Doug Birkey talks to Mike Atwood of General Atomics about the role of next gen UAVs in the operational equation.

Episode 134 —  Charting the Future: Innovating and Building Next Gen UAVs

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is proud to present The Aerospace Advantage, with former Air Force weapons school instructor and Thunderbird Lt Col (ret) John “Slick” Baum as the host. Every week, Slick will take 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.

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Episode Summary:





In episode 179 of the Aerospace Advantage, Space Electronic Warfare: Key to Modern Combat Operations, John “Slick” Baum and Charles Galbreath chat with Col Chris “Trigger” Fernengel and Lt Col Chris “Shocker” Adams of the Space Force.
It’s no secret that space is an increasingly contested domain. The U.S. didn’t want it to be this way, but our adversaries chose that vector and now we must respond. Electronic warfare stands as the Space Force’s leading offensive counterspace capability at the moment. It’s also a means our adversaries possess and have used against us. This is a big deal given that space operations depend on cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum to connect the enterprise both within space and to downlink stations on earth. We explore these realities with two of the Space Force’s top experts on the topic. Understanding the risks, capabilities, and limitations of space electronic warfare is crucial to inform the ongoing discussion regarding counterspace capabilities and the need to improve the U.S. space architecture’s resilience. There are huge implications for cross-domain operations as well.





Credits:
Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Charles Galbreath, Senior Fellow for Spacepower Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE)
Guest: Col Christopher "Trigger" Fernengel, Director, Commander's Action Group, Space Operations Command
Guest: Lt Col C. Gene "Shocker" Adams, Commander, 527th Space Aggressor Squadron, Space Training and Readiness Command
Links:
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#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #space #electronic #warfare #training
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Episode 179 — Space Electronic Warfare: Key to Modern Combat Operations

Episode Summary:





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 aggression that demand a response. As these threats continue to persist and morph in new, challenging ways, it’s important to recognize a degree of coordination with nations like Russia, China. Air Force airmen have answered the call to engage, but this is placing a tremendous strain on the force given concurrent demands elsewhere around the globe. This episode seeks to understand what is driving this mission demand, the scale and scope of current operations, and desired objectives through a leadership lens.





Credits:
Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, 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: Lt Gen Alexus "Grinch" Grynkewich, Commander, 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central), Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and Combined Forces Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia
Links:
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Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #CENTAF #MiddleEast #Iran
Thank you for your continued support!

Episode 178 — Airpower in Central Command: Leadership Update

Episode Summary:





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 undisputed hypersonic leader, with the famed X-15 executing 199 successful flights, many over five times the speed of sound at the edge of space. This conversation begins with members of the Mitchell Institute team visiting the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s legendary X-15 up close, discussing the program’s significance, and then exploring how this competitive advantage faded over subsequent decades. Now, America faces fierce adversary competition in the hypersonic realm, and our defense community must respond.
We turn to AFRL’s Dr. Michael Brown and GE’s Mark Rettig to better understand how the government and industry are striving to realize the necessary innovations to field this capability at an operational level. We also discuss how and why hypersonic technology will impact tomorrow’s battlespace.  This is an incredible conversation with key leaders who are pioneering the future.





Credits:
Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Doug Birkey, Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Heather Penney, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Dr. Michael Brown, Principal Scientist, High-Speed Systems Division, Air Force Research Laboratory
Guest: Mark Rettig, Vice President and General Manager for Business and Technology Development, Edison Works Division, GE Aerospace
Links:
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Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #hypersonic #technology
Thank you for your continued support!

Episode 177 — Hypersonic Ascendancy: Regaining America's Edge

Episode Summary:





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 and F-35—while also boosting readiness investments.
Congress also needs to ensure Airmen and Guardian end strength is aligned with demand. The reality is that the defense budget caps drove hard choices for this cycle and it’s crucial that Congress reconsider the levels of risk in play and align funding accordingly. We also outline top take aways Space Force, Space Command, and industry leaders shared at last week’s Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum. We wrap with a discussion of the global threat picture.





Credits:
Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, 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
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!

Episode 176 — Assessing the FY25 Defense Budget and Spacepower Deep-Dive: The Rendezvous

Episode Summary:





In episode 175 of the Aerospace Advantage, Air Mobility Imperative: Conversation with Gen Minihan, John “Slick” Baum and Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.) speak with AMC Commander Gen Mike Minihan. Air mobility is a lynchpin for any modern military operation.
Combat aircraft in the sky, ships at sea, forces on land, and forward-deployed space and cyber units are of little use unless they are resourced in alignment with operational demands. That demands delivering everything from fuel and personnel to vital supplies like munitions and spare parts both into and within a theater. The means of this are well known: airlifters and tankers. Even more vital are the personnel. How this enterprise is employed will evolve markedly given future threats and growing multi-theater demand. This will demand enhanced capacity, revised capabilities, new operational concepts, considerations tied to survivability both in the air and on the ground, plus fresh thinking regarding command and control. Given what’s at stake, this is a “failure isn’t an option” moment.





Credits:
Host: Douglas Birkey, Executive Director, 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: Gen Michael A. Minihan, Commander, Air Mobility 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/
#MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #budget #air #space
Thank you for your continued support!

Episode 134 — Charting the Future: Innovating and Building Next Gen UAVs

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