Organizing for the Space Age
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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 Strategic Air Command 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 Air Materiel Command 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.