for Ukraine to achieve air superiority. As part of this discussion, Gen Philip M. Breedlove, USAF (Ret.), the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Allied Command Operations; Gen Tod Wolters, USAF (Ret.), the 19th Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Allied Command Operations; and Gen Jeffrey Harrigian, USAF (Ret.), former Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, also offered their perspectives..

The report is informed by a recent trip Lt Gen Deptula took to Ukraine to help advise members of their military leadership team. Topics discussed center around strategy and concepts of operation, especially through an airpower lens. A largely ground-centric approach to the conflict has yielded a brutal attrition fight—one that numerically favors Russia. Airpower could provide Ukraine with the edge it needs to gain an advantage over the Russians, break through their front lines, and change the course of the war. Given what is at stake in this fight—especially with China watching—it is crucial to consider alternate courses of action.

With their combined decades of experience and given their unique perspectives on Ukraine, the conversation between Lt Gen Deptula, Gen Breedlove, Gen Harrigian, and Dr. Bowie was incredibly thought-provoking, insightful, and direct. Bottom line, it is time to start focusing on what it looks like to win, and not just avoid losing day-by-day.

Space capabilities, services, and effects are now an indispensable part of daily life and foundational to the structure and operation of the U.S. military. United States Space Command is the Combatant Command charged with ensuring that the American people, and American warfighters in particular, never experience a day without space. That responsibility is more important and more challenging than ever. Increasing threats, growing congestion, and expanding opportunities in the domain add complexity and criticality to Space Command's mission.

Listen to this in-depth discussion with Gen Whiting to learn more about the mission of the newest Combatant Command, its interactions with the Space Force and other services, and how it is leading the way in space.

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) faces severe capability and capacity shortfalls. Despite the urgent need to rapidly recapitalize the force, modernization lags strategic demands. Digital engineering promises to boost these efforts. Advancements in systems engineering, design, modeling, simulation, and even production can provide benefits across the entire lifecycle of a weapon system. This includes manufacturing, operation, and sustainment.

Said more simply, implementing digital engineering practices has the potential to accelerate the development and fielding of capability. New-start defense acquisition programs can fully exploit these advantages, which will save time and resources. Digital engineering can also benefit legacy weapon systems in more focused areas like sustainment and modernization.

This report explores this crucial topic, helping provide foundational insights and explaining how and when digital engineering will yield best outcomes, while also detailing where returns will be limited.

He discussed SSC’s reinvigorated culture and focus on delivering war-winning space capabilities. We also explored the implementation of the new DOD and USSF Commercial Space Strategies and the imperatives of speed and innovation facing the Space Force.

Lt Gen Harris shared his thoughts on developing Air Force strategy and concepts, delivering an integrated force design, conducting strategic assessments of the operating environment through wargames and workshops, and achieving timely and effective operational capabilities required for tomorrow’s Airmen to fight and win.

Bottom line, the Air Force is in the middle of a generational evolution when it comes to developing operational concepts, fielding technologies, and pursuing new levels of force integration. Lt Gen Harris leads the crafting of the future force design that keeps U.S. airpower well ahead of the threat. This is a video you will not want to miss!

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to enjoy our rollout for our newest paper: The Need for Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Disruptive Air Warfare by Mark A. Gunzinger, Director of Future Concepts and Capability Assessments and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, with Maj Gen Lawrence A. Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.), Mitchell's Director of Research, and Bill Sweetman. This discussion featured Robert Winkler, Vice President, Corporate Development and National Security Programs, Kratos Defense, and Curtis Wilson, Senior Director, Emergent Missions, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The event was moderated by Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

This report is a product of the Mitchell Institute’s wargames and related research that involved expert participants from the Air Force warfighter communities, defense technologists, and industry. It strongly supports the Air Force’s proposition that CCA will help mitigate the Air Force’s existing—and growing—capability and capacity gaps that threaten its ability to achieve air superiority in a conflict with the pacing threat. However, while CCA may provide affordable mass to bolster an otherwise dwindling inventory of crewed combat aircraft, CCA combined with crewed 5th and future 6th combat aircraft have the potential to disrupt China’s A2/AD operations and then deny and impose costs as called for by the National Defense Strategy. The stakes for creating this new, hybrid force design have never been higher, given China’s unchecked campaign to field new A2/AD weapon systems and proliferate them to other actors that threaten the security of the United States and its allies and friends.

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to enjoy our rollout for our newest policy paper: Securing Cislunar Space and the First Island Off the Coast of Earth by Charles Galbreath, Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies. He was joined by Thomas A. Lockhart Jr., Director, Capability and Resource Integration, U.S. Space Command, Dr. Joel B. Mozer, former United States Space Force Director of Science, Technology and Research, and Jim Bridenstine, former NASA administrator. The event was moderated by Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE).

This paper discusses how the United States and China are locked in a race to harness the scientific, economic, and national security benefits related to the exploration of the Moon and the region of space affected by the gravity of both the Earth and Moon, known as the cislunar regime. The USSF and U.S. Space Command must have the capabilities to secure growing interests in this region and help the United States and our allies win the race. Losing means we risk the authoritarian territorial mindset of China becoming the established norm, impeding freedom of operations, and threatening peaceful endeavors, just as we are seeing in the South China Sea.  Modest, early investment is crucial to winning this race and reduces the future need for larger investments to overcome an advantage ceded to China.

Lt Gen Burt discusses the state of space operations and initiatives to assure continued access to and use of the space domain in the face of increasing kinetic, non-kinetic, and cyber threats. This event was moderated by Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE).

The discussion was joined by Col Patrick C. Williams, Director of Weather, U.S. Air Force, and Lt Col Joseph L. Maguadog, Materiel Leader, EO/IR Weather Systems, Space Systems Command. The discussion was moderated by Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, MI-SPACE.

