

The Aerospace Advantage
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
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
Mentioned books

Oct 4, 2025 • 54min
Government Shutdown and Defense, USSF Force Design, and a new CSAF: The Rendezvous — Ep. 257
Episode Summary:
In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney talks to Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Jennifer "Boots" Reeves, Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, Jeff Rowlison, and Brig. Gen. Houston "Slider" Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) about the top defense issues this month in Washington, D.C. and beyond.
Our team digs into what a government closure means for national security and where the defense bills stand in Congress. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Gen. Wilsbach as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force nominee. On the spacepower side of the equation, we explore the USSF’s new Force Design, what it will take to better track threats in space, Space Development Agency’s Tranche 1 satellites on orbit, and recent space-based laser communication advancements. We wrap by looking at the Department of War’s increased focus on homeland defense.
Credits:
Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Brig. Gen. Houston "Slider" Cantwell, Senior Fellow for Airpower Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Jennifer "Boots" Reeves, Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)
Guest: Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Senior Vice President, American Defense International
Guest: Jeff Rowlison, VP, Space & Intel Programs, American Defense International
Guest: Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #rendezvous #government #defense

Sep 27, 2025 • 51min
Space Warfighting: Key Insights — Ep. 256
Episode Summary:
Major Kyle “Ghengis” Rimando, Chief of the Space Strategy Branch at SF S5/8, and Dr. John J. “Patsy” Klein, Senior Fellow and Strategist at Falcon Research Inc., join host Heather “Lucky” Penney—along with Mitchell Institute Senior Fellows Charles Galbreath and Jen “Boots” Reeves—to discuss key concepts regarding space domain awareness, offensive and defensive counterspace operations, and what it will take to secure space superiority. They explore lessons learned from recent operations; plus, important considerations tied to joint and cyber integration. This is fundamentally tied to the Space Force’s latest document: Space Warfighting: A Framework for Planners.
Credits:
Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Charles Galbreath, Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)
Guest: Jennifer "Boots" Reeves, Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)
Guest: Major Kyle “Ghengis” Rimando, Chief, Space Strategy Branch, SF S5/8
Guest: Dr. John J. “Patsy” Klein, Senior Fellow and Strategist at Falcon Research Inc.
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #Space

Sep 20, 2025 • 57min
Artificial Intelligence and Aerospace Power: Industry Leadership Insights — Ep. 255
Episode Summary:
Heather Penney explores national security artificial intelligence applications and considerations with Sean Moriarty and Leonard Law of Primer, a leading AI company. We explore how AI can help improve U.S. defense capabilities, discuss how vulnerabilities and challenges can be managed, while also addressing market conditions required to transition this technology to reality. How do we assure quality data and security of the AI tool and its outputs? How do we avoid ingesting bad data without ignoring emerging battlespace information in the battlespace? And perhaps most importantly, how do we generate trust between warfighters and AI? All of this must be generated at the pace of battlespace relevance.
Credits:
Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Sean Moriarty, Chief Executive Officer, Primer Technologies
Guest: Leonard Law, Chief Product Officer, Primer Technologies
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #CCA #AI

Sep 13, 2025 • 1h 5min
CCA and Pilots: How Do We Communicate? — Ep. 254
Episode Summary:
AI is one of the hottest topics in defense, especially when it ties to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). While seeing these new aircraft fly is super impressive, it’s crucial that we think about all phases of the mission, including how warfighters will interact with the CCA agents. To be clear, this goes beyond the tactical user interface during mission execution – we need to be thinking about how we continue to train the autonomy after landing. This means debriefing. How will we debrief CCA after the mission? How should we integrate debriefing CCA with human formations? We must understand how we operated as a team to learn the right lessons for both human pilots and the CCA agents. Joining our host Heather “Lucky” Penney to dig into this are two AI experts: Mike “Pako” Benitez of Shield AI and Ray “Krypto” O’Mara of the Mitchell Institute.
Credits:
Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Ray “Krypto” O’Mara, Senior Fellow for Airpower Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Mike "Pako" Benitez, Senior Director of Strategic Product Development, Shield AI
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #CCA #AI

Sep 6, 2025 • 56min
A New CSAF, CCA Airborne, and Starship Success: The Rendezvous — Ep. 253
Episode Summary:
In this episode, Heather “Lucky” Penney talks to Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Charles Galbreath, Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, JV Venable, and Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) about the top defense issues this month in Washington, D.C. and beyond.
Our team digs into what a new Chief of Staff of the Air Force will mean for the service and the broader defense environment. They also discuss the CCA’s first flight, plus Gen. Adrian Spain’s call for an increased focus on readiness in his new capacity as commander of Air Combat Command. We look at a broad array of spacepower developments—everything from the most recent Starship launch to the X-37B mission and NTS-3. Added to that, there are also a lot of issues going on with our partners and allies—quite a few are boosting their defense budgets, but some are calling into question buying U.S. systems. What does this mean for the defense ecosystem? We wrap looking at where the Sentinel Program is headed these days and consider the latest with B-21 and B-52 modernization efforts.
Credits:
Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Brig. Gen. Houston "Slider" Cantwell, Senior Fellow for Airpower Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: John "JV" Venable, Senior Fellow for Airpower Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Charles Galbreath, Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)
Guest: Todd “Sledge” Harmer, Senior Vice President, American Defense International
Guest: Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #rendezvous

