USAF 's biggest challenge, opportunity, responsibility . . .

Organizing for the Space Age

CLAUDE WITZE Senior Editor, AIR FORCE/SPACE DIGEST

N TWO gigantic steps the Defense Depart- huge headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, no I ment has revolutionized its management longer will have responsibility for purchase of sys- concepts to catch up with space-age tech- tems; the new Systems Command will take charge nology and further unify the national from concept to delivery. AMC's name is being security effort. changed to the Air Force Logistics Command. It will The US Air Force has, in effect, been named the remain under the leadership of Gen. Samuel E. Ander- Department's single manager for the development of son. Eugene M. Zuckert, the Air Force Secretary, esti- military space systems. In turn, USAF has reorganized mates that about thirty percent of the dollars formerly to centralize direction of all its development and pro- spent by AMC will go over to the new Systems Com- curement programs and improve the management of mand. The latter office, which will remain at the old both its own projects and those it will develop for the ARDC Headquarters at Andrews AFB, Md., will have Army and Navy. a budget of about $5.8 billion for hardware in fiscal Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense, made it year 1962. clear in announcing the first decision that the assign- There has been no estimate offered on how this ment of space development projects to USAF does not figure will change as the Air Force takes on the re- "predetermine the assignment of operational responsi- search and development of space projects under the bilities for space systems which will be made on a unified program set up by the Defense Department. project-by-project basis." The directive giving USAF responsibility for almost The assignment, essentially related to the issue of all work in this area said only that projects approved roles and missions—a subject not mentioned in the for development for any of the three services will be Defense directive—will be made when a project gets chosen on a project-by-project basis and that this kind close to the operational stage, the Secretary said, on of consideration will be maintained until the system the basis of the "competence and experience of each is assigned to a using command. It seems clear, how- of the services and the unified and specified com- ever, that for budgeting purposes the USAF Systems mands." This raised the probability that future assign- Command will be given allocations for work on space ment of space-age weapons will be to commands such system developments carried on for the Defense De- as or North American Air De- partment, even when the project originates in a sister fense Command, which operate in combat under direct service and may be assigned to it. supervision of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Basically, the USAF reorganization, like the De- The Secretary said he recognized that all of the fense Department directive on development of space military departments—Army, Navy, and Air Force— programs, is a huge step ahead in the management of may have requirements in space. For this reason each modern technologies. What USAF wants to do is: is permittted to explore preliminary research and de- • Provide rapid decisions and accelerated action `velopment requirements through feasibility studies. on designated system programs. This includes the en- Such projects will be reviewed by the Director of De- tire ballistic missile program. fense Research and Engineering. They will become • Ensure efficient, responsive management of the defense projects only if approved by the Secretary of space development mission now assigned to USAF. Defense. With- few exceptions, they will be developed • Provide for close integration and participation of by the Air Force. the Army Corps of Engineers in the ballistic missile

USAF's reorganization, while following closely the , site-activation program. DoD directive, climaxed studies of systems manage- • Provide for effective liaison and active partici- ment that go back about two years. In short, USAF pation by the Army, Navy, and National Aeronautics !. will concentrate all development and procurement of and Space Administration on projects being developed , systems—space, aeronautical, electronic, and ballistic for those agencies by USAF. !.-in a single new command. It will be called the Air In the past ARDC has been responsible for research, Force Systems Command and will be headed by Lt. development, and testing. AMC has been in charge of Gen. Bernard A. Schriever of the now-defunct Air procurement, production, and support. Research and Development Command. The new USAF organization (see chart, pages 42- This means, of course, that the traditional role of 43 ) has redistributed the resources and realigned the old will be changed. The (Continued on following page)

AIR FORCE / SPACE DIGEST • April 1961 • 39 functions and responsibilities. The task of providing Wright Aeronautical Development Division an all system programs from development and test AMC's Aeronautical Systems Center. through production, installation, and checkout—de- • Electronic Systems Division, at Hanscom Fiel livery to the using command—will be up to the new responsible for command and control systems such Systems Command. It will have four management the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMENV divisions: and the Air Defense Control System used by NORAI • Ballistic Systems Division, at Inglewood, re- It will be formed from elements of the old ARDC Cor sponsible for the Atlas, Titan, and Minuteman pro- mand and Control Development Division and AMC grams. Electronic Systems Center. • Space Systems Division, also at Inglewood, re- General Schriever will have a Deputy Command sponsible for military space programs assigned to of his Systems Command at Inglewood to ensu USAF and for development projects in support of the prompt decisions on the spot. In addition, the Arm Army, Navy, and NASA. Navy, and NASA will have resident representativ Both of the above are to be made up of elements of located at headquarters of the Space Systems Divisil the old ARDC Ballistic Missile Division and AMC to make sure these agencies have proper liaison at Ballistic Missiles Center. are not impeded in monitoring progress on their pri • Aeronautical Systems Division, at Wright-Pat- ects. The Commander of the Ballistic Systems Divisil terson AFB, responsible for such programs as the B-70 will have a Deputy Commander with full respon Mach 3 bomber, the new jet transport to be built by bility for site activation. He will be in charge of i Lockheed, and the GAM-77 Hound Dog air-launched stallation and checkout as well as actual constructil missile. It will contain elements of the old ARDC of the sites. This is one of the few jobs that was fill on the day the reorganization was announced. T deputy is Brig. Gen. A. C. Welling of the US Am Corps of Engineers. Setting Course for Space General Anderson's new Air Force Logistics Co: Here, excerpted, are significant portions of the mand, no longer responsible for systems procuremei new Defense Department directive establishing will continue to buy and supply an immense list space development responsibilities: items used by the Air Force. It will concentrate Purpose supply and maintenance activities to support systei This directive establishes policies and assigns in service and keep them operational after delive] responsibilities for research, development, test, and Under this command will be the nine Air Mater engineering of satellites, antisatellites, space probes, Areas, the depots, and other support installations. and supporting systems therefor, for all components USAF's own basic research, the kind of activity ti of the Department of Defense. looks to the weapons of tomorrow and, under the rtl Policy and Assignment of Responsibilities Defense space directive, is still within the purview A. Each military department and Department of each branch of the armed forces, will be done by Defense agency is authorized to conduct preliminary new USAF Office of Aerospace Research. This us research to develop new ways of using space tech- like the two new commands, will report directly to t nology to perform its assigned function. The scope Chief of Staff. of such research shall be defined by the Director Provision has been made in the reorganization of Defense Research and Engineering in terms of speed review and approval of some high-priority x expenditure limitations and other appropriate con- tems, such as the Minuteman ICBM and the B- ditions. bomber. Projects like this will have a direct cham B. Proposals for research and development of from the System Program Director to Hq. USAF. space programs and projects beyond the defined The Defense Department's directive on space s preliminary stage shall be submitted to the Director of Defense Research and Engineering for review tems development brought an instant and frequen and determination as to whether such proposals, heated reaction in Washington. There were wit when transmitted to the Secretary. of Defense, will spread reports that the Army and Navy had been be recommended for approval. Any such proposal prived of just prerogatives and, that their talents wor will become a Department of Defense space de- be neglected with USAF holding full developmen velopment program or project only upon specific responsibility. Fears were voiced, particularly in approval by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy early newspaper reports, that USAF would negl Secretary of Defense. Army and Navy requirements and try to retain C. Research, development, test, and engineering right to operate all space systems that went throu of Department of Defense space development pro- development. grams or projects, which are approved hereafter, will be the responsibility of the Department of the These apprehensions continued to be voiced in Air Force. weeks that followed, despite the fact that Gen. Thon D. Exceptions to paragraph C will be made by D. White, USAF's Chief of Staff, had given immedi the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary reassurance that his commands were conscious of th of Defense only in unusual circumstances. new responsibility and the requirement to meet E. The Director of Defense Research and Engi- needs of the sister services. Within thirty-six hours neering will maintain a current summary of ap- the announcement by Secretary McNamara, Gene proved Department of Defense space development White also had called a meeting of all his major cc programs and projects. manders and impressed upon them the seriousness USAF's new role. 40 AIR FORCE / SPACE DIGEST • April 1 Up on Capitol Hill, Rep. Overton Brooks ( D.