Episode Summary: In episode 164 of the Aerospace Advantage, Tip of the Spear: Inside the 509th Bomb Wing and the Future of Stealth Bombers, John "Slick" Baum chats with Colonel Keith "Ghost" Butler, long-time B-2 pilot and commander of America’s sole stealth bomber wing. The ability to attack any target around the globe anytime, anywhere is a crucial asymmetric advantage for the United States. Key policy options fundamentally rely on the B-2 and the men and women who fly and sustain the...

Episode Summary: In Episode 163 of the Aerospace Advantage, Realizing the Quantum Computing Edge: Key Considerations, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum chats with national security expert Maj Gen Cameron Holt, USAF (Ret.), founder of the Quantum Industrial Coalition Paul Stimers, and Mitchell Institute’s Heather Penney about one of the top topics in defense innovation. ​​​​​​​The imperative to develop, produce, and field quantum computing capabilities is real. While some aspects of...

Episode Summary: In Episode 162 of the Aerospace Advantage, Airpower and Spacepower Predictions for 2024: The Rendezvous, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum chats with members of the Mitchell Institute team about the latest defense developments in the beltway and the broader national security community.We’re off to a new year, so we’ve gathered members of the team to discuss topics we should be tracking in 2024. What should we expect from Congress—especially when it comes to the ongoing...

Episode Summary: In Episode 161 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast “There I was!”: Real Life Stories from the Cockpit with the Mitchell Institute Part II, our team members recount some of their most memorable experiences flying and fighting. You normally hear us talking about policy and budget issues, but over the holiday season, we decided it was time to kick back and reflect upon the high adventures of past years.This week, we hear from Gen Kevin “Chili” Chilton, USAF (Ret.) as he...

Episode Summary: In Episode 160 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, “There I was!”: Stories from the Cockpit and Space with the Mitchell Institute, our team members recount some of their most memorable experiences from their time in uniform. You normally hear us talking about policy and budget issues, but over the holiday season, we decided it was time to kick back and reflect upon the high adventures of past years. This week, we hear from Lt Gen Dave "Zatar" Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Mark...

Episode Summary: In Episode 159 of the Aerospace Advantage, CCAs and Disruptive Air Warfare: The Future Vector, John Baum chats with Mark Gunzinger, Mike Dahm, and Mark Gunzinger of the Mitchell Institute about the potential for collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to increase the lethality, survivability, and capacity of the Air Force’s air superiority forces for operations in highly contested environments. Projecting decisive military power has long relied on the Air Force’s ability to...

In Episode 158 of the Aerospace Advantage, Affordable Mass: Understanding Next Gen Munitions Requirements, Doug Birkey chats with Mitchell Institute’s Mark Gunzinger and Jim Young of Boeing, who serves as the Executive Director for their Direct Attack portfolio within the Precision Engagement Systems organization. Most DOD air-to-surface munitions were designed for U.S. campaigns of the past 30 years in which its forces confronted lesser regional militaries operating weak air defenses. DOD...

Episode Summary: In Episode 157 of the Aerospace Advantage, Congressional Defense Update; B-21 First Flight; Spacepower Considerations, and a China Update: The Rendezvous, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum chats with members of the Mitchell Institute team about the latest defense developments in the beltway and the broader national security community. We discuss where defense bills stand in Congress and continuing resolution implications. Panelists also explore the latest developments...

Episode Summary: In Episode 156 of the Aerospace Advantage, 4th Gen to 5th Gen Air Combat Evolution: Operator Perspectives, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum chats with two seasoned fighter pilots, Lt Col Gary Glojek and Lt Col Max Cover, about how modernization is impacting today’s Air Force flightlines. Specifically, they discuss how the combat Air Force inventory is evolving from a 4th generation force to one increasingly populated by 5th generation aircraft. Types like the A-10,...

Episode Summary: In episode 155 of the Aerospace Advantage, Evolution of Air Battle Management: Navigating Beyond JSTARS, John “Slick” Baum talks to Mitchell Institute’s Doug Birkey and Lt Col Alex “Big Bobby” Wallis, a former JSTARS battle manager who currently serves as the Director of Plans at the 461st Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base.JSTARS enabled Air Force battle managers to monitor surface targets, convert data into actionable insights, and exploit a comprehensive command...

Episode Summary: In Episode 154 of the Aerospace Advantage, Understanding the Chinese Challenge: Assessing DoD’s Latest China Military Power Report, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum chats with Senior Fellow for Aerospace and China Studies Mike Dahm about key trends and insights shaping the security picture in the Western Pacific and beyond. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall recently described what keeps U.S. military leaders awake: “China, China, China.”  He’s right, the People’s...

Episode Summary: In Episode 153 of the Aerospace Advantage, Congressional Defense Update; Conflict in the Middle East; and a China Threat Update: The Rendezvous, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum chats with Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), China expert Mike Dahm, plus Washington insiders Anthony Lazarski and Todd Harmer about the latest developments in the beltway and the broader national security community. We discuss what new leadership in the House of Representatives will mean for...

Episode Summary: In Episode 152 of the Aerospace Advantage, Commander Conversation: The Future of French Airpower, John “Slick” Baum explores the future of fighter aviation with Maj Gen Jean-Luc Moritz, head of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program for the French Air and Space Force. The FCAS is a next-generation fighter aircraft and the associated set of collaborative systems that France, Germany, and Spain are developing to replace types currently in service, like the Rafale, Typhoon,...

Episode Summary: In Episode 151 of the Aerospace Advantage, The Backbone of Aerospace Production: Understanding the Supplier Base, John “Slick” Baum discusses what it’ll take to ensure America’s aerospace industrial base can meet demand with industry expert Richard Aboulafia, Managing Director at AeroDynamic Advisory, and Karl Hutter, President & CEO of Click Bond, a leading supplier.The U.S. and its allies are in the middle of rebuilding their air forces to meet the challenges of an...

Episode Summary: In Episode 150 of the Aerospace Advantage, The USSF’s Theory of Competitive Endurance: Expanding the Discussion, Tim Ryan sits down with Brian “Flasher” Goodman, a seasoned space operator and Guardian; Tom “Pumper” Nichols, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at True Anomaly; and Mitchell’s Charles Galbreath to explore ideas around Competitive Endurance and how it can be applied in today’s contested space domain.With threats on orbit on the rise, it is crucial to define this...

Episode Summary: In Episode 149 of the Aerospace Advantage, Washington Drama, Boosting Defense Production, Spacepower Update, and Replicator: The Rendezvous, Mitchell Institute’s Doug Birkey chats with Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), spacepower expert Charles Galbreath, plus Washington insiders Anthony Lazarski and Todd Harmer about the latest developments in the beltway and the broader national security community. We discuss the national security realities created by a continuing...

Episode Summary: In Episode 148 of the Aerospace Advantage, Understanding Hostilities in Space Short of War: Harnessing an Irregular Warfare Model on Orbit, Mitchell Institute’s Tim Ryan chats with Commander John ‘Patsy’ Klein, USN (Ret), a noted spacepower expert; Colonel El Gardner, Director Space Strategy, Policy, and Plans HQ USSF; and Henry Heren about what it means to successfully engage in an era of enduring competition in space.The conversation focuses on the findings of Klein’s...

Episode Summary: In Episode 147 of the Aerospace Advantage, No Bucks, No Buck Rogers: Leadership Conversation with Lt Gen Rick Moore, Mitchell’s Maj Gen Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.) explores the fiscal realities facing the USAF. As the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs at Headquarters Air Force, Lt Gen Rick Moore oversees building the budgets that are ultimately submitted to top Department of the Air Force leaders, DoD, and the Hill. We frequently talk about hardware like aircraft...

Episode Summary: In Episode 146 of the Aerospace Advantage, Innovating the Spectrum Warfare Edge: Industry Conversation, Mitchell’s Doug Birkey continues our focus on this topic with Josh Niedzwiecki, vice president and general manager of electronic combat solutions at BAE. As we discussed last week with 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing commander Col Joshua Koslov, this technology, the associated conops, and tactics are crucial for success in modern warfare. The nation has taken too much risk in...

Episode Summary: In Episode 145 of the Aerospace Advantage, Regaining the Spectrum Warfare Advantage: Leadership Conversation, Doug Birkey chats with the commander of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, Col Joshua Koslov to discuss the current state of this mission area, explain challenges and opportunities, define key concepts, and provide insights on future vectors.Spectrum warfare is a crucial element of overall warfighting effectiveness.  At its core, it comes down to securing an information...

Episode Summary: In Episode 144 of the Aerospace Advantage, Commander Conversation: Royal Canadian Air Force Spacepower, Doug Birkey chats with Brigadier General Mike Adamson, Commander of 3 Canadian Space Division (3 CSD); Brigadier General Chris McKenna, Director General Air and Space Force Development; and Brigadier General Kyle Paul Deputy Commanding General, Transformation, U.S. Space Operations Command. The Royal Canadian Air Force organizes, trains, operates, and equips for a broad...

Episode Summary: In Episode 143 of the Aerospace Advantage, Decoding China's AI Ambitions: The Rise of Informationized and Intelligentized Warfare, John “Slick” Baum chats with Daniel Rice, China Expert at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare at Marine Corps University, and Dennis Murphy, who researches the implications emerging technologies will have on international security at Georgia Tech. This discussion takes a deep dive into China’s most cutting-edge concepts that...

Episode Summary: In Episode 142 of the Aerospace Advantage, A Conversation with Air Marshal Harvey Smyth: Allied Perspective, John “Slick” Baum, Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret), and Gen Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret) chat with Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, the Royal Air Force’s Air and Space Commander. It’s hard to think about a single time in history when our nation fought alone. It’s no secret why: allies and partners are the key to success as America seeks to engage around the world. It takes a...

Episode Summary: In Episode 141 of the Aerospace Advantage, Building Counterspace Capabilities: Smart Spacepower, John “Slick” Baum chats with Col Eric Felt, USSF Director of Architecture; Matt Fetrow of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office; Arnie Streland of Northrop Grumman; and Charles Galbreath, Mitchell Institute Senior Fellow for Space Studies, about how the Space Force and industry are responding to the growing threat environment on orbit.   Significant improvements and investments are...

Episode Summary: In Episode 140 of the Aerospace Advantage, Congressional Defense Priorities, Allies Boost Modernization, China Realities, and Spacepower Perspectives: The Rendezvous, John “Slick” Baum chats with Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Washington experts Todd Harmer and Anthony Lazarski, plus Mitchell Senior Fellow for Space Studies Tim Ryan about some of the latest national security developments. The last few weeks have been busy, with Congress continuing to advance the defense...