In episode 181 of the Aerospace Advantage, Defense Budget, Space Update, CCA Decision, and PLA Reorg: The Rendezvous, Heather “Lucky” Penney and John “Slick” Baum chat with members of the Mitchell Institute team about topics you’ve seen in the national security headlines. We begin the conversation exploring how and why the legislation aiding Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan finally advanced. We also share perspectives regarding congressional hearings featuring Air Force and Space Force leaders.  The team The post Episode 181 – Defense Budget, Space Update, CCA Decision, and PLA Reorg: The Rend ..read more

In episode 180 of the Aerospace Advantage, Royal Air Force Insights: Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Heather “Lucky” Penney and Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.) chat with the head of the Royal Air Force. The U.S. is fortunate to have many allies are partners, but few are as close and aligned as the United Kingdom. The plans and priorities for Royal Air Force airpower and spacepower are incredibly impactful for the U.S. Air Force The post Episode 180 – Royal Air Force Insights: Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton appeared first on Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies ..read more

In episode 180 of the Aerospace Advantage, Royal Air Force Insights: Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Knighton, Heather “Lucky” Penney and Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.) chat with the head of the Royal Air Force. The U.S. is fortunate to have many allies are partners, but few are as close and aligned as the United Kingdom. The plans and priorities for Royal Air Force airpower and spacepower are incredibly impactful for the U.S. Air Force The post Episode 180 – Royal Air Force Insights: Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Knighton appeared first on Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies ..read more

In episode 178 of the Aerospace Advantage, Airpower in Central Command: Leadership Update, Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.) and Doug Birkey chat with 9th AF/ US Air Forces Central Command Commander Lt Gen Alexus “Grynch” Grynkewich. When the U.S. sunset large-scale military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, many assumed military forces in the region would largely be tasked elsewhere—especially the Indo-Pacific. However, adversaries like Iran and numerous proxy groups have continued to pursue acts of The post Episode 178 — Airpower in Central Command: Leadership Update appeared first on ..read more

In episode 177 of the Aerospace Advantage, Hypersonic Ascendancy: Regaining America’s Edge, John “Slick” Baum chats with Dr. Michael Brown, the Principal Scientist of the High-Speed Systems Division at Air Force Research Laboratory, and Mark Rettig, Vice President and General Manager for Business and Technology Development at GE Aerospace’s Edison Works about what the Air Force and industry are doing to help realize this crucial capability at an operational level. The U.S. spent the 1960s as The post Episode 177 — Hypersonic Ascendancy: Regaining America’s Edge appeared first on Mitchell ..read more

In episode 176 of the Aerospace Advantage, Assessing the FY25 Defense Budget and Spacepower Deep-Dive: The Rendezvous, John “Slick” Baum chats with the Rendezvous team about topics you’ve seen in the national security headlines. We explore key takeaways from the FY2025 Air Force and Space Force budget requests—why it’s important to boost investment in key mission areas like space control and domain awareness, to the importance of growing aircraft acquisition numbers—especially for types like B-21 The post Episode 176 – Assessing the FY25 Defense Budget and Spacepower Deep-Dive: The Rendezvous ..read more

In Episode 173 of the Aerospace Advantage, Eyes in the Sky: From U-2 to Reaper and Beyond, John “Slick” Baum chats with former U-2 pilot Maj Gen H.D. “Jake” Polumbo, USAF (Ret.), the highest-ranking officer to fly the Dragon Lady in combat, and long-time experienced MQ-9 pilot Lt Col Johnny Duray, who has risen through the ranks as a line pilot to a commander in the RPA world.  ISR is one of the most crucial capabilities military actors require The post Episode 173 — Eyes in the Sky: From U-2 to Reaper and Beyond appeared first on Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studi ..read more

In Episode 171 of the Aerospace Advantage, Congressional Update, Department of the Air Force Reorg, and Effective Deterrence in the Middle East: The Rendezvous, John “Slick” Baum 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 by assessing where Congress stands when it comes to passing an actual defense budget and moving past the crippling parade of continuing resolutions. We also discuss the The post Episode 171 — Congressional Update, Department of the Air ..read more

In Episode 170 of the Aerospace Advantage: Cislunar Space: The Latest Zone of Competition in the Space Race, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum interviews Dr. Jaime Stearns, AFRL’s cislunar lead; Bradley Cheetham, the President of Advanced Space; and Mitchell Institute’s Col Charles Galbreath, USSF (Ret.) about where the competition in space is headed next. Reaching the Moon was once a powerful statement of America’s prowess and global leadership, with huge strategic implications that played out The post Episode 170 — Cislunar Space: The Latest Zone of Competition in the Space Race appeare ..read more

Releasing: 6 am EDT on February 17, 2024. In Episode 168 of the Aerospace Advantage, F-16 at 50: The Viper Goes to War, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum hosts a special set of guests to mark the 50th anniversary of the F-16’s first flight. The Viper came of age in the 1980s, and its capability growth rapidly accelerated in the 1990s and 2000s. The aircraft is still in production, empowered with an array of cutting-edge systems The post Episode 168 — F-16 at 50: The Viper Goes to War appeared first on Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies ..read more