FY27 Budget, Space Force Launch, and the Future of Airpower — Ep. 292

FY27 Budget, Space Force Launch, and the Future of Airpower — Ep. 292

May 30, 2026 · 55 min · Season 6 · Episode 292

About this episode

The episode discusses the FY27 defense budget, Space Force developments, and the future of airpower.

Episode Summary: In this episode, our team assesses Congress' response to the FY27 defense budget request. We also discuss SDA's new leadership, as well as Space Force's requirement for a third heavy launch site. When it comes to airpower, we explain the importance of the MQ-9 in current ops, plus the significance of E-7, EA-37B, and B-21 program developments. Our team wraps up exploring the latest trends in the Ukraine conflict. Credits: Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Guest: Charles Galbreath, Director & Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE) Guest: Doug Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Guest: Todd "Sledge" Harmer, Senior Vice President, American Defense International Guest: Anthony "Lazer" Lazarski, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs Related Reading: Dynamic Space Operations Paper Military Human Spaceflight Links: Subscribe to our…

People in this episode

Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney

Guests: Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Charles Galbreath, Doug Birkey, Todd "Sledge" Harmer, Anthony "Lazer" Lazarski

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, American Defense International, Cornerstone Government Affairs, Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence, SDA

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