Issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology ( Volume 101, No. 2 )

Advancing New Technology

A surging wave of new technology and an urgent need to control costs of new weapon systems are giving Air Force Systems Command a tough new challenge in carrying out its task of providing another new generation of military equipment. Because manpower costs are now absorbing about 56 % of the federal defense budget, the main thrust of Systems Command's advanced technology development is aimed at producing systems that will provide greater military effectiveness with fewer weapons and less manpower.

( ... ) A major task of Systems Command is to constantly scan across the whole broad spectrum of technology to detect areas of large payoff potential and develop research and development programs to exploit them fully into new weapon systems.

( ... ) To provide a comprehensive overview of Air Force Systems Command's efforts on the frontier of technology and management, Aviation Week & Space Technology organized a special editorial task force headed by Executive Editor Cecil Brownlow. Its on - the - spot coverage of Systems Command's far - flung activities is presented in this issue. ( ... )

- Robert Hotz