The Aerospace Advantage

Episode 210 — Compass Call: Understanding the Technical State of the Art

Episode Summary:

In this Aerospace Advantage episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney continues the electronic attack conversation with Dave Harrold and Duane Beaulieu of BAE, plus Mitchell Institute’s Mike Dahm. Electronic Attack is an essential twenty-first century mission capability.

The ability to disrupt enemy command, control, communications, radars, and navigation systems allows U.S. forces to maintain a decision advantage, while denying one to the adversary. It all comes down to maintaining a leading electromagnetic-based battlespace capability. The Compass Call system, currently hosted on the EC-130H, executes this mission. It will soon migrate to the EA-37B.  We explore this transition by discussing where the mission has been and where it’s going from a technical perspective. We also explain what it means to secure an electronic attack advantage in the modern era and why this is imperative. Learn more about this crucial mission from the experts developing the essential technology.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: J. Michael "JDAM" Dahm, Senior Resident Fellow for Aerospace and China Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Dave Harrold, Vice President & General Manager, Countermeasure & Electromagnetic Attack Solutions, BAE Systems

Guest: Duane Beaulieu, Tech Director, BAE Systems

Testimony transcript

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Episode 209 — Election Implications for Defense: The Rendezvous

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with members of the Mitchell Institute team about the what the 2024 election results will mean for spacepower and airpower.

Elections always matter, especially given the national security issues currently in play. The world is an incredibly dangerous place: Russia continues its war in Ukraine, China is pressing hard in the Pacific, Iran continues to destabilize the Middle East and shares nuclear ambitions with North Korea, plus terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis pose serious challenges. On top of this, the Air Force is undergoing a historic level of modernization—ranging from two legs of the triad to the B-21, F-35, CCA, KC-46, T-7, and more. Major questions loom for programs like NGAD and NGAS, and things not simple in the Space Force either, as leaders in that service seek to build a new set of capabilities given that the domain is now contested. Mission migration from the air to space also continues, especially or things like ISR. The vector set by Donald Trump and members of Congress in the coming years will shape options available to leaders for decades into the future.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Charles Galbreath, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)

Guest: Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Senior Vice President, American Defense International

Guest: Jeff  "Rowli" Rowlison, VP, Space & Intel Programs, American Defense International

Guest: Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs

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Episode 208 — Compass Call: Operator Insights

Episode Summary:

In this Aerospace Advantage episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats about electronic attack with Col JR Smith, commander of the 55th Electronic Combat Group. 

Maintaining an electromagnetic-based battlespace advantage is essential for twenty first century mission success. That’s why the EC-130H and the new EA-37B are so important. They execute a mission the Air Force calls Compass Call: disrupting enemy command, control, communications, radars, and navigation systems. This allows U.S. forces to maintain a decision advantage, while denying this to the adversary. Nor is Compass Call just about the aircraft and mission systems. Highly trained airmen are key. Compass Call assets also partner with EA-18Gs and F-16CJs as part of a team to facilitate the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). This episode will explore this mission—how it has developed, current considerations, and where it is going from an operator perspective.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Col Jeremy R "Smitty" Smith, Commander, 55th Electronic Combat Group

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #EW #combat #leadership

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Episode 207 — Credible Deterrence: It Demands Modern NC3

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats about a key component of the nuclear triad with Chris Adams, sector vice president and general manager for Strategic Space Systems at Northrop Grumman, and Jen "Boots" Reeves, Senior Fellow for Space Studies at Mitchell Institute.

The nuclear triad forms the bedrock of America’s national security. The idea is simple: to hold enemy nations at risk to such a degree that they will never cross certain lines. For this to work, our nuclear enterprise needs to be highly resilient, dependable, and zero fail. We normally focus on the weapons portion of the enterprise: ICBMs, SLBMs, and air launched weapons from bombers and certain fighters. And while those technologies are obviously critical, the ability to use them demands an incredibly safe and secure command and control system—what we call nuclear command, control, and communications—or NC3 for short. People often take that part of the enterprise for granted because it’s largely invisible. Chris and Jen talk about the NC3 enterprise—outlining why it’s so important and explaining why it must be modernized.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Christopher Adams, Sector Vice President and General Manager, Strategic Space Systems division (SSSD), Space Systems sector, Northrop Grumman

Guest: Jennifer "Boots" Reeves, Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #space #deterrence

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Episode 206 — Air Battle Management in an Evolving World: Key Questions

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats about the evolution of air battle management with two highly experienced airmen, Lt Col Alex Wallis of the 728th Battle Management Control Squadron at Robins AFB and Lt Col Grant “SWAT” Georgulis, who just wrapped up a stint as the commander of the 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron at Tinker AFB.

Air battle management is an essential mission: the combination of highly trained personnel and technology that makes sense of the combat environment. They do more than just help teams on the ground and airmen in the sky find targets – battle managers orchestrate and maneuver a diverse array of capabilities to maximize logistics, mission effects, and survivability in pursuit of air superiority and air operations within dynamic and contested theaters. We often recognize the battle management community through their aircraft and ground systems—the E-3 AWACS, the CRC, BCC, and the recently retired E-8 JSTARS. However, changes are underway in this mission given the on-ramp of the E-7, TOC-Enabled CRC with "three dealer" and space-based ground moving target indicator system. The operating domain is also evolving given the focus on China and the realities of operating in a domain as large as the Pacific.  We’ve also got to think about how the rise of artificial intelligence, collaborative combat aircraft, and multi-domain teaming will impact the mission. So, what tenets of the air battle management mission will hold constant? What elements will change? We explore these questions with two highly experienced operators.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Lt Col Grant "SWAT" Georgulis, Air Force Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Lt Col Alex "Big Bobby" Wallis, 728th Battle Management Control Squadron, Robins AFB

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Episode 205 — China’s Military Buildup: Perception vs Reality

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with China expert Mike Dahm about an important aspect of China’s military modernization: how we perceive such developments.

Given the restricted nature of China’s security complex, plus different cultural and political factors between our nations, those in the West must often rely on conjecture and partial information to arrive at various conclusions regarding the scale, scope, and vector of this buildup. This oftentimes sees individuals arrive at false conclusions, while failing to observe crucial nuances that should inform how the U.S. and its allies are building their corresponding military capabilities. We explore this challenge, while also providing an overview update regarding key Chinese military developments.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: J. Michael "JDAM" Dahm, Senior Resident Fellow for Aerospace and China Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #aerospace #air #China

Thank you for your continued support!

Episode 204 — NGAD Perspectives, Chinese ICBM Test, and Spacepower Developments: The Rendezvous

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with members of the Mitchell Institute team about the latest defense news from the Beltway and the broader national security community.

The Air and Space Forces Association just wrapped up their Air, Space, and Cyber Conference and Mitchell Institute was incredibly engaged. It’s a major annual milestone in the air and space power dialogue. We explore what leaders said and why it matters. This includes a major discussion on the future of air superiority, collaborative combat aircraft, and the next-generation air dominance program. We also talk about the Secretary of the Air Force’s blunt statement regarding the Space Force’s requirement for additive resources given the scale of the mission demands facing them.  Additionally, the group assesses the implications of China’s recent ICBM test and why Lockheed Martin’s delivery of the 1,000th F-35 is a major milestone. We round it out with an assessment of the latest defense developments in Washington DC, including the impact of the newly passed Continuing Resolution and where the defense bills currently stand.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Jennifer "Boots" Reeves, Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)

Guest: Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Senior Vice President, American Defense International

Guest: Jeff "Rowli" Rowlison, VP, Space & Intel Programs, American Defense International

Guest: Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs

Links:

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Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/

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Episode 203 - Expeditionary Airpower: It Takes the 621st Contingency Response Wing

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney of the Mitchell Institute team chats with Colonel Jason Herring, commander of the 621st Contingency Response Wing about sustaining airpower at the edge.

Whether responding to a humanitarian disaster or facilitating distributed air operations via the ACE construct, success comes down to the airmen facilitating expeditionary operations. This demands special training, a can-do attitude, and the ability to navigate the unexpected when handling functions like quick-turn maintenance, airfield management, passenger and cargo movement, on-site command and control, force protection, and whatever else is required to sustain air operations in austere locations. Airpower is a fundamentally agile, dynamic force. That requires a highly skilled, team-oriented set of capabilities.  Join us to learn more about contingency response airmen are at the heart of the effort.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin 

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Col Jason Herring, Commander, 621st Contingency Response Wing (CRW)

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #aerospace #air #CRW #leadership

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Episode 202 - Ensuring the Asymmetric Advantage: Jet Propulsion

In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney of the Mitchell Institute team chats with Dr Michael Gregg, Director, Aerospace Systems Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and Chris Flynn Vice President of Military Development Programs at Pratt & Whitney.

For decades, the America has enjoyed a near-unrivaled position when it comes to developing and fielding high performance, incredibly reliable military jet engines. No matter how capable an airframe or the associated mission systems, these attributes are of little benefit absent the performance advantages afforded by a capable jet engine. The U.S. Air Force is at a key inflection point when it comes to stewarding this technology. Much of the service’s aircraft inventory is flying with engines designed in the Cold War. Newer types designed in the 1990s and 2000s are now multiple decades old. Sustaining existing designs is different from developing, fielding, and producing new technology.  The Air Force knows this and that is why it has invested in multiple programs to pursue new engines that deliver enhanced performance, reliability, and efficiency attributes necessary to meet current and future mission requirements. We discuss jet engine innovation from the perspective of AFRL and industry—reflecting the partnership that delivers this technology.

Credits:

Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Editor: Patrick Gensel

Guest: Maj Gen Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.), Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Dr. Michael Gregg, Director, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

Guest: Chris Flynn, Vice President of Military Development Programs, Pratt & Whitney

Episode 201 - Shoot to Kill: The Day America Launched an ASAT

In episode 201 of the Aerospace Advantage, Shoot to Kill: The Day America Launched an ASAT, members of the Mitchell Institute team chat with Maj Gen Doug Pearson, USAF (Ret.), the pilot who took “the shot” and directed the F-15 Anti-Satellite Combined Test Force, and Col Jack Anthony, USAF (Ret.), the Operations Officer at Cheyenne Mountain about this incredibly historic mission.

At the height of the Cold War, the United States Air Force demonstrated the ability to shoot down a satellite in Low Earth Orbit from an F-15 fighter aircraft. While this did not result in a fielded capability, the lessons related to technology, planning, coordination, and operational execution offer valuable insight into future cross-domain operations. Plus, the context of the Cold War has remarkable parallels to the challenges the United States and its allies must confront in Great Power Competition. In this conversation, we explore this key history with two figures integral to the program's success.

Credits:

Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Maj Gen Doug Pearson, USAF (Ret.)

Guest: Col Jack Anthony, USAF (Ret.)

Guest: Charles Galbreath, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)

Guest: Jennifer Reeves, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)