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: 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 #UAV #GeneralAtomics Thank you for your continued support!

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: 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 #domain Thank you for your continued support!

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: 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 #sof #usaf Thank you for your continued support!

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: 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 #thehill Thank you for your continued support!

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: 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 #f16 #ukraine Thank you for your continued support!

Episode Summary: In Episode 129 of the Aerospace Advantage, Kill Chains: From 5th Gen to JADC2, John Baum chats with Mitchell Institute’s Heather “Lucky” Penney about what it means to secure battlespace effects in the 21st century. Combat aircraft don’t fly sorties for the sake of getting time in the air. It’s all about empowering the broader strategy. That might involve ensuring a munition hits the right aim point—or launching a non-kinetic operation, like electronic attack. Regardless of the means, netting battlespace effects with combat aircraft depends on our kill chains, the systems and processes to Find, Fix, Track, Target, Engage, and Assess adversary targets. The U.S. military has long relied upon its superior ability to rapidly close kill chains, but this advantage is now at risk. China has developed countermeasures to obstruct or even collapse U.S. kill chains, which could lead to combat operational failures that have devastating, long-term consequences. To overcome these challenges, the Air Force must increase the scale, scope, speed, and survivability of its kill chains. That will entail harnessing information age advantages and doubling down on the time-tested effectiveness of fielding highly capable mission aircraft in combat-relevant quantities. Credits: Host: John "Slick" Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Heather Penney, 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 #killchain Thank you for your continued support!

In this episode, they discuss the importance of renewing America's long-range strike force with the B-21 in response to global challenges and the current state of America's bomber fleet. They also explore the significance of bomber task force missions, the importance of modernizing the nuclear triad, and the need for a properly sized bomber force for deterrence. They emphasize the need for sufficient funding and resources for the B-21 program and next-generation munitions.

Episode Summary: In Episode 127 of the Aerospace Advantage, A Conversation with Rep Rob Wittman (R-VA): Congressional Insights, John Baum and Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), chat with one of the leading national authorities on defense. After three decades of sole superpower status, the United States finds itself stretched thin as it struggles to deal with the rapid rise of an assertive China and an increasingly aggressive Russia, along with a nuclear weapons ambitious Iran and North Korea. While not existential threats, non-state aggressors in the Middle East, Africa, and beyond demand attention too. This scope of concurrent security demands, ranging the full spectrum of the threat envelope, places an extremely heavy burden on the U.S. defense establishment. Decisions made by Congress are critical to addressing these factors—whether from a policy, budget, or oversight vantage. This episode will explore these challenges through the eyes of Rep Rob Wittman (R-VA), the Chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces and a member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. These two committees collectively cover Air Force fighters, bombers, UAVs, airlifters, cargo aircraft, munitions, and much of the R&D portfolio. 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 Guest: Representative Rob Wittman (R-01) 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 #congress Thank you for your continued support!

Episode Summary: In Episode 126 of the Aerospace Advantage, F-35 Update: Test Flight Perspective, John Baum discusses what happens when an F-35 rolls off the production line and executes its first flights with Lockheed Martin F-35 test pilot Tony “Brick” Wilson and J.R. McDonald, Vice President for F-35 Business Development. Back in December, the Mitchell Institute met with the key folks who are building America’s newest fighter, the F-35. We learned about how one factory in Texas is revolutionizing what it means to produce cutting-edge 5th generation combat aircraft at a build rate we haven’t seen since the Cold War. Given the threats facing our nation and the imperative to refresh the Air Force fighter inventory, we need to get these planes on the flightline fast. So do the Marine Corps, Navy, and our allies. Today, we’re going to circle back on this topic to talk about the other half of the equation: what happens to the jets when they first take to the sky, and what do we need to consider when it comes to flight operations? Credits: Host: John "Slick" Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Tony "Brick" Wilson, Chief of Fighter Flight Operations, Lockheed Martin Guest: J.R. McDonald, Vice President, F-35 Business Development, Lockheed Martin 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 #lmco #f35 #jets #ftworth Thank you for your continued support!

Episode Summary: In Episode 125 of the Aerospace Advantage, Fighters on the Brink: ANG Flightline Perspective, Doug Birkey discusses a looming capacity cliff with Maj Gen Paul Rogers, the Adjutant General of the Michigan National Guard; Brig Gen Tim Donnellan, Commander of the Idaho Air National Guard; along with Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.) and Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute. The Air Force needs new fighters, and it needs them fast. When the Cold War ended, defense leaders cut the Air Force’s fighter inventory by half. Service officials were willing to assume this risk because they were expecting to procure a new generation of highly capable fighters in the form of the F-22 and F-35. The problem is that this plan fell apart. We never bought enough F-22s, and F-35 production hasn’t hit the levels required to reset the inventory. Remember those F-15s that were pulled from Kadena last year—because they were worn out—without a direct replacement? That was a powerful indicator about the scale of the current capacity challenge. The Air Force’s fighter enterprise is literally collapsing, and even though the service is planning on buying 72 jets this year, inventories are so strained that this number falls short. This is a total force problem impacting active duty, reserve, and the Air National Guard. 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 Guest: Heather Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute  Guest: Maj Gen Paul Rogers, Adjutant General, Michigan National Guard Guest: Brig Gen Timothy Donnellan, Commander, Idaho 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 #nationalguard #airpower Thank you for your continued support!