Episode Summary: In episode 194 of the Aerospace Advantage, Battlespace Connectivity: Key to 21st Century Warfighting, host Heather “Lucky” Penney and Mitchell Senior Fellow J.V. Venable explore the topic of tactical networking with Galt Aerospace CEO John Kohut. Bottom line: information sharing and data exchange are the key to combat success in future conflicts. Whether discussing concepts like Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) or collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), there is a fundamental drive toward a far more connected force. The net effect will see individual assets in different geographic locations and domains collaborating to yield a net effect greater than their individual parts. But for that work, a variety of systems need to be able to talk. In this episode we discuss the underlying concepts of operation that demand connectivity, explain the evolution of the associated technology, and discuss where we need to go from both a technical and operational set of perspectives. We talk about things like long-range kill chains all the time—join us in the episode to learn from experts with the operational and technical expertise to figure out how these systems-of-systems actually work and why they matter. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: John Kohut, CEO, Galt Aerospace Guest: J.V. Venable, Senior Resident Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies 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 #aerospace #connectivity Thank you for your continued support!

Heather Penney, Gary Glojek, and Matthew Jensen discuss maximizing airpower sorties and the importance of high tempo operations for victory in a conflict. They emphasize the need for Collaborative Combat Aircraft to enhance airpower capacity, and how to generate mass airpower at a higher tempo with a higher level of risk. Insights are shared on overcoming challenges and optimizing airpower generation for future conflicts.

Episode Summary: In episode 192 of the Aerospace Advantage, Want to Win? You’ll Need Digital Engineering, Heather “Lucky” Penney explores this technology and its application with Air Force Research Lab AI lead Dr. Amanda Bullock and Mitchell Institute Visiting Senior Fellow Brian Morra. The speed and complexity of modern warfare is increasing at an unprecedented pace. To maintain our competitive edge, the Department of Defense must be able to rapidly develop, field, and sustain advanced capabilities. Digital engineering represents a paradigm shift in how we approach the entire lifecycle of defense systems. Engineers have been using computer-aided design and modeling programs since the 1990s, but today’s IT infrastructure and processing is completely changing not just how we engineer weapon systems, but how we manage that engineering. This has the potential to streamline, de-risk, and accelerate very nearly everything about the design process. That can payoff throughout the lifecycle of a system, from production and sustainment to training. But what exactly is digital engineering? How has it evolved from traditional engineering practices? What are the key technologies enabling this transformation? And what challenges must be overcome to fully realize its potential? This episode tackles these challenges with top experts. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Dr. Amanda Bullock, AI Research Lead, Air Force Research Lab Guest: Brian J. Morra, Visiting Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies 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 Thank you for your continued support!

Discover the latest defense news about China's spacepower initiatives and the Next Generation Air Dominance program. Dive into the ongoing defense bills in Congress and the challenges of stretched defense spending. Gain insights on enhancing defense capabilities, budgeting challenges, and building robust deterrence against potential adversaries through cross-domain capabilities.

Episode Summary: In episode 190 of the Aerospace Advantage, Orbital Warfare: Train Like You Fight, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with Lt Col Jessica “Thumper” Getrost, Commander of the 57th Space Aggressor Squadron; Lt Col Matt “BC” Bejcek, former Commander of the 98th Space Range Squadron; and Mitchell Institute Senior Fellow Charles Galbreath about threats facing our satellites and the importance of preparing Guardians for warfighting. There’s no question about it: adversaries will seek to hold our space capabilities at risk in future conflicts. That’s why it’s crucial to provide Guardians experience when it comes to tactics, techniques, and procedures regarding how to manage these challenges. Replicating threats and exercising our capabilities in a safe, yet realistic, training environment is essential. Just like the Nellis Range seasons our pilots for air combat, the Space Range prepares our Guardians for Orbital Warfare. Hear from two Space Force commanders about how they develop Guardians for to face these new realities. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Lt Col Jessica “Thumper” Getrost, Commander, 57th Space Aggressor Squadron Guest: Lt Col Matt “BC” Bejcek, former Commander, 98th Space Range Squadron; Student, Army War College 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 #Leadership Thank you for your continued support!

Fighter pilot Heather “Lucky” Penney, along with experts Mike Dahm and Mark Gunzinger, discuss the critical need for US Air Force commanders to defend frontline air bases as key weapon systems in modern operations. They highlight challenges in countering integrated attacks, restoring operational capabilities, and generating combat airpower under fire to support joint force operations. Failure is not an option in projecting power and fighting adversaries alongside allies.

Episode Summary: In episode 188 of the Aerospace Advantage, Front Line Air Mobility Revolution: 317th Airlift Wing Conversation, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with 317th Airlift Wing Commander Col Thomas Lankford. Based at Dyess AFB and equipped with C-130Js, the men and women of the 317th are executing their missions in one of the most transformational eras regarding air mobility. After three decades of operating in relatively permissive environments, much of it in regionally focused theaters, new mission demands in the Pacific and beyond require airmen to develop new tactics, techniques, and procedures to ensure necessary personnel, equipment, and supplies get to the point of need. Lethal threats, directed both at aircraft in the sky and forward operating bases, are radically reshaping mobility requirements. So too are the vast distances of the Pacific. New operating concepts like agile combat employment and the need to flow vast quantities of materials necessary to sustain a full-fledged major theater conflict are also posing distinct challenges. This episode will explore these variables from a cutting edge flightline perspective. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Col Thomas Lankford, Commander, 317th Airlift Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas 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 #EMSO #Leader Thank you for your continued support!

Episode Summary: In episode 187 of the Aerospace Advantage, Spectrum Warfare: Freedom to Attack, Maneuver, and Defend, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing commander Col Joshua Koslov. Electromagnetic spectrum operations are critical to the success of any modern combat mission. With the growth of sensors, processing power, and connectivity—a tremendous range of effects can be netted through this realm. This includes attack, protection, and support functions. At its core, electromagnetic spectrum operations come down to securing an information advantage, which facilitates more effective decision making at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Electromagnetic spectrum warfare lies at the heart of concepts like JADC2 and ABMS—empowering data gathering, exchange, processing, and collaboration between various team members in the battlespace. It’s also a competitive realm, with our adversaries seeking to deny us this capability and our forces seeking to do the same to our opponents. This episode explores how this mission area has evolved and where it is headed in the future. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Col Joshua Koslov, Wing Commander, 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing 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 #EMSO #Leader Thank you for your continued support!

Episode Summary: In episode 186 of the Aerospace Advantage, Congressional Update, Triad Questioned, Space Guard Debate: The Rendezvous, Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with members of the Mitchell Institute team about the latest defense news from the beltway and the broader national security community. The conversation begins with a review of where defense issues stand on The Hill. There have been a lot of hearings related to the FY25 Defense Budget request and the House Armed Services Committee just marked up their version of the National Defense Authorization Act—with major potential implications for the F-35 and other elements of the Air Force’s aircraft inventory. We also discuss how the space equities in the Guard are being handled—will these responsibilities or absorbed into the Space Force or a new Space National Guard? Team members also discuss Space Force organizational changes. Lt Gen Deptula, USAF (Ret.) wraps with a discussion regarding his recent visit to Ukraine. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, 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: Jennifer "Boots" Reeves, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence 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 Guest: James Schenck, CEO & President, Pentagon Federal Credit Union Related Reading: Lift The Constraints On Ukraine And Reverse The Deterrence Calculus 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 #Hill Thank you for your continued support!

Episode Summary: In episode 185 of the Aerospace Advantage, Tomorrow’s F-35: Cooling is Key, host Heather “Lucky” Penney and Doug Birkey chat with Matt Pess, Chief Engineer on the Enhanced Power and Cooling System (EPACS) program at Collins Aerospace, about a key technology to sustain the F-35's future capability growth. The fighter’s powerful sensor suite, computing power, and avionics set it apart as a hugely capable twenty-first century combat aircraft. Operating these technologies demands robust cooling via a key aircraft subsystem known as power thermal management system (PTMS), especially as new systems are fielded on subsequent versions of the aircraft. The Joint Program Office (JPO) recently launched an effort to explore a new generation of PTMS systems. EPACS is one of the options. Big picture, this is a good news story because it means the F-35 is radically expanding what it can deliver in the battlespace. Realizing these gains will demand innovation. We discuss these factors with a key expert. This episode will explore this evolution and how the Collins team is focused on a potential solution.  Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, 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: Matt Pess, Chief Engineer, Enhanced Power and Cooling System (EPACS) Program, Collins Aerospace Related Reading: Accelerating 5th Generation Airpower: Bringing Capability and Capacity to the Merge 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 #Allies #Sweden #Europe Thank you for your continued support!