USAF: Major Technology Review Underway

In the midst of a deeply entrenched identity crisis, the U.S. Air Force is turning to technology as the potential answer to some of its problems.

Air Force Chief Scientist Werner Dahm is conducting a sweeping "Technology Horizons" study to lay out technological opportunities that could produce useful applications for the service.

"I don't think in the history of the Air Force we've been at a turning point like this. Maybe the closest was the Sputnik launch," Dahm tells Aviation Week. "What does the Air Force do when it is faced with a radically different future? Part of what it does is reach into its science and technology domain."

The study will look 20 years ahead, with an eye toward implementing near-term investment decisions aimed at producing relevant military systems. "We are not talking about pie in the sky," Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said last month.

The Air Force spends roughly $2 billion annually on science and technology projects, as much as the rest of the Defense Dept. spends on similar research. The goal of Dahm's review is to identify those projects that could realistically change how the Air Force accomplishes its missions -- such as the advent of the GPS constellation. The results are expected in late February. More here...