-La.), an early version—was circulated to the Army, Navy, Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Air Force, and other Defense Department offices, as Astronautics, hastily called hearings and summoned well as to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. top Defense Department and military executives to The Joint Chiefs, he said, were not asked to com- testify. After the flying rumors and apprehensive head- ment collectively, but each member had an oppor- lines, buttressed with smatterings of misinformation, tunity to join in the deliberations of his own service. A it was here that the Administration explained the his- week was allowed for this process, during which Mr. tory and intent of the space directive in clear language. McNamara and Mr. Gilpatric discussed the draft with Top spokesman was Roswell L. Cilpatric, Deputy the service secretaries. Secretary of Defense. At another session, USAF Generals White and Mr. Gilpatric pointed out that, in his opinion, the Schriever appeared. The Chief of Staff shot down a directive contained at least three safeguards to pre- rumor that he favored having USAF swallow NASA. serve the effectiveness and capabilities of the Army, This was accomplished by declassifying a memoran- Navy, and Air Force. He listed them: dum of April 14, 1960, which General White called "a 1. Each branch of the armed forces can carry on sermon from the chief to the staff." The sermon Ireliminary research to develop ways of using space preached the doctrine that USAF was under obliga- technology to perform its mission. tion to cooperate to the maximum extent with NASA 2. No space project can be developed beyond the and that he wanted this policy made "crystal clear." preliminary stage unless it has been approved as a He ordered his subordinates to "supply all reasonable Defense Department project. key personnel requests made on it by NASA." General 3. Under unusual circumstances, an exception can White disclosed that there are seventy-seven USAF be made and a service other than the Air Force can officers now working for NASA, all of them there by carry on development. specific request of the civilian space agency. He said Mr. Gilpatric emphasized that USAF has nothing to he will send more if they are requested, adding that say about which projects will be developed, not even USAF's relations with NASA are "optimum." its own. Also, he observed that there is nothing in the Queried about his attitude on how space systems directive about operational responsibility. This was, will be allocated to the armed forces for operational as has been noted, reserved for future action. In view purposes, General White emphasized once more that of the fact that unified and specified commands will air and space are an indivisible continuum. He said be responsible for operations in event of war, this ap- traditionally the Army has had the antiaircraft artil- peared to leave them open for the assignment in ad- lery mission and that he considers any weapons anal- dition to the three branches of the armed forces (see ogous to this artillery should properly be used by the "Airpower in the News," page 16). Army. He put Nike Zeus and any other point defense Under cross-examination by the committee, Mr. Gil- system in this category. patric made it clear that this Administration considers On the other hand, General White claimed for USAF firm management of the space program a vital neces- any weapon system for area defense and analogous to ,ity in order to keep Army and Navy scientific talent the traditional fighter-interceptor mission. He said busy on projects of primary importance to those serv- area defense could be a responsibility of either serv- ices. He cited specifically the Navy's important under- ice, but he considers it corresponds more closely to water task, the antisubmarine mission. And he pointed the USAF mission. to the Army's Nike antiaircraft missile systems and the Neither the DoD space directive nor the Air Force's research and development needed to improve the tools . own reorganization should be looked upon as sudden of ground warfare. Firm management at the top, he moves brought about as the simple result of a change said, was the way to ensure that these vital needs are in political Administrations. These organizational taken care of. At the same time, such management changes result from changes in technology more than would eliminate the overlapping of interests and serv- they do from changes in the civilian hierarchy. ice straying from areas of primary missions. The space directive, it has been pointed out, does The directive on space came out of Secretary Mc- not in reality alter the existing situation to any great Namara's new Office of Organization and Manage- degree. The Secretary of Defense already had the pre- ment Planning Studies. This is a unit within the office rogative of determining which systems will be de- of the Department's General Counsel. Its mission is veloped. The services already had the right to con- to "provide timely and effective solutions to defense duct feasibility studies and examine the state of the management and organizational planning problems." art. The Air Force already was spending most of the Their study, Mr. Gilpatric said, showed that USAF money and doing most of the development work in already "was responsible for over ninety percent of space. The Army and Navy already were engaged in space research and development and that with respect exception" projects. to projects not assigned to the Air Force for research So far as the USAF reorganization is concerned, it and development, the Air Force wQs playing a con- results from a two-year examination of USAF's prob- siderable part in the development of those projects lems in an era when technical advances have threat- through provision of the boosters, launch facilities, and ened to overwhelm established organizational capa- services." bilities. The new Systems Command will be the major It was decided that good management called for development and system procurement agency of the igmnent of all space research and development to space age. It will handle USAF's biggest challenge, SAF unless an exception were granted. At this point, biggest opportunity, and biggest responsibility to the according to Mr. Gilpatric, a draft of the directive— cause of freedom.—END

AIR fORCE / SPACE DIGEST • April 1961 41

Secretary of the An AIRAIR FORCE / SPACE DIGEST Chart Air Force (as of March 21, 1 .961 ) Hon. Eugene M. Zuckert

USAF Chief of Deputy Staff Commander for Gen. Thomas D. Aerospace White Systems Maj. Gen. Howe M. Estes Inglewood, Cal Office of Aerospace Research Commander Assistant Derr Maj. Gen. Daniel Commander to E. Hooks Aerospace Washington, D. C. Systems Maj. Gen. Jose R. Holzapple

Air Force Systems Command Commander Lt. Gen. Bernard A. Schriever Andrews AFB, Md.

Air Force Logistics Command Commander Gen. Samuel E. Deputy Chief of Anderson Staff for Materiel Wright-Patterson Maj. Gen. Clyde AFB, Ohio H. Mitchell

AIR MATERIEL AREAS

Warner Robins Rome AMA Sacramento AMA San Bernardino San Antonio AMA Oklahoma City Ogden AMA Mobile AMA Middletown AMA AMA Griffiss AFB, N. Y. McClellan AFB, AMA Kelly AFB, Texas AMA Hill AFB, Utah Brookley AFB, Ala. Olmsted AFB, Robins AFB, Ga. Calif. Norton AFB, Calif. Tinker AFB, Okla.

AIR FORCE DEPOTS

Dayton AID Shelby AID CONTRACT MANAGEMENT REGIONS Gentile Al Station, Wilkins Al Station, . Ohio Ohio Eastern CMR Will move to Air Olmsted AFB, Pa. Force Systems Command at a later date

Central CMR Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

AIR MATERIEL FORCES Western CMR Mira Lorna Al Station, Calif. . AMF, Pacific Area AMF, European Hq. Wheeler AFB, Area Oahu, Hawaii Hq. Chateauroux E AS, France

42 AIR FORCE SPACE DIGEST • April 1 Ballistic Systems I Division I III a 1 A Commander System Program System Program System Program Deputy for System Deputy for Site Maj. Gen. Thomas Director Director Director Support Activation P. Gerrity Atlas Titan Minuteman Brig. Gen. A. C. Inglewood, Calif. MI I Welling, US Army

6555th Test Wing

lation & Construction & mut Engineering

Propulsion Guidance Reentry Technical Tes Support

Site Activation Task Forces

Resident ■ Representatives Space Systems .....= ... from Army, Division Navy, NASA Commander Maj. Gen. Osmond J. Ritland Inglewood, Calif/ I I I I III 1 Deputy Deputy for Deputy for Deputy for Deputy for Rocket Test Commander Satellite Systems Launch Vehicles System Support Space Test Agency Space Systems Operations Division I Maj. Gen. Scout Advent 111■1111111111=11■11 Robert E. Greer Transit Mercury Space Launch Space Control Able Wing Wing etc. I I k i a o i Propulsion Guidance Payload Structures Bioastronautics Civil Engineering

Aeronautical Systems Division Commander Maj. Gen. Waymond A. Davis Wright-Patterson Air Force Flight AFB, Ohio Test Center Edwards AFB, Calif. Air Force Missile Electronic Test Center Systems Division Patrick AFB, Fla. Commander Arnold Maj. Gen. Kenneth Engineering P. Bergquist Development Hanscom Field, Center Mass. Tullahoma, Tenn.

Air Force Special Weapons Center Kirtland AFB, N. M. Air Force Missile Development Center Holloman AFB, Air Proving N. M. Ground Center Eglin AFB, Fla. AIR FORCE / SPACE DIGEST • April 1961 43