Podcasts

Episode 121 – China’s Diplomatic Ascent: Key Observations

In Episode 121 of the Aerospace Advantage, China’s Diplomatic Ascent: Key Observations, John “Slick” Baum talks with China expert Daniel Rice about how the Asian superpower is gaining increased influence around the globe. Much of this ties to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a large-scale infrastructure and investment project first put forward by Xi Jinping in 2013. Since then, it has served as a center piece of Chinese foreign policy. This episode explores how

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Episode 120 – Space Security Imperative: Issue Update

In Episode 120 of the Aerospace Advantage, Space Security Imperative: Issue Update, John “Slick” Baum talks to Tim Ryan, Henry Heren, and Charles Galbreath of the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE) about the latest spacepower topics you’ve seen in the headlines. There’s a lot to track: adversary threats in orbit, spacepower lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, the potential for a Space National Guard, commercial industry’s role in spacepower, and General

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Episode 119 – Air Combat Survivability Imperative: Through a POW’s Experiences

In Episode 119 of the Aerospace Advantage, Air Combat Survivability Imperative: Through a POW’s Experience, John “Slick” Baum, Maj Gen Larry “Stutz” Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.), and Heather “Lucky” Penney interview Lt Col Gene Smith, USAF (Ret.) about what it was like to get shot down in his F-105 over downtown Hanoi on October 25, 1967. This was just one of the 1,737 USAF aircraft lost to hostile action over Vietnam. That number equates to roughly

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Episode 118 – China Update, FY24 Defense Budget, and Russia’s Intentions: The Rendezvous

In Episode 118 of the Aerospace Advantage, China Update, FY24 Defense Budget, and Russia’s Intentions: The Rendezvous, Douglas Birkey chats with Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Lt Gen Joseph Guastella, USAF (Ret.), Todd Harmer, Anthony Lazarski, and Daniel Rice about some of the latest developments in the national security realm. Our conversation begins with a discussion regarding the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We then explore China and Russia’s increasing alignment, plus

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Episode 117 – Effective Airpower: It Takes Informed Perspectives

In episode 117 of the Aerospace Advantage, Effective Airpower: It Takes Informed Perspectives, John “Slick” Baum talks to Col Mathew Berry, commandant of the Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), and Col Sarah Bakhtiari, Dean of Education at ACSC about how they are working to train the next generation of airmen. For the past two decades, the United States national security community was predominantly focused on counter insurgency combat operations in Afghanistan and

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Episode 116 – That Others May Live: CSAR in Future Conflicts

In episode 116 of the Aerospace Advantage, That Others May Live: CSAR in Future Conflicts, John “Slick” Baum talks to Col Russ “Bones” Cook, 23rd Wing Commander of Air Force Rescue at Moody AFB; Lt Col Patrick “TISL” Parrish, National Defense Fellow at the Congressional Research Service and long-time A-10 pilot; and Michael “Mongo” Kingry, Air Force Fellow at the Mitchell Institute, about the challenges facing the USAF’s Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission as it

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