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
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Episode 37 - Afghanistan Assessment: The Rendezvous
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Episode 37 – Afghanistan Assessment: The Rendezvous
Episode Summary:
In episode 37 of the Aerospace Advantage, Afghanistan Assessment: The Rendezvous, John "Slick" Baum engages with the Mitchell Institute team to discuss the broader events surrounding America’s longest war. This is a tough one, with many members of the team having served in the theater, have worked on the war from the policy vantage, and have known people who’ve paid the ultimate price this conflict. To see the images of the collapse over the past few weeks has been exceedingly difficult. In the wake of this historic failure, it’s also important to look at what happened from a strategic perspective. The dedication to duty at the individual and unit level during this conflict was second to none, but the strategic decisions made over the past twenty years often fell short. It will take years to understand what happened and why, but this conversation marks the start of that assessment.
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Lt Gen (ret.) David Deptula, Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Doug Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Maj (ret.) Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Daniel Rice, Research Analyst, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
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!
Saturday Aug 21, 2021
Episode 36 - Speed is Life: Agile Software in Air Combat
Saturday Aug 21, 2021
Saturday Aug 21, 2021
Episode 36 – Speed is Life: Agile Software in Air Combat
Episode Summary:
In episode 36 of the Aerospace Advantage, Speed is Life: Agile Software in Air Combat, John Baum engages with Lt Col Mike Benitez, Director of Staff at the 53rd Wing; Dr. Jimmy “Rev” Jones, a fighter pilot-PhD; and Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute to discuss a topic few of us consider—the “ones and zeros” of software that actually operate the jet. Fighter pilots have a saying that speed is life, and it applies to everything from the speed at which you enter a dogfight, fly a low-level ingress, shoot a missile, or exit a threat ring. And when trying to achieve a qualitative advantage over an adversary, we often think about how fast we can field a better jet, a more lethal missile, or a bigger bomb. But today, so many of our combat capabilities rely upon software. The advantage is in the algorithm. And software can change much faster than hardware – which means that the ability to change software to adapt to the ever-changing battlespace will be key to victory in future warfare.
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Lt Col Mike Benitez, Director of Staff at the 53rd Wing, USAF
Guest: Lt Col (ret.) Dr. Jimmy “Rev” Jones, DARPA, USAF
Guest: Maj (ret.) Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themitchellinstituteforaero/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage
Thank you for your continued support!
Saturday Aug 14, 2021
Episode 35 - Logistics Under Attack: A Conversation with AMC Commander Gen Van Ovost
Saturday Aug 14, 2021
Saturday Aug 14, 2021
Episode 35 – Logistics Under Attack: A Conversation with AMC Commander Gen Van Ovost
Episode Summary:
In episode 35 of the Aerospace Advantage, Logistics Under Attack: A Conversation with AMC Commander Gen Van Ovost, John Baum and Mitchell Institute dean Lt Gen (ret) Dave Deptula discuss what it will take to sustain tomorrow’s military with Air Force Air Mobility Command Commander General Jackie Van Ovost. No military force can operate for any period of time without a robust flow of supplies. Whether discussing munitions, spare parts, food, fuel, or medical items—the reality is that the scale, scope, and pace of combat operations fundamentally relies on logistics. With the return of great power competition, all elements of our military enterprise are at extreme risk of attack and the results could prove disastrous if we don't address adequate capability, capacity and operating concepts for the new threat environment. Logistics is at the top of this list and air mobility is a key part of the solution.
Related:
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Gen Jackie Van Ovost, Commander of Air Mobility Command, USAF
Guest: Lt Gen (ret.) David Deptula, Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themitchellinstituteforaero/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage
Thank you for your continued support!
Saturday Aug 07, 2021
Saturday Aug 07, 2021
Episode 34 – The Future of Air Force Pilot Training: A Crisis That Demands a Solution
Episode Summary:
In episode 34 of the Aerospace Advantage, The Future of Air Force Pilot Training: A Crisis That Demands a Solution, host John Baum delves into a key challenge facing the Air Force: the service has too few pilots and needs to produce a new generation of talent fast. In discussions with 19th Air Force commander Maj Gen Craig Wills, the leader who oversees the majority of Air Force pilot training, and members of the Mitchell team, we discuss what it takes to produce an Air Force pilot—what elements are timeless and areas where new approaches and technology are offering areas for progress. The imperative for this is simple: the demand for airpower is on the rise, but without enough trained pilots, airplanes sitting on the ramp are bricks. It takes highly trained airmen to strap in and fly the missions. The Air Force has been stuck with too few pilots for too many years now and it’s really causing problems. It’s time to change the equation, but we need to do so prudently.
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Maj Gen Craig D. Wills, Commander of the 19th Air Force, USAF
Guest: Maj Gen (ret.) Larry Stutzriem, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Maj (ret.) Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themitchellinstituteforaero/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage
Thank you for your continued support!