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 13, 2022
Saturday Aug 13, 2022
Episode 89 – Hypersonic Strike: Insider Perspective
Episode Summary:
In Episode 89 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, Hypersonic Strike: Insider Perspective, John Baum engages with one of the industry teams involved with designing, building, and testing next generation hypersonic strike technologies. Peer threats, particularly those posed by China, demand a new set of enhanced strike options. Hypersonic technology is a key factor in this equation. Defense leaders know this and have launched numerous programs, committed significant funding, and maintained a consistent focus to transition developmental technologies to the operational realm. This is a marked departure from decades’ worth of an inconsistent, wandering approach to maturing hypersonic technology. After tremendous progress in the 1960s thanks to programs like the X-15, the nation effectively ceded decades of potential hypersonic progress due to a lack of clear goals, strategic program portfolio, and dependable funding. Now, with peer competition stressing US defense strategies, CONOPS, and technical capabilities in ways not seen since the Cold War, it’s time to reclaim the hypersonic advantage. This is a difficult proposition given the need to innovate on numerous fronts, develop a new generation of talent, relearn lessons, and produce urgent results amidst tremendous pressure for success. This episode provides an inside perspective regarding what it’s like to be on this journey, better understand the technology, the people behind these efforts, and why it’s so important hypersonics enter America’s operational arsenal as soon as possible.
Credits:
Host: Lt Col (Ret.) John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Eric Knutson, Director at Skunk Works Advanced Systems
Guest: Brian Schappacher, Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon Deputy Program Manager
Guest: Arlen Kostival, Vehicle Systems Engineer
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