The U.S. military requires a more effective, reliable, and resilient space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) capability. The ability to employ forces, launch munitions, and coordinate actions in the terrestrial battlespace depends on environmental conditions. However, the weather mission is often taken for granted, and the current space-based weather satellites are old, fragile, and in dire need of reset. This report explores the SBEM mission, explains the Space Force’s future vector, and discusses how new mission demands, like JADC2, are impacting this undertaking.

Mr. Lawhead discussed how his organization embodies “the voice of tomorrow’s airmen,” with the mission of ensuring that the Air Force is organized, trained, and equipped to successfully face competitors with confidence in future conflicts. Mr. Lawhead also covered the most impactful trends forecasted by Air Force Futures and how they inform long-term force planning and capability requirements.

Dr Costa discussed how the United States Space Force is leveraging digital technologies such as Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A) and Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to increase the effects generated by a lean Guardian workforce. This event was moderated by Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE).

Our two air forces operate common systems like the F-35 and MQ-9, plus the two air forces have shared security interests around the globe. This creates a key allied relationship rooted in the advocacy of using airpower to provide options for our nation’s leaders to address security challenges. The partnership of the U.S. and Italian Air Force is a model for building synergy in an allied relationship. Hear from one of the leading airpower voices in Europe.

General Povak joined us to discuss the latest details regarding how the NRO develops, acquires, launches, and operates the latest space-based intelligence assets. This event was moderated by Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE).

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to enjoy Aerospace Nation with Brig Gen Michael Zuhlsdorf, Deputy Director, Resource Integration - Engineering, Logistics, and Force Protection; Col James Hartle, Associate Director of Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection; Col Patrick Launey, Chief, Logistics Readiness Division and Logistics Readiness Officer Career Field Manager, Directorate of Logistics; and Mr. Todd Serres, Associate Chief, Command and Control and Integrated Air and Missile Defense Division within the Training and Readiness Directorate/DCS Operations.

As the leads for Secretary Frank Kendall’s fifth operational imperative, “Defining optimized resilient basing, sustainment, and communications in a contested environment,” Brig Gen Zuhlsdorf, Col Hartle, Col Launey, and Mr. Serres joined us to share their perspectives on these key topics, with particular focus on the U.S. Air Force's approach to Agile Combat Employment (ACE).

Gen Shaw discussed the various challenges facing U.S. Space Command in its mission to protect and defend critical space systems from the growing threats posed by China and Russia, as well as provide insights into the Command’s plans for its continuing support to the joint fight around the world.

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to listen the rollout of our newest policy paper: Bolstering Arctic Domain Awareness to Deter Air and Missile Threats to the Homeland by Dr. Caitlin Lee. Dr. Lee was joined by Gen Glen D. VanHerck, Commander, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. The event was moderated by Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF, (Ret.) Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

The U.S. military’s ability to detect, track, and defeat a long-range aviation and cruise missile strikes emanating from the Arctic has degraded significantly since the height of the Cold War. This is particularly concerning given Chinese and Russian activities in the region.

Improved U.S. and allied domain awareness can go a long way in bolstering deterrence against conventional air and cruise missile threats. Adversaries will be disinclined to launch strikes on the U.S. homeland if they know the United States is anticipating an attack and creating options to dissuade it. It comes down to empowering U.S. leaders with decision-quality information more quickly than adversaries to underwrite a comprehensive “missile defeat” strategy.

In this report, Penney explains how “kill chain” is an enduring framework for the process of securing battlespace effects. Often, this means putting a bomb or missile on target, all while the adversary is attempting to do the same against U.S. forces. Winning this kill chain competition matters. Due to the rapid advance and proliferation of technology in an era of peer competition, the dominance of U.S. kill chains is eroding. This report proposes four principles—scale, scope, speed, and survivability—to successfully guide Air Force efforts as they develop capabilities and operational concepts that can successfully deter and, if necessary, prevail against the People’s Liberation Army. This research report helps lay out key considerations necessary for understanding how to build kill chains that can win now and into the future.

Closing Keynote: Dr. Lisa A. Costa, SES, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO), USSF: Dr. Lisa A. Costa, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the first permanent Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO) of the United States Space Force. In this role, she is charged with unlocking and harnessing innovation to leverage increased speed and advantage.

Space Force leaders have repeatedly discussed the advantages they expect to accrue by placing a larger number of smaller, simpler satellites into orbit as part of integrated, collaborative low earth orbit constellations. Not only does this promise to deliver capability in a faster, lower-cost fashion, it also eliminates single points of failure. This panel will discuss this vision and provide an update regarding how Space Force leaders are seeing this concept evolve—driven both by operational requirements and the threat.

Moderator: Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence

Brig Gen Timothy A. Sejba, Program Executive Officer, Space Systems Command Brig Gen Timothy A. Sejba is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power and the PEO for Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications, Space Systems Command. He directs two diverse portfolios of over 60 programs and $12B+ encompassing a wide-range of mission areas, which include space domain awareness, space control, strategic warning and surveillance, defensive cyber operations, innovation and prototyping, and operational and tactical command and control systems.

Col Eric Felt, Director of Space Architecture and Integration, USSF Col Eric Felt is the Director of Space Architecture & Integration of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition & Integration.

Robert Atkin, Vice President of Asymmetric Systems Group, General Atomics-EMS Robert Atkin is the Vice President of the Asymmetric Systems Group with GA-EMS. Prior to this he was the President and CEO of Tiger Innovations Inc. which specialized in developing spacecraft and space-related systems for a broad range of US Government customers and particularly small, lightweight and low-power innovative solutions.

Charles Galbreath, Senior Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence