The Aerospace Advantage

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!

Episode Summary: In episode 184 of the Aerospace Advantage, New NATO Voices: Conversation with Maj Gen Jonas Wikman, Chief of the Swedish Air Force, host Heather “Lucky” Penney and Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret) chat with NATO’s newest airpower leader. Given recent events, the time for this conversation couldn’t be better. Our Air Forces have been strong partners for years, but Sweden’s membership in NATO will tighten the relationship even further. When you look at a map and think about current security challenges—Sweden holds a key position. Closely situated to Russia and vital sea lanes, Sweden not only serves as a key player in NATO, but their arctic position ties directly to our own homeland defense given northern tier approaches. Past that, Sweden has served shoulder-to-shoulder in recent years in numerous operations with our own airmen including Afghanistan. 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: MajGen Olof Jonas Wikman, Chief of Air Force, Swedish Air Force 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!

Episode Summary: In episode 183 of the Aerospace Advantage, 89th Airlift Wing: Understanding the Mission of SAMFOX and Beyond, host Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with Col Angela Ochoa, commander of the 89th Airlift Wing. They call themselves “SAMFOX” – which stands for Special Air Missions Foreign. These are the Airmen who are best known for flying our nation’s most senior and elected leaders, like the President of the United States on Air Force One. Sometimes this is for a major diplomatic function that’s been months in the making; other times it’s an unexpected trip where it’s crucial to get the right leader on the ground ASAP for diplomatic purposes or to respond to a crisis. This episode takes a special look at the 89th to learn more about their mission, the aircraft, and the people who all make it possible—flight crews, maintenance personnel, aerial port personnel, communication and cyber professionals, security forces, and all the other support individuals. Any unit in the Air Force holds high standards, but the expectations for folks serving in the 89th are in a league of their own. Join us for this fascinating conversation. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Col Angela Ochoa, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, USAF 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 #AirMobilityCommand #USAF Thank you for your continued support!

Episode Summary: In episode 182 of the Aerospace Advantage, Tomorrow’s Air National Guard: Lt Gen Loh Conversation, Heather “Lucky” Penney and Lt Gen Joseph "Gus" Guastella, USAF (Ret.) chat with the Director of the Air National Guard. Whether discussing air superiority, aerial mobility, aeromedical evacuation, or cyber—Guardsmen are deployed around the globe every single day helping meet combatant command demand. But the Air Guard is also facing challenges. Along with the rest of the Air Force, equipment is aging, and the Air Force is not sufficiently funded to procure replacements fast enough. This is especially pronounced in the fighter mission area. Jets procured in the 70s and 80s are hitting the end of their service lives, but we’re not buying enough aircraft fast enough to replace them. Demand isn’t going down, which drives the remaining force even harder. Join us for this incredibly insightful leadership conversation to learn where the ANG is headed and why. Credits: Host: Heather “Lucky” Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Lt Gen Joseph T. Guastella, USAF (Ret.), Former Deputy Chief of Staff, USAF Guest: Lt Gen Michael A. Loh, Director, Air National Guard 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 #ANG #Guard #Leader Thank you for your continued support!