It is said that warfare is simply diplomacy by other means. As such, nation-states agree to various customs and laws to govern warfare in an effort to minimize destruction, avoid targeting non-combatants, and maintain other humanitarian and worthwhile practices.

On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain Shannon Kopplin, Judge Advocate General Corps, joins us to explain how the law of armed conflict came about, how it influences modern warfare, and why a known enemy aircraft might be declared a 'bandit' or 'hostile,' based on the rules of engagement.

Listener questions answered on this episode include combat fatigue in recent conflicts, whether downing WW2 V-1 rockets constitute an "aerial victory," details of the previous French-U.S. carrier interoperability demonstrations, and whether we will eventually feature Air Force PJs on the show.

Episode artwork by Janek Krause. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.