The President's Daily Brief PDB Situation Report | January 17th, 2026: If the U.S. Hits Iran: A Fighter Pilot Breaks It Down & Venezuela at a Crossroads
49 snips
Jan 17, 2026 Ryan Bodenheimer, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and Thunderbirds member, shares his insights on a potential U.S. military strike on Iran, detailing air superiority, targeting strategies, and the risks involved. He also discusses the role of advanced drones and F-35s in modern warfare. Meanwhile, Luis Martinez, an NTD TV correspondent, analyzes the political turbulence in Venezuela, highlighting María Corina Machado's meeting with President Trump and the challenges of regime change amid a struggling economy, offering cautious optimism for the nation's future.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Start With The Objective
- Airstrike planning begins by defining the objective and working backwards to shape target selection and ISR needs.
- Ryan Bodenheimer warns different goals (protect protesters vs. remove leadership) demand entirely different target sets and tradeoffs.
Exploit Layered ISR First
- Use layered ISR (drones like the RQ-170 or Global Hawk plus F-35 sensors) before and during strikes to avoid being misled by adversary claims.
- Integrate real-time sensor feeds into cockpit and command channels to enable rapid, precise strike decisions.
IADS Trumps Single Missile Sites
- Iran's Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) is the primary tactical challenge, not just individual SAMs.
- Bodenheimer emphasizes you must force radar/defenses to reveal themselves and plan who will act as 'bait' to expose them.