The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is proud to present The Aerospace Advantage, with Heather ”Lucky” Penney as the host. Every week, Lucky takes 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 Jan 16, 2021
Saturday Jan 16, 2021
A Strategy for Success: The Desert Storm Air Campaign 30 Years Later
Episode Summary:
In Episode 5, A Strategy for Success: The Desert Storm Air Campaign 30 Years Later, host Lt Col (Ret.) John "Slick" Baum and Col (Ret.) Rich Reynolds are joined by Gen (Ret.) Mike Loh, Lt Gen (Ret.) Dave Deptula and Col (Ret.) John Warden—key actors that laid the foundation for the Desert Storm air campaign. Desert Storm marked a shift in the paradigm of warfare. For centuries, a strategy of attrition was the only path to victory. Harnessing the virtues of air and space power, U.S. and coalition air forces yielded peace rapidly and effectively in a way no adversary had ever imagined. This episode will discuss key events and highlight important lessons learned, as we hear firsthand from the airmen in the fight what really happened.
Full Topic Guide:
In Episode 5, host Lt Col (Ret.) John Baum and co-host Col (Ret.) Rich Reynolds dive into the history of the most successful air campaign in history. Drawing from his extensive experience, Reynolds sets the scene of a group of like-minded airmen going above and beyond the call of duty to plan and execute an air campaign that went against traditional military doctrine.
Gen Mike Loh offers his firsthand experience as Vice Chief of the Air Force in getting the group together that would plan and execute operation Instant Thunder. He speaks to the political battles, and the personal connections that led to pulling together the team.
Lt Gen Deptula describes the ground-centric military doctrine of air-land battle and how Desert Storm dramatically departed from this Vietnam-era strategy. Col Warden then explains how the name of the campaign, “Instant Thunder”, reflected this change in strategy, straying away from a slow grinding campaign, and focusing on the rapid strike capability of afforded by airpower.
Gen Loh speaks to the need for the American military to lead with its strongest asset, aerospace power. The group then shares their individual top lessons learned form the air campaign, and how the U.S. should be thinking in achieving the same effect in future wars.
The episode wraps with Baum emphasizing the importance of the people involved, over the larger war machine, and how this small, select group of military professionals shaped the outcome of the war.
Time Marks:
02:10 – Rich joins the episode and lays down the backstory of the opening days of the war
05:03 – Gen Loh describes how he started pulling together the group that would ultimately plan and execute the campaign
08:51 – Slick asks Lt Gen Deptula to describe air-land battle and how Desert Storm countered this doctrine
11:33 – Rich asks Col Warden about his Instant Thunder plan and its origins
15:10 – Gen Loh goes into detail on how Washington was involved in the campaign
20:40 – Col Warden describes the impact of the shadow of Vietnam on strategic thinking
23:17– Lt Gen Deptula explains the birth of the effects-based approach to warfare
28:51 – Rich asks each of the guests for their top lessons learned from Desert Storm
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Co-host: Col Richard Reynolds, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Gen John Michael “Mike” Loh, USAF, ret.
Guest: Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF, ret.
Guest: Col John Warden III, USAF, ret.
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 Jan 09, 2021
Saturday Jan 09, 2021
Stealth, Speed, Precision, and Persistence: The Keys to the Aerospace Advantage
Episode Summary:
Join 17th Air Force Chief of Staff Gen John Jumper (ret) and Mitchell Institute Dean Lt Gen Dave Deptula (ret) to explore how the Air Force can secure maximum value for every dollar it invests. In conversations with Aerospace Nation host Lt Col John Baum (ret), these seasoned leaders explore the intersection between technology, concepts of operation, and a continual quest to pursue smart solutions, not just pure mass. A central part of the conversation focuses on cost-per-effect analysis and covers a wide range of air operations—from the skies over Vietnam and Desert Storm, to Kosovo and Afghanistan. These leaders also explore key investment areas that should be prioritized to best address tomorrow’s challenges.
Full Topic Guide
In Episode 4, host John Baum dives into how to best maximize defense investment decisions through cost-per-effect analysis Baum and Mitchell Institute’s Executive Director Doug Birkey provide concrete examples regarding how this thinking works.
Baum and Birkey then welcome 17th Air Force Chief of Staff Gen John Jumper, UASF, (ret.) onto the show to provide his firsthand experience of seeing technologies aligned with cost-per-effect principles in action during the Vietnam War. He then tells how this experience changed his calculus moving forward as he returned stateside as he helped shape Air Force modernization as well as tactical and operational procedures. He details how he pushed for stealth, stand-off munitions, precision weapons, and systems that had persistence as a way to leverage cost-per-effect advantages. Gen Jumper then describes his vision for future Air Force investment decisions.
Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (ret.) then describes how technologies aligned with cost-per-effect thinking were brought to bear in Operation Desert Storm. Stealth and precision created a situation in which 1 F-117 was able to cause the same effect on target as 19 non-stealthy aircraft. He then discusses how politics and short-term objectives undermined further gains the Air Force could have made in this area
The episode wraps with Baum providing an assessment of the discussion and a final comparative example.
Time Marks:
02:30 – Doug Birkey, Mitchell Institute’s Executive Director joins the show to define cost-per-effect
07:11 – Slick lays out the example of the Dragon’s Jaw bridge in Vietnam
09:40 – Slick invites Gen John Jumper, USAF, (ret.), onto the show to discuss his experience with cost-per-effect in the Vietnam War
13:00 – Gen Jumper discusses the change of strategic mindset away from overwhelming mass towards cost-per-effect
22:40 – Gen Jumper describes how technology and innovation drives the success of the Air Force
25:09 – Gen Jumper provides his advice to current and future Air Force leaders on how to develop the technologies that best support the US military in the air, space, and cyber domains
27:30 – Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF, (ret.) describes how the development of stealth and precision radically changed the notion of cost-per-effect
30:11 – Lt Gen Deptula lays out the calculus of strike packages in Desert Storm, and how 1 F-117 achieved the same effect as 19 non-stealthy aircraft
36:55 – Slick uses the historical context of WWII bombing campaigns to highlight the radical changes that technology has brought to the effectiveness of air campaigns
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Gen John Jumper, USAF, ret.
Guest: Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF, ret.
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 Dec 26, 2020
Saturday Dec 26, 2020
What Drives National Security? Understanding the Threat
Episode Summary:
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is proud to present the next episode of its Aerospace Advantage Podcast. In episode 3, your host John “Slick” Baum brings former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Jim Miller and Maj Gen (ret.) Larry Stutzriem onto to better understand the national security landscape that drives defense decision making. The threats facing America are incredibly diverse and span from countries like China and Russia to non-state actors like ISIS. This means America needs smart options, including aerospace power.
Full Topic Guide
In Episode 3, host John Baum looks at the broader national security environment. Things like combat aircraft and national security space constellations don’t exist for their own purposes—they speak to a need. It all comes down to deterring conflict, favorably shaping engagements with adversaries, reassuring allies, and winning decisively when war comes. That takes smart combat power—of which air and space options are crucial.
To dig into the details surrounding this topic, Baum invites former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Jim Miller to share his observations and insights on the national security environment. To complement Dr. Miller's civilian leadership view, we explore the military’s role in the process with Mitchell Institute’s Director of Studies Maj Gen (Ret.) Larry Stutzriem .
The episode wraps with Baum highlighting the major issue at play: the threat environment that the U.S. face is incredibly complex, and Air and Space provide the most flexible and adaptable capabilities to meet the threats head on.
Time Marks:
4:28 – Slick introduces the NDS framework to understand the threat environment
8:17 – Dr. Jim Miller describes the threat landscape
11:02 – Dr. Miller explains how to prioritize the threats to national security
15:22 – Dr. Miller describes the difference between China and Russia
17:52 – How are North Korea and Iran different?
20:42 – Lessons Learned from Iraq and Afghanistan
23:11 – Air and Space power as seen by a Defense leader
32:14 – Stutz on the unique advantage of the Air Force and Space Force
32:50 – Stutz racks and stacks the threats against the U.S. and explains how he makes the assessment
35:45 – Stutz gives advice for the incoming Biden defense team
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John “Slick” Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Dr. Jim Miller
Guest: Maj Gen Larry “Stutz” Stutzriem, USAF, ret.
Attribution:
David Ochmanek soundbite from Center for a New American Security event found here.
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!
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
Episode 2 – An Air Force on the Brink: The Case for Modernization Show Notes:
Episode Summary:
In Episode 2 of The Aerospace Advantage, host John Baum brings Gen John Corley and Col Mark Gunzinger onto the show to explore the history that led to the oldest and smallest Air Force inventory in service history. After Baum explains the current state of play, Col (Ret.) Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger, the Mitchell Institute’s Director of Future Concepts and Capability Assessments, explains in greater detail the background mechanisms in Washington that led to a small, old Air Force aircraft inventory. Focusing on the F-22 program as a case study, Gen (Ret.) John Corley, former USAF Commander of Air Combat Command, offers his firsthand insight into military acquisition programs. Corley provides his lessons learned and describes the need for continuity and future planning, and he explains how politics can affect strategic level force planning. Baum summarizes by highlighting the need to procure the right tools to tackle the wide range of threats that the U.S. military faces.
Full Topic Guide:
Episode 2 of the Aerospace Advantage explains why the Air Force presently fields the oldest and smallest aircraft inventory in its history. The episode covers the hard lessons learned that can rest these circumstances and inform future decision-making. The show starts off by Baum laying down a broad overview regarding the advanced age and small size of key mission aircraft.
Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger then discusses the historic trends that yielded this including the immense impact of 9/11 on defense spending decisions regarding the Air Force. Gonzo argues that budget-driven planning usually results in building a force geared toward past wars, not one addressing the future. Gonzo discusses the need to reset today’s fragile aircraft inventory.
Gen John Corley, former Commander of Air Combat Command, provides in depth insight in a specific case study by explaining his firsthand experience during the battle over the F-22 program. Gen Corley describes that the competition over resources and the lack of unified mission support ultimately led to its cancellation. He also dives into the behind-the-scenes struggle between addressing the challenges of today versus the threats of tomorrow.
Baum summarizes the main issue in play: The Air Force is too old, too small, and increasingly fragile. Acquisition programs like the F-22 epitomize how there is failure of forward thinking in budget-based acquisition programs, and this leaves the military with fewer options to counter increasingly complex threats. The episode cautions that budget pressures driven by COVID-19 risk repeating negative patterns that have undermined past Air Force fleet modernization efforts.
The episode wraps with Baum introducing the topic of the next episode: the current threat landscape facing the U.S. military. Baum will explore this topic, and the need for aerospace power to meet these threats, with former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Dr. James N. Miller, and Mitchell Institute’s Director of Research, Maj Gen (Ret.) Larry “Stutz” Stutzriem.
Time Marks:
3:59 – Baum lays down the problem statement for today’s episode
5:33 – Baum interviews Gonzo to discuss how the Air Force got so small, so old and so fragile
8:45 – Gonzo discusses the what it means to cut Air Force procurement programs like the F-22
16:49 –Gen John Corley discusses the fight over the F-22 program
27:10 – Gen Corley offers his advice to future Air Force leaders on how to avoid pitfalls like the cancelling of the F-22 program
31:07 – Gen Corley describes the trap of the “Program Next” mentality
33:56 – Baum summarizes the lessons learned from the interviews
35:53 – Baum outro and introduction of the topic and guests for Episode
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John "Slick" Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Gen John Corley, USAF, ret.
Guest: Col Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger, USAF, ret.
Attributions:
General David Goldfein quote from Brookings Institute Event found here
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!
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Show Notes
Episode Summary:
In Episode 1 of The Aerospace Advantage, Baum lays out the case for aerospace power. Baum starts by speaking with Lt Gen (Ret) David Deptula to explain the importance of aerospace power. He then interviews the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies’ Executive Director Douglas Birkey to fully develop the fundamental theories of aerospace power. Birkey covers the history of aerospace theory and leads us to today’s problem of an aging, small aircraft fleet and an underfunded Space Force. Baum ends the episode discussing how the United States is taking these challenges head-on.
Full Topic Guide:
Episode 1 of the Aerospace Advantage aims to foster a greater appreciation for aerospace power’s unique role in achieving national security objectives in a highly effective, sustainable fashion. After a brief introduction of our host John “Slick” Baum and his background, the show starts off laying a broad overview of the Air Force and Space Force’s history, and the most recent strategic level guidance from the two force’s leaders Gen CQ Brown and Gen Raymond.
John “Slick” Baum makes the case that the Airforce is too old and spread too thinly to effectively achieve the goal of providing overwhelming force and aerospace dominance in a future conflict. Slick talks with Lt Gen (ret.) David Deptula on his take on the current state of the force and to reinforce the concept that the aerospace domains are key to the outcome of future wars.
Slick then interviews Mitchell Institute Executive Director Douglas Birkey to understand the fundamental theories of aerospace power and why they are critical in the U.S. way of conducting warfare. Doug details the strategic advantages of speed and distance that makes the aerospace domains uniquely different from the surface domains. He elaborates on the foundations of aerospace warfighting theory, and how aerospace warfare has evolved from World War 2, the Gulf War, and into today’s conflicts. Doug also elaborates on some of the non-kinetic effects capabilities that aerospace power provides to U.S. arsenal, including airlift and C4ISR.
The episode wraps with Slick summarizing the interviews and approaching the threat landscape that U.S. aerospace power faces. He lays out the challenges that the different threat actors, including near-peer competitors such as China and Russia, bring in the aerospace domains and explains the internal struggle to bring the aging fleets up-to-date and to fund the Space Force.
The episode wraps with a warm-up to the second episode in which fighter pilot Heather “Lucky” Penney and bomber pilot Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger will explain the history leading to the current dilapidated state of the Air and Space Forces.
Time Marks:
01:20 – Host John “Slick” Baum background
04:08 – Aerospace Power’s current state of play and importance to the military
11:01 – General Deptula on the threats the Air Force and Space Force face today
13:17 – Interview with Doug Birkey, Executive Director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
25:54 – Slick describes the current state of play and gives an overview of the Aerospace Advantage podcast future content
29:30 – Episode 1 outro
Credits:
Host: Lt Col John "Slick" Baum, USAF, ret.
Producer: Daniel C. Rice
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF, ret.
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!