The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is proud to present The Aerospace Advantage, with former Air Force weapons school instructor and Thunderbird Lt Col (ret) John “Slick” Baum as the host. Every week, Slick will take listeners into the world of aerospace power and help the audience understand what it takes to fly and fight in the sky, while also protecting America’s interests in space. Whether talking to top generals, standing on a flight line full of combat aircraft, looking at a rocket being prepared for launch, or hearing from those who have laid it all on the line in defense of the nation—this podcast will afford unprecedented access and insight into where the combat aerospace community is going and why.
Episodes
Sunday Feb 28, 2021
Sunday Feb 28, 2021
Episode 12 – Securing Tomorrow’s Skies: A Conversation with ACC Commander General Mark Kelly
Episode Summary:
The Mitchell Institute is proud to release episode 12 of its Aerospace Advantage podcast: Securing Tomorrow’s Skies: A Conversation with ACC Commander General Mark Kelly. One of the Air Force’s key mission areas is gaining air superiority—a crucial objective given that no military function can succeed if subject to attack from hostile airpower. While the service is in the midst of modernization with types like the F-35, it must also think about the capabilities it seeks to procure in future decades. General Kelly provides insights into this process and how he expects the mission to evolve given the future threat environment.
Full Topic Guide
In Episode 12 of the Aerospace Advantage host John “Slick” Baum welcomes Air Combat Command Commander General Mark Kelly to the show to discuss the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program and future air platforms with Co-host and Mitchell Institute’s Dean, Lt Gen (ret.) David Deptula.
Stealth, sensors, computing, real-time data links merged with advanced performance characteristics has evolved the way in which we fight. We operate in a world where long-range strike capabilities and stealth will allow us to take down an enemy before they even know we are there. These capabilities are not cheap, and money is tight, so we need to plan ahead and be prudent in our choices. When we imagine the platform that will rule the skies in the 2030s and 2040s, we need to start planning that aircraft today. That is what the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program seeks to address.
What does that fighter, or the NGAD platform look like and what capabilities do we need to maintain U.S. air dominance? To describe what he envisions as being critical to the NGAD program and future or air warfare, Gen Mark Kelly joins the show.
Time Marks:
1:26 – Lt Gen (ret.) David Deptula joins Baum to describe the state of fifth gen, and the future for air dominance
8:14 – Gen Mark Kelly describes what the requirements for the NGAD program are from a military standpoint
16:12 – Gen Mark Kelly discusses the macro-level picture of what NGAD means for the future
21:22 – Gen Mark Kelly explores the importance of the migration from a kill chain to a kill web for the future of aerospace warfare
31:24 – Gen Mark Kelly talks about the importance of training and the Air Force’s Reforge program in getting pilots ready for the next generation of air warfare
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Co-host: Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Gen Mark Kelly, USAF
Links:
USAF Brig Gen Alex Grynkewich’s paper An Operational Imperative: The Future of Air Superiority - https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/air-superiority-release
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
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Thank you for your continued support!
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Episode 11 - Flying and Fighting with the F-35: Pilots‘ Perspective
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Episode 11 - Flying and Fighting with the F-35: Pilots' Perspective
Episode Summary:
Full Topic Guide
In Episode 11 of the Aerospace Advantage host John “Slick” Baum explores what it is like to fly America’s newest fighter jet, the F-35. Joined by Emmy award winning journalist Steph Stricklen as co-host, Baum brings experienced F-35 fighter pilots Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee and Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe onto the show to describe their firsthand experience flying this new aircraft.
Fifth-gen aircraft bring a whole new dynamic to the fight through their advanced stealth technology, and even more importantly, their ability to gather and process battlespace information for the pilot. These two capabilities, combined with impressive flight characteristics, make the F-35 a highly capable air combat aircraft.
No one can better describe the experience and benefits gained by these aircraft than the pilots who fly them. To hear this experience, Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee and Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe join the show to describe what they experience when they fly and fight in the F-35.
Time Marks:
2:17 – Baum lays down how stealth, information dominance and advanced performance is the new norm for the fighter pilot’s needs
5:43 – Steph Stricklen kicks off the conversation with Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe by getting her take on how she engages the community to educate them on the capabilities of the F-35 beyond aerobatic maneuvers
7:55 – Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee describes how the F-35 has evolved the operational level planning in the air
13:21 – First Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe describes how the F-35 has changed operating concepts, then Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee shares his thoughts.
20:37 – Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe and Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee share their experience flying the F-35 and how it changes how they fly
31:11 – Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee and Steph Stricklen each share their favorite F-35 flying story
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Co-host: Stephanie Stircklen
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, USAF
Guest: Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee, USAF
Links:
F-35A Demo Team’s website: https://www.388fw.acc.af.mil/F-35A-Demo-Team/
Maj Justin “Hasard” Lee’s The Professionals Playbook: https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/
Steph Stricklen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephstricklen/?hl=en
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://bit.ly/3HIZWyD
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMitchellInstituteforAerospaceStudies
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LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage
Thank you for your continued support!
