CommunityEditor
07-01-2008, 06:11 PM
Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ comments about thinking of innovative ways to support the troops on the battlefield, particularly in the area of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, resonated with me. To that end, I have some comments and suggestions for consideration.
1. Reassigning near space as a medium of operation from Air Force Space Command to Air Force Cyber Command was a spot-on decision.
Space Command had too many naysayers who are afraid that success of a giant unmanned aerial vehicle platform — the developing near-space Vulture, operating at 85,000 feet for a period of four to six months and carrying a payload of 800 pounds — would take funding from other space operations. They fail to see this as a complementary capability — an operationally responsive platform that will provide ISR to field commanders, solve the problem of in-country communications in Afghanistan, provide almost instantaneous communications infrastructure to the continent of Africa, and provide look-down capability to detect and defeat cruise missile attacks against the U.S.
In addition, this capability will allow the Navy to reduce out-year funding for its Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program by reducing the number of long-endurance UAVs required in the current Concept of Operations.
2. Reassign Operationally Responsive Space to the Navy.
Air Force program managers responsible for dropping missiles out of the back end of aircraft and launching payloads into space have been chastised as disloyal for supporting programs that may threaten funding for needed upgrades at our launch ranges.
In addition, we need to restart the National Aero-Space Plane program, the single-stage spacecraft designed to provide quick, reliable and affordable access to space. The late Gen. Bernie Schreiver often said that we basically still use the capabilities he developed in the 1950s to gain access to space.
3. Energy is a national security issue.
Tap into the talent at our research facilities and service academies, and develop a model that points to the right mix of energy sources to lessen our reliance on foreign oil and reduce emissions. Yes, the Energy Department and the National Renewable Energy Lab should be doing this, but the defense secretary should lead the way in linking them to national defense.
4. Infuse the effort to protect our soldiers from improvised explosive devices with proven nanotechnology.
There is a new way, spun off from NASA research, to produce material 250 times stronger than steel at one-tenth the weight. While it is still being produced at the micron level, there is tremendous opportunity here to better protect our troops, not to mention reduce the weight of vehicles, thereby improving energy consumption.
The military must become more creative in thinking of ways to support the troops in wars overseas. These new approaches could help.
Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/community/opinion/airforce_backtalk_ideas_070708/
1. Reassigning near space as a medium of operation from Air Force Space Command to Air Force Cyber Command was a spot-on decision.
Space Command had too many naysayers who are afraid that success of a giant unmanned aerial vehicle platform — the developing near-space Vulture, operating at 85,000 feet for a period of four to six months and carrying a payload of 800 pounds — would take funding from other space operations. They fail to see this as a complementary capability — an operationally responsive platform that will provide ISR to field commanders, solve the problem of in-country communications in Afghanistan, provide almost instantaneous communications infrastructure to the continent of Africa, and provide look-down capability to detect and defeat cruise missile attacks against the U.S.
In addition, this capability will allow the Navy to reduce out-year funding for its Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program by reducing the number of long-endurance UAVs required in the current Concept of Operations.
2. Reassign Operationally Responsive Space to the Navy.
Air Force program managers responsible for dropping missiles out of the back end of aircraft and launching payloads into space have been chastised as disloyal for supporting programs that may threaten funding for needed upgrades at our launch ranges.
In addition, we need to restart the National Aero-Space Plane program, the single-stage spacecraft designed to provide quick, reliable and affordable access to space. The late Gen. Bernie Schreiver often said that we basically still use the capabilities he developed in the 1950s to gain access to space.
3. Energy is a national security issue.
Tap into the talent at our research facilities and service academies, and develop a model that points to the right mix of energy sources to lessen our reliance on foreign oil and reduce emissions. Yes, the Energy Department and the National Renewable Energy Lab should be doing this, but the defense secretary should lead the way in linking them to national defense.
4. Infuse the effort to protect our soldiers from improvised explosive devices with proven nanotechnology.
There is a new way, spun off from NASA research, to produce material 250 times stronger than steel at one-tenth the weight. While it is still being produced at the micron level, there is tremendous opportunity here to better protect our troops, not to mention reduce the weight of vehicles, thereby improving energy consumption.
The military must become more creative in thinking of ways to support the troops in wars overseas. These new approaches could help.
Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/community/opinion/airforce_backtalk_ideas_070708/