The Aerospace Advantage

Episode 139 — Flying and Fighting Against the Odds: A Cold War Perspective

Episode Summary:

In Episode 139 of the Aerospace Advantage, Flying and Fighting Against the Odds: A Cold War Perspective, John “Slick” Baum chats with Col Robert Graham, USAF (Ret.) about the 500+ combat sorties he flew across four combat tours during the Vietnam War.

Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), air bases under attack, high pilot attrition, tremendous tactical and technical innovation, training shortfalls, and unwavering dedication to duty were all hallmarks of the air war over Vietnam. As the Air Force reorients itself to confront a national security environment defined by peer competition, it is critical we look back in time and learn from the experiences of airmen who confronted and overcame similar threats.

Col Graham’s experiences are harrowing, captivating, and incredibly instructive. Having flown the O-1 Bird Dog, F-100 Super Sabre, and F-4 Phantom in combat, he provided close air support in danger-close proximity to friendly units; operated amidst robust enemy air defenses; and got shot down off the end of his own runway by guerilla forces—yet he continued to fly sorties day-after-day as pilot attrition exceeded 20 percent. All the while, Col Graham seasoned a new generation of airmen entering the fight. These are all challenges tomorrow’s airmen will experience. Join us for this incredible conversation.

Credits:

Host: John "Slick" Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Doug Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Col Bob Graham, USAF (Ret.)

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #veteran #Vietnam

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Episode 138 — Maintaining the Propulsion Advantage: The Race to Deliver Tomorrow’s Jet Technology

Episode Summary:

In Episode 138 of the Aerospace Advantage, Maintaining the Propulsion Advantage: The Race to Deliver Tomorrow’s Jet Technology, Doug Birkey chats with Mitchell Institute’s Maj Gen Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.), and David Tweedie, GE Edison Works vice president and general manager for advanced products, about a key element of America’s crucial combat aircraft advantage in the sky: engines.

No military aircraft design, no matter how good, can execute any mission without its engine. In today’s military, that translates to incredibly sophisticated jet technology. Mission requirements for both today and tomorrow demand enhanced performance, greater efficiency, and continued top-of-the-line reliability. After relying on a relatively limited number of existing engines in its propulsion stable for years, the Air Force is pursuing a new generation of capabilities. This is a positive development given new operational demands and the competition from adversary nations. There is little room for error. The U.S. must double down to ensure it maintains the edge in this key technology arena.

Credits:

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

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

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

Guest: David Tweedie, Vice President & General Manager for Advanced Products, GE Edison Works 

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #GE

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Episode 137 — Fighter Modernization Imperative: Defining the Vector

Episode Summary:

In Episode 137 of the Aerospace Advantage, Fighter Modernization Imperative: Defining the Vector, John “Slick Baum” explores the status of the Air Force’s fighter inventory and a path for reset with Maj Gen Charles “Corky” Corcoran, USAF (Ret.); Lt Col Eric Gunzinger, USAF (Ret.); and Douglas Birkey.

The United States faces a fighter aviation modernization crisis that, left unchecked, will undermine every facet of joint force operations. The challenge is particularly acute in the U.S. Air Force. The service simply hasn’t acquired enough aircraft since the Reagan-era defense build-up, and, in light of budget constraints, is way behind the curve resetting the force. Given the threat environment, we’re now in an untenable position. This isn’t just about Air Force fighters—it’s about viable joint power projection, and that demands the scale and scope that Air Force fighters uniquely bring to the table—starting with air superiority. This episode is designed to assess the Air Force fighter capacity challenge and then explore options for resetting the force.

Credits:

Host: John "Slick" Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

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

Guest: Maj Gen Charles “Corky” Corcoran, USAF (Ret.), Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Lt Col Eric "Gunz" Gunzinger, USAF (Ret.), Former Instructor Weapons Systems Operator

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #modernization

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Episode 136 — It’s Time to Reset the Force: Leadership Conversation with Lt Gen Mike Loh, Director of the ANG

Episode Summary:

In Episode 136 of the Aerospace Advantage, It’s Time to Reset the Force: Leadership Conversation with Lt Gen Mike Loh, Director of the ANG, Doug Birkey explores the modernization challenges facing the Air National Guard and the Air Force as a whole with Lt Gen Mike Loh, along with Mitchell Institute’s Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.) and Heather Penney.

The Air Force’s fighter inventory is too small and too old to meet demands placed upon it. Aircraft are now physically worn out and must be retired, but the Air Force lacks the necessary funding to procure a sufficient volume of new fighters to ensure the outflow of aging aircraft is matched by new replacements. We saw this in the fall of 2022 when F-15s stationed at Kadena were retired without direct, permanently assigned backfills—the aircraft were simply not available. This will be repeated absent a significant boost in the scale and scope of new aircraft buys. The modernization imperative disproportionately impacts the ANG given that those units generally possess the service’s oldest equipment. Force structure realities see the ANG necessary to meet COCOM demands, especially those tied to homeland defense. It’s time to focus on solutions.

Credits:

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

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

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

Guest: Heather Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: Lt Gen Michael Loh, Director, Air National Guard

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #ANG #force

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Episode 135 — Hill Update, Budget Caps, Space Trends, and Ukraine Perspectives: The Rendezvous

Episode Summary:

In Episode 135 of the Aerospace Advantage,  Hill Update, Budget Caps, Space Trends, and Ukraine Perspectives: The Rendezvous, Doug Birkey chats with Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Washington expert Todd Harmer, and Mitchell Senior Fellow for Space Studies Henry Heren about some of the latest national security developments.

Our conversation begins by exploring recent news from Ukraine, especially the Wagner Group’s rebellion in Russia. We also discuss how the defense bills are progressing through both the Senate and House—evaluating how priorities are faring as they work through the markup process in the various committees. We specifically focus on the modernization accounts, legislation tied to Space Force equities, how the new budget caps are going to impact spending, and whether there’s any hope for a defense supplemental. We also discuss the Hill’s take on “divest to invest.” Join us for unique air and space insights on the issues you’ve seen in the headlines.

Credits:

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

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

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

Guest: Henry Heren, 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

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #rendezvous #Russia #space

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Episode 134 — Charting the Future: Innovating and Building Next Gen UAVs

Episode Summary:

In Episode 134 of the Aerospace Advantage, Charting the Future: Innovating and Building Next Gen UAVs, Douglas Birkey explores the future of uncrewed combat aviation with Mike Atwood, Senior Director of Advanced Programs at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.

UAVs have been a fixture in the U.S. airpower arsenal for over two decades. However, evolving operational demand, paired with new technologies, is rapidly changing the scale and scope of these aircraft. We explore this topic with one of the nation’s leading technical experts to help listeners understand where next gen UAVs fit into the operational equation, discuss the evolution of technology and requirements, while also exploring the challenges and opportunities facing the teams involved innovating and producing these systems. The discussion also outlines factors to consider as the technology evolves from the conceptual, low-rate production realm to the operational flightline in mass. Finally, what steps does industry need to take to make the next generation UAV vision succeed? What is government’s role in this process? This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Credits:

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

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Michael Atwood, Senior Director, Advanced Programs at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #UAV #GeneralAtomics

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Episode 133 — Spacepower and the Commercial Realm: Insider Perspective

Episode Summary:

In Episode 133 of the Aerospace Advantage, Spacepower and the Commercial Realm: Insider Perspective, Douglas Birkey chats with Even Rogers, CEO of True Anomaly, a former Air Force weapons officer and a contributing author of the inaugural Space Force doctrine; Steve Kitay, Senior Director of Azure Space at Microsoft and a former Deputy Assist Secretary of Defense for Space Policy at DoD; and Mitchell Institute’s Tim Ryan.

The combination of an increasingly dangerous threat environment and an insatiable demand for capabilities on orbit launched a new generation of spacepower. A key element to this evolution is the ascent of commercial capabilities to secure national security effects in, through, and by space. Want proof? Just look at operations in Ukraine. Missions that were once the sole domain of government owned and operated military space architectures are now being executed through a hybrid approach highly reliant upon commercial providers. We talk about the rise of private actors in the national security space world—why they developed, how they operate, challenges and opportunities involved in the equation, and key considerations you should be thinking of as we track this important trend.

Credits:

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

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

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

Guest: Even Rogers, CEO, True Anomaly

Guest: Steve Kitay, Senior Director, Azure Space, Microsoft

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #space #domain

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Episode 132 — Humans Are More Important Than Hardware: SOF Truth #1

Episode Summary:

In Episode 132 of the Aerospace Advantage, Humans Are More Important Than Hardware: SOF Truth #1, John “Slick” Baum chats with longtime AFSOC pilot Col Sarah Brehm, veteran defense leader Mr. Jim “Hondo” Geurts, and AFSOC Special Tactics Officer Lt Col Steve Cooper about the United States Special Operations Command’s core values, what they call SOF Truths.

These tenets have defined the culture of SOCOM since 1987, which means they’ve connected special operators across different service components for generations—and this includes Air Force Special Operations. The first SOF Truth declares that “humans are more important than hardware.” However, given that technology permeates today’s battlefields more than ever, what does this really mean? To this point, how does the Department of Defense emphasize the importance of our human capital when the budget is geared toward the procurement of new hardware? We also explore how this ideal applies to the broader conventional force.

Credits:

Host: John "Slick" Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

Guest: Col Sarah Brehm, Air Force Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Guest: James "Hondo" Geurts, Former Acquisition Executive for the Navy, USMC, and USSOCOM; Distinguished Fellow, Business Executives for National Security

Guest: Lt Col Steve Cooper, Special Tactics Officer, National Security Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #sof #usaf

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Episode 131 — Defense and the Budget Deal, Hill Update, ANG Fighters, and Space Trends: The Rendezvous

Episode Summary:

In Episode 131 of the Aerospace Advantage, Defense and the Budget Deal, Hill Update, ANG Fighters, and Space Trends: The Rendezvous, John “Slick” Baum chats with Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Doug Birkey, Todd Harmer, Anthony Lazarski, and Charles Galbreath about some of the latest national security developments.

Our conversation begins by exploring the new budget deal and its implications for defense. How will these new spending levels affect the Air Force and Space Force? Next, we talk about how Air Force and Space Force requests are faring on The Hill as the defense committees advance their annual authorization and appropriations bills. Our panelists also assess the legislation that was introduced by Rep Bacon (R-NE) regarding ANG fighter capacity and provide an update about the latest developments in Ukraine. We wrap with an update regarding national security space issues. Join us for unique aerospace insights on the issues you’ve seen in the headlines.

Credits:

Host: John "Slick" Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

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

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

Guest: Charles Galbreath, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

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

Guest: Anthony "Lazer" Lazarski, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #rendezvous #thehill

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Episode 130 — F-16s and Beyond: What’s Next for Ukraine?

Episode Summary:

In Episode 130 of the Aerospace Advantage, F-16s and Beyond: What’s Next for Ukraine?, John Baum chats with Mitchell Institute’s Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Maj Gen Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.), and Doug Birkey about building out Ukrainian airpower.

It all comes down to breaking out of the land-centric war of attrition by striking key battlefield targets, gaining situational awareness to better employ forces, and fighting for control of the sky. The Biden administration’s decision to authorize the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine, plus related efforts to train pilots, is the long-awaited breakthrough moment necessary to empower this possibility. That said, airplanes alone do not manifest effective airpower. It takes the right mix of strategy, tactics, capabilities, and technology to net desired effects. These missions will be incredibly dangerous, but the Russian air defense network does have vulnerabilities that can be exploited. It’s time to lean into sustaining the fight.

Credits:

Host: John "Slick" Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Producer: Shane Thin

Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey

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

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

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

Guest: Charles Galbreath, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Links:

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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #f16 #ukraine

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