Saturday Feb 13, 2021
Saturday Feb 13, 2021
Episode 10 – Hanging out with Unexploded Ordnance, Saddam’s Bunkers and Me: Experiences of a Fighter Pilot
Episode Summary:
Mitchell Institute's Aerospace Advantage takes you to the flight line and beyond in Episode 10 Hanging out with Unexploded Ordnance, Saddam’s Bunkers and Me: Experiences of a Fighter Pilot. When we think about military pilots, we almost always envision them in the cockpit. However, whether helping establish requirements for new aircraft, designing fresh operational concepts, or developing attack plans, the Air Force needs folks who are first-hand operational experts. Thus, pilots find themselves rotating through the Pentagon and other associated functions in-between their flying assignments. This podcast explores one such experience through the eyes of Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker, currently serving as the Vice Commander of 12th Air Force. A fighter pilot by trade and having just finished a tour as a Weapons School Instructor, General Baker found himself helping to build the Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign. Subsequently, he was deployed to Iraq and executed after-action inspections at his recently targeted sites. Tune in to hear his stories and how he found himself hanging from the ceiling of one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces next to an unexploded bomb!
Full Topic Guide
In Episode 10 of the Aerospace Advantage host John “Slick” Baum dives into the story of Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker, a fighter pilot who helped build the Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign, and put boots on the ground to conduct after-action reports on his targeted sites. This episode is about his story, and his experience from the planning center to Saddam’s palace.
In late 2002, the U.S. military prepared to take offensive measure against Iraq. As part of war campaign, Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker, found himself as point man in bringing the JDAM GPD guided munition capability onto F-16s. With his background in weapons systems, he was the one of the critical people targeting Iraqi centers of gravity and assessing the damage of the new weapons systems. Bluto led the effort in ensuring that the new bombs were executing their missions successfully, and this was not always safe. It meant strapping on a rappelling rope and diving into blown out bunkers, sometimes to find unexploded ordinance waiting at the bottom of the rope!
The Aerospace Advantage is not just about concepts and technology, it is about hearing from the men that put these ideas into practice. New weapons systems are great, but we need to get them into the hands of operators for practice and to ensure that they are achieving the desired effect. Much like Bluto’s missions in Iraq, whether planning in D.C. or conducting field missions, even doing both, our airmen are pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Join Slick in future episodes as we hear the stories of airmen and the incredible missions that they undertake to push our Aerospace Advantage.
Time Marks:
2:08 – Baum lays down the historic framework of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Northern and Southern no-fly zones in Iraq
3:31 – Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker joins the show to describe both what hard and deeply buried targets are, and how they are critical to the modern war effort
10:10 – Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker describes the role of different agencies in targeting hard and buried targets
14:55 – Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker tells his experiences collecting Battle Damage Assessments, or BDAs
21:45 – Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker explains the “Project 2000” target in Iraq
29:51 – Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker offers his lessons learned from his experiences for our future military leaders
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Brig Gen Craig “Bluto” Baker, USAF
Links:
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://bit.ly/3HIZWyD
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMitchellInstituteforAerospaceStudies
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage
Thank you for your continued support!
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Episode 9 - Unmanned Wingmen? The Future of Air Combat
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Episode 9 – Unmanned Wingmen? The Future of Air Combat
Episode Summary:
Episode 9 of Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Advantage podcast explores the future of manned-unmanned aircraft teaming—one of the biggest developments that will shape the future of air combat. Thanks to advancements in autonomy, machine learning, computer processing power, and the ability to connect and share information, unmanned aerial vehicles and traditional crewed aircraft will partner in incredibly complementary ways. Host Lt Col. (ret) John Baum speaks with combat pilot Col Don “Stryker” Haley, one of the Air Force’s top experts on the subject, Col (ret) Mark Gunzinger of the Mitchell team, as well as two of the leading aerospace industry experts in this realm: Steve Fendley, president for the unmanned systems division at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, and Mike Atwood, Senior Director for Advanced Programs at General Atomics.
Full Topic Guide
In Episode 9 of the Aerospace Advantage host John “Slick” Baum explores the future of air warfare in manned-unmanned teaming. He is joined by Mitchell topic expert Col (ret) Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger, Air Force expert and combat pilot Col Don “Stryker” Haley, and industry leaders Steve Fendley of Kratos Defense & Security Solution and Mike Atwood of General Atomics.
Manned-unmanned teaming was not always a possibility, but recent technological developments are turning this future concept into reality. To kick off the discussion, Slick and Gonzo discuss the technological developments surrounding this concept.
Next, Col Don “Stryker” Haley describes current Air Fore thinking regarding the requirement for manned-unmanned teaming and how it may be employed in the future battle space.
Finally, Mike Atwood of General Atomics and Steve Fendley of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions describe how industry is building the systems that will manifest this vision through Air Force Research Lab’s Skyborg prorgam.
Time Marks:
04:20 – Gonzo joins the show to discuss the technological developments that have led to manned-unmanned teaming in theory and practice
13:22 – Col Don “Stryker” Haley speaks to the developments in the Pentagon that is bringing this capability to life
29:38 – Steve Fendley of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Mike Atwood of General Atomics join the show to describe how industry is working to bring these capabilities online
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Col Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger, USAF, ret.
Guest: Col Don “Stryker” Haley, USAF
Guest: Steve Fendley, President, Unmanned Systems Division, Kratos Defense & Security Solution
Guest: Mike Atwood, Senior Director for Advanced Programs, General Atomics
The Mitchell Institute’s Skyborg Report:
Links:
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://bit.ly/3HIZWyD
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMitchellInstituteforAerospaceStudies
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage
Thank you for your continued support!