The Aerospace Advantage Want to Prevail Against China? It’s Time to Reinvest in Air Force Capacity, Capabilities, and Readiness — Ep. 252
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Aug 30, 2025 Join JV Venable, an expert in air force readiness, Lt. Gen. David Deptula, a strategic mind in air power, and Robert 'Otis' Winkler, a national security pro, as they dissect America’s air force challenges. They unveil alarming facts about diminishing aircraft numbers and the urgent need for modernization to face global threats, especially from China. The trio emphasizes the critical importance of robust training, strategic funding, and readiness in a multipolar world, making a compelling case for immediate action to restore air superiority.
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Personal Contrast Between 1980s And Today
- John JV Venable described flying 350 hours his first year during the 1980s buildup and contrasted it with today's much lower rates.
- He recounted asking pilots if they'd go to war with high-loss missions and being told they're told 'this is as good as it's ever going to get.'
Three Pillars: Capacity, Capability, Readiness
- Capacity is about size, capability is about quality, and readiness is the ability to fight tonight.
- Emphasizing one without the others collapses deterrence and operational effectiveness.
Deployable Fighter Numbers Have Collapsed
- In 1987 the U.S. had roughly 700 combat-coded fighters in Europe with ~80% FMC, enabling 560 mission-capable fighters forward.
- Today the entire U.S. has about 750 combat-coded fighters with ~59% FMC, reducing deployable capacity and reserves to near zero.