AMC Fall Industry Panel connects operational needs with industry solutions

Air Mobility Command brought together over 150 industry partners during its Fall Industry Panel ahead of the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium, to discuss potential solutions to operational demands and modernization priorities, Nov. 4-5.

The event provided industry representatives an opportunity to engage directly with AMC leaders on capabilities needed to project, maneuver and sustain the Joint Force in contested environments. Industry partners engaged AMC panel members on over 40 topics, with discussions focused on subjects like mission support teams, drones and autonomous systems, and innovation.

“FIP is important to AMC, because it is the culmination of our year of engagement with industry,” said Teri Alesch, AMC industry engagement and legislative affairs chief. “Without industry, we can't solve our toughest problems in AMC and even across the Air Force, because how we engage benefits the whole Air Force and the whole Department of War. We do operational demonstrations in the spring or summer where we show industry our toughest problems.”

The Fall Industry Panel followed AMC’s 2026 Summer Industry Preview, held at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, Aug. 18-19. During that event, industry partners observed operational demands through discussions with Airmen, subject matter experts and senior leaders.

Brig. Gen. Dave Fazenbaker, AMC director of strategy, plans, requirements and programs, emphasized the importance of industry partners understanding the needs of the Airmen to develop emerging capabilities.

“Those solutions that you're bringing are important for us to do our mission, no matter where it is across the globe,” Fazenbaker said. “Thank you for bringing your innovative solutions for us to consider as we work to try to make Airmen's job at the base level easier, every single day.”

A focus of one panel was on the Next Generation Airlift initiative, which aims to recapitalize the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift fleets to continue to project and sustain the Joint Force. Capt. Ryan Robb, AMC NGAL action officer, explained how the program will examine a range of aircraft concepts and capabilities needed to support future strategic airlift missions.

AMC’s Innovation Office discussed with industry partners how AMC is strengthening its innovation program to connect Airmen’s grassroots ideas with leadership, improve the process for validating solutions and help emerging technologies move from development to operational use. A key item the Innovation Office highlighted was streamlining the gap between the innovation ecosystem and stakeholders via the LYNX platform. The Department of War recently launched LYNX, a platform designed to connect businesses to mission-aligned partners and opportunities.

“It's not that we need to solve every problem, but we need to empower every Airman to be solving problems and to be critical thinkers,” said Sara Linck, AMC Innovation Office chief of innovation and process improvement. “We want to be that strategic accelerator for them.”

The Fall Industry Panel provided AMC and industry partners a focused venue to discuss operational demands, exchange ideas and identify capabilities that can help the command deliver global mobility in support of the Joint Force.

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