In Episode 170 In Episode 171 of the No Limitations Podcast The Dirty Mix, Blenheim Partners’ Gregory Robinson speaks to Lt. Col. Jahara “Franky” Matisek (PhD), Principal Consultant, JLM Strategy and Research; Senior Fellow at the Payne Institute for Public Policy; and Visiting Scholar at Northwestern University.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Franky returns to talk on the shifting global geopolitical and economic landscape, which is centred on what he describes as the “revenge of the industrial age”. Franky argues that decades of globalisation have left Western economies dangerously dependent on complex international supply chains, particularly for critical minerals, energy, manufacturing and technology inputs that are increasingly controlled by geopolitical rivals such as China, Russia and Iran. Franky also explores the breakdown of the post-Cold War international order, the rise of nationalism and strategic competition, the growing importance of industrial capacity, and the weaponisation of trade, resources and supply chains. He also discusses major geopolitical flashpoints including Iran, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, NATO, Africa, China and the future of AUKUS, while highlighting how emerging technologies such as AI, drones, autonomous systems and quantum computing are transforming warfare and economic power.

Franky is a decorated Command Pilot at the United States Air Force, where he has served for over two decades and completed over 1,300 combat hours in major operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Franky has over 3,700 hours of flight time in the C-17, E-11 BACN, T-6, and T-53; and has earned a Bronze Star in 2020 for commanding airbase operations at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Franky is currently a Principal Consultant at JLM Strategy and Research, a Fellow at the Payne Institute for Public Policy and the Co-Principal Investigator at the Defense Security Cooperation University. Franky also holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University where he is also Visiting Researcher.

Franky was a Military Professor at the U.S. Naval War College. He was also a Research Fellow at the European Resilience Initiative Center, SAGE Fellow at AFWERX, Fellow at the Irregular Warfare Initiative and an Associate Professor in MSS & Director of Research for SWC at United States Air Force Academy. In addition, he was the Minerva Co-Principal Investigator and Researcher at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He is currently the most published active-duty officer serving with 2 books and over 200 articles on the defense industrial base, strategy, and warfare.

Please note: this episode was recorded on 24 June 2026.

Disclaimer: The views of Lt. Col. Matisek are his own and not those of the U.S. Air Force, Department of War, or the U.S. Government.