Defense & Aerospace Report Defense & Aerospace Air Power Podcast [Feb 19, 26] Season 4 E6 Designs on Victory
Feb 19, 2026
Tim Walton, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute who specializes in force design and defense policy, discusses redesigning the U.S. Air Force for decisive advantage. He outlines edge, pulsed bomber, and core mission areas. Topics include runway‑independent offensive options, resilient airfields, and the tradeoffs between current readiness and future modernization.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
China Is A Different Class Of Threat
- China presents a qualitatively different peer threat with vast sensors, missiles, and aircraft that outnumber U.S. forces by 2035.
- The traditional build-up-from-airfields model will likely fail against such a campaign unless the force design changes.
Tripartite Force Needs Clear Roles
- Rebrand MA1/MA2/MA3 as edge, pulse, and core to clarify roles and interactions.
- These mission areas must be mutually reinforcing, not siloed, to succeed in high-intensity conflict.
Prioritize Edge Forces And Resilient Infrastructure
- Invest in runway-independent edge forces and resilient airfields as high-return priorities.
- Fund C3, ISR processing, and munitions to enable dynamic, scalable long-range effects.