6 snips
Aug 30, 2025 • 1h 10min
Want to Prevail Against China? It’s Time to Reinvest in Air Force Capacity, Capabilities, and Readiness — Ep. 252
Join JV Venable, an expert in air force readiness, Lt. Gen. David Deptula, a strategic mind in air power, and Robert 'Otis' Winkler, a national security pro, as they dissect America’s air force challenges. They unveil alarming facts about diminishing aircraft numbers and the urgent need for modernization to face global threats, especially from China. The trio emphasizes the critical importance of robust training, strategic funding, and readiness in a multipolar world, making a compelling case for immediate action to restore air superiority.

Aug 23, 2025 • 57min
Disconnected by Design: The Case for 5th and 6th Generation Airpower — Ep. 251
Episode Summary:
This week we’re talking about what it’ll take to project airpower into the heart of the fight in a conflict with China. Most of the time we think about enemy fighter planes, surface-to-air missiles, and AAA, but the biggest challenge might come down to electromagnetic spectrum operations. China has long-studied US warfighting constructs and they know that our forces are highly reliant on networked operations. Whether thinking about command and control, teaming mission assets real-time, or taking advantage of connectivity to space… the American way of war, especially airpower, requires a lot of connectivity. They’ve focused a tremendous amount of energy to degrade and deny this communication. That has huge implications for our forces.
It’s exactly what Mike Dahm investigated in his latest report—Disconnected by Design—Fifth and Sixth Generation Aircraft in Disaggregated Collaborative Air Operations. The concept relies upon a force of fifth and sixth-generation aircraft, plus CCA, that can penetrate adversary air defenses, sensing, coordinating, and executing individual actions at the tactical edge of the battlespace.
Credits:
Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: J. Michael "JDAM" Dahm, Senior Fellow for Aerospace and China Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Col. Russell "Big" Badowski, Assistant Professor, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #China #fifthgenerationaircraft

Aug 16, 2025 • 53min
Homeland Sanctuary Lost: The Arctic Domain Awareness Challenge — Ep. 250
Episode Summary:
During the Cold War, all eyes faced north anticipating a Soviet attack across the North Pole. The U.S. Air Force was front and center operating air defense radars and sitting alert. Decades later, America finds itself coming full circle. Modern airborne threats like cruise and hypersonic missiles, plus long-range drones threaten the homeland. Maj. Gen. Pete Fesler, USAF (Ret.), Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.), and Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) discuss how to ensure we’re prepared for these threats.
Credits:
Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.), Executive Vice President, Air & Space Forces Association
Guest: Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.), Senior Resident Fellow for Airpower Studies at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Maj. Gen. Pete Fesler, Deputy Director of Operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
Image Credit: U.S. Department of Defense
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #ArcticDomain #ColdWar #AirDefense

Aug 9, 2025 • 42min
Fixing the Munitions Gap: Building the Bullseye — Ep. 249
Episode Summary:
America is running short on munitions. With so many conflicts ongoing, our consumption is outpacing what we can build, and we are digging into their stockpiles to sustain current operations. And to be clear…if America is in a fight, we can’t stop until we win. This episode explores this the munitions gap and what folks are doing to try and fix it. And we’re doing this through a case study approach by speaking with Nick Bucci, vice president of defense systems and technologies at General Atomic EMS. They recently partnered with Rafael to build their Bullseye missile here in the United States. This is important because it’s rapidly adding more domestic munitions production capacity, while also on-ramping in some new capabilities that are important for the modern combat environment.
Credits:
Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Nick Bucci, Vice President, Defense Systems & Technologies, General Atomic Electromagnetic Systems
Links:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of
Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #EMS #AirForce #DefenseIndustry

6 snips
Aug 2, 2025 • 50min
Fighter Recapitalization, Trump on Ukraine, and the X-37B Mission: The Rendezvous - Ep. 248
This session features David Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general and Dean of the Mitchell Institute, Jennifer Reeves, a space studies expert, and Anthony Lazarski, a defense policy insider. They delve into critical defense funding challenges and the implications of leadership changes within the Air Force and Space Force. Exciting discussions include fighter recapitalization efforts, Trump’s fresh perspective on Ukraine, and the notable advancements from the X-37B mission, highlighting emerging space technologies and strategies for future conflicts.