The arrival of the B-21 into America’s airpower arsenal stands as a crucially important step in rebuilding long-range strike capabilities and capacity in support of Combatant Commander demands. If you want to understand the B-21 that will be unveiled this coming week, you need to listen to this episode.
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Every week, Heather “Lucky” Penney 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.
John Baum chats with China expert Daniel Rice about a set of capabilities the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) may bring to bear in a possible future cross-strait conflict.
John Baum chats with Tim Ryan and Doug Birkey of the Mitchell Institute team about the essential role that capabilities in space will play in realizing the Department of Defense’s vision for Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
Ep. 101 - The Rendezvous
B-21 Update, China Assessment, Election Implications for Defense, & F-15s Sunsetting at Kadena: The Rendezvous
In this Rendezvous episode, we assess the newly-released National Defense Strategy, status of the B-21 program as we anticipate the rollout, Heritage Foundation’s 2023 Index of Military Strength, China’s Communist Party Congress, F-15s sunsetting at Okinawa absent a direct replacement, and how the upcoming elections could impact defense issues. We also provide an update regarding the National Defense Authorization Act and where the Defense Appropriations legislation stands. We wrap with a review of this year's Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Security Forum.
John Baum chats with Heather Penney of the Mitchell Institute about key factors the Air Force should consider as it works to transform its vision for these next generation UAVs into viable operational assets.
This week, Dr. Christina Back of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems joins us to discuss why it is crucial to pursue next generation propulsion technologies to enhance space maneuvering.
The aerospace sector is facing significant turbulence. Surging demand for military recapitalization after a multi-decade drought, a commercial segment ravaged by COVID, new entrants in the UAV and space sector, and competition for talent from the tech world is making for a very challenging set of dynamics. This episode will assess the health of this sector and steps that can be taken to ensure the long-term viability of this capability and capacity.
Without modernizing our geriatric Air Force and building it to the capacity required by our national defense strategy, the U.S. is a great risk of losing its next major conflict. John Baum chats with Mitchell team members Lt Gen Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Lt Gen Joseph Guastella, USAF (Ret.), and Mark Gunzinger to understand why America’s Air Force is stretched to the brink.
Ep. 96 - The Rendezvous
ACC on Fighters, a New Air Mobility Manifesto, and the Latest on Ukraine: The Rendezvous
In this Rendezvous episode, we cover Air Force and Space Force leader remarks from the Air and Space Force Association’s Air, Space, and Cyber Conference, the technology trends observed at the conference, the latest regarding the conflict in Ukraine, and what’s set for the Washington agenda this coming month.
In the final episode of our three-part series, Heather Penney and Caitlin Lee of the Mitchell Institute, Mike Benitez of Shield AI, and Brett Darcey of Heron Systems go into detail on what success looks like going into the future from both a human and technological set of vantages.
In the second episode of our three-part series, we define key aspects and nuances surrounding this technology, while also working to add clarity between realistic expectations and what will likely remain aspirational for the long term.
In the first episode of our three-part series, we talk about the necessity of pursuing increased autonomy in combat aircraft.
Ep. 92 - The Rendezvous
A World on Fire, Reducing Civilian Casualties, and a Washington Update: The Rendezvous
In this Rendezvous episode, we explore Washington’s latest moves regarding Ukraine, take-aways from the recent flare up in the Taiwan Strait, whether DoD’s plan to reduce civilian casualties will work, and whether “divesting to invest” is succeeding when it comes to modernizing the Air Force aircraft inventory.
John Baum and Mitchell Institute’s Heather Penney are joined by Dr. Max Perez, an engineer at Cold Quanta, and Dr. Andrei Shkel, a professor of engineering at UCI, to demystify Quantum technology and understand how it applies to future defense applications.
Douglas Birkey is joined by Brian Hart from the Center for Strategic and International Studies' China Power Project; Thomas Corbett from Bluepath Labs; and Dan Rice, Mitchell Institute’s Research Analyst, to discuss what we can learn from China's recent military activity around Taiwan and the broader international response.