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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense

Committee on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense

Air Force Science and Technology Board

Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20418

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 is a report of work sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under grant number F49620-99-1-0338 between the Department of Defense and the National Academy of Sciences. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research or the U.S. Government.

The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-07606-4

Copies are available from:
National Academy Press
Box 285 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20055 800–624–6242 or 202–334–3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area) http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

National Research Council

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. Bruce M.Alberts 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. Wm.A.Wulf 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. Kenneth I.Shine 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. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm.A.Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE OF THE U.S. AEROSPACE INFRASTRUCTURE AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AIR FORCE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

ROBERT R.EVERETT, Chair,

MITRE Corporation (retired), Concord, Massachusetts

GORDON R.ENGLAND, Vice Chair,

General Dynamics Corporation, Falls Church, Virginia (from September 1999 to May 2001)

KYLE T.ALFRIEND,

Texas A&M University, College Station

OLIVER C.BOILEAU, JR., Consultant,

Saratoga, Wyoming

MICHAEL P.C.CARNS,

U.S. Air Force (retired), Center for Political Economy, Pebble Beach, California

RAYMOND S.COLLADAY,

RC Space Enterprises, Inc., Golden, Colorado

JOHN W.DOUGLASS,

Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc., Washington, D.C.

ROBERT B.ORMSBY, JR.,

Lockheed Aeronautical Group Systems (retired), Roswell, Georgia

GEORGE A.PAULIKAS,

Aerospace Corporation (retired), Los Angeles, California

THOMAS M.PERDUE, Consultant,

Alexandria, Virginia

WINFRED M.PHILLIPS,

University of Florida, Gainesville

HERMAN M.REININGA,

Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

ELI RESHOTKO,

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

MICHAEL D.RICH,

RAND, Santa Monica, California

HAROLD W.SORENSON,

MITRE Corporation, Bedford, Massachusetts

Liaisons from the Air Force Science and Technology Board

ROBERT A.FUHRMAN,

Lockheed Corporation (retired), Pebble Beach, California

JOHN MICHAEL LOH,

U.S. Air Force (retired), Consultant, Williamsburg, Virginia

Liaison from the Board on Army Science and Technology

ALLEN C.WARD,

Ward Synthesis, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan

Staff

BRUCE A.BRAUN, Director

JAMES E.KILLIAN, Study Director (from December 2000)

JAMES D.RENDLEMAN, Study Director (from September 1999 to October 2000)

LINDA D.VOSS, Consultant

JAMES MYSKA, Research Associate

PAMELA A.LEWIS, Senior Project Assistant (from January 2001)

ANDRE MORROW, Senior Project Assistant (from September 1999 to January 2001)

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×

AIR FORCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BOARD

ROBERT A.FUHRMAN, Chair,

Lockheed Corporation (retired), Pebble Beach, California

ANTHONY J.BURSHNICK,

U.S. Air Force (retired), Springfield, Virginia

LYNN CONWAY,

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

WILLIAM H.CRABTREE, Consultant,

Cincinnati, Ohio

EARL H.DOWELL,

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

ALAN H.EPSTEIN,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

ALFRED B.GSCHWENDTNER,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

ROBERT G.LOEWY,

Georgia Institute of Technology School of Aerospace Engineering, Atlanta

JOHN MICHAEL LOH,

U.S. Air Force (retired), Williamsburg, Virginia

NOEL LONGUEMARE,

Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology (retired), Ellicott City, