25 Years of Service 1962-1987
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N NAS R NAE C IOM YEARS OF SERVICE 1962-1987 Air Force Studies Board Proceedings of a Symposium, lb November /^s'"7 REFERENCE COPY FOR LIBRARY USE ONLY r For e~£ S-kwAi^s Pjoo v -* - >,. on rW V ore t, Qt'.»'j ». * : - ' -,- 25 YEARS OF SERVICE 1962-1987 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AIR FORCE STUDIES BOARD SYMPOSIUM ON AIR FORCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 16 November 1987 PROPERTY OP NRC LIBRARY DEC 1 4 1988 V-t-oml Ttthflfcil !;.f. ,:ni:;on Service National Research Council Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems Washington, D.C. 1988 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Frank Press is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Samuel O. Thier is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Frank Press and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council. These proceedings represent work under Contract No. F49620-87-C-0122 between the United States Air Force and the National Academy of Sciences. Copies are available from: Air Force Studies Board National Research Council 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418 Without vision, the people perish. - Proverbs 29:18 General Bernard P. Randolph Preface These are the proceedings of a symposium held in com memoration of the 25th anniversary of the Air Force Studies Board. The presentations are the opinions of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Research Council or the Air Force Studies Board. The contents of this document have been edited only for clarity or brevity. CONTENTS Executive Summary ■ 1 Welcome ■ 8 Frank Press, President, National Academy of Sciences Opening Remarks ■ 9 John L. McLucas, Chairman Reflections of the Original Chairman ■ 10 Brian O'Brien Air Force Systems Command, A Historical Perspective ■ 13 Bernard A. Schriever, General, USAF (Retired) Discussion ■ 20 The Ones That Didn't Fly ■ 24 Alexander Flax, Home Secretary, National Academy of Engineering Discussion ■ 31 The Winners and Why ■ 34 Robert T. Marsh, General, USAF (Retired) Discussion ■ 38 Project Forecast I and // ■ 45 Lawrence A. Skantze, General, USAF (Retired) Discussion ■ S3 The Future of Air Force R&D ■ 59 Panel of Three The Future R&D Environment ■ 60 Daniel J. Fink Capability and Bureaucracy ■ 64 Samuel C. Phillips, General USAF (Retired) Technology and the Future of Air Force R&D ■ 68 Gerald P. Dinneen Discussion ■ 72 Meeting the Challenge ■ 87 Bernard P. Randolph, General, USAF, Commander, AFSC Discussion ■ 93 Dinner ■ 103 Presentation of Medals ■ 103 Dinner Address ■ 104 John J. Welch, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Acquisitions Closing Remarks ■ 109 John McLucas Symposium Agenda ■ 111 Board and Committee Members, 1962-1987 ■ 113 Reports by the Air Force Studies Board, 1961-1987 ■ 141 Biographies of the Symposium Speakers ■ 148 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Air Force Studies Board celebrated 25 consecutive years of service to the National Research Council and the United States Air Force on November 16, 1987, with a symposium reviewing the last 25 years of Air Force research and develop ment, and projecting lessons learned into the future. The AFSB was formed in 1962 at the request of General Bernard Schriever, then Commander, Air Force Systems Command. The AFSC had been recently created as the focal point for Air Force research and development. General Schriever wanted an impartial study board that could evaluate critical science and technology issues, and help guide the Air Force in making reasoned judgments about management organization and weapons systems development. During the intervening 25 years the AFSB has maintained a close relationship with successive AFSC commanders and has pub lished 86 studies on such diverse topics as jet and rocket pro pulsion, optics, satellite time transfer, battle management, and avionics troubleshooting. Approximately 150 dignitaries associated with the Air Force attended the symposium, including former secretaries and'assist- ant secretaries, generals, chief scientists, senior program man agers, and the past and present members of the Board and its committees. Frank Press opened the meeting with a review of the AFSB's history and accomplishments. He gave special recognition to key participants who helped form the Board and to those who have been instrumental in leading its many activities. Most notable among these are the current chairman, John L. McLucas and the three past chairmen, Brian O'Brien, Brockway McMillan, and Julian Davidson. A highlight of the symposium was an address by the Board's original chairman, Brian O'Brien, who reflected on the origin and development of the AFSB. Dr. O'Brien helped organize the Board and served as its leader for 12 years. General Schriever set the stage for a substantive review of the past 25 years of Air Force research and development by giv ing a historical perspective of the Systems Command, its origins and its role in the Air Force. He began with an assessment of 2 the primitive state of the Army Air Corps after World War I. He noted that it generally takes a crisis to change things and the Air Corps' attempt to handle commercial air mail was an early crisis that got the nation to commit to R&D in aviation. This effort helped prepare us for World War II. During WWII, the scientific community accepted the chal lenge and developed many technical breakthroughs. However, after the war they returned to their civilian jobs. Through General Hap Arnold's foresight the postwar Air Force established close ties to the scientific community that continues to this day. In 1960 the crisis of space was still in the forefront. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatrick offered to assign the responsibility of military space to the Air Force if it could develop a management scheme that would resolve the conflict between systems development and logistics. Thus the Air Force Systems Command and the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) were created with General Schriever in command of AFSC and General McK.ee commanding AFLC. To enable him to have a direct relationship with the scientific community, General Schriever asked the National Research Council to create the Air Force Studies Board. General Schriever concluded that in recent years the Air Force's relationship with the scientific community and industry has been detrimentally affected by too much micromanagement by Congress and the OSD staff. As a result, the Air Force is unable to use its resources and people efficiently. In discussion with the symposium participants, General Schriever offered these further observations: • Working closely with the scientific community gives the Air Force leverage it would not have if it relied solely on internal decision making. • The military is the one agency that should be taking some risk to introduce new technology, however, the present system is not conducive to risk taking. Alexander Flax, Home Secretary of the National Academy of Engineering, and General Robert T. Marsh, former AFSC Com mander, presented specific lessons learned . Dr. Flax agreed with General Schriever that the 1950s were the Golden Age of Air Force R&D. After World War II, we initiated missile programs at the "drop of a hat." We were learning by experimentation, by 3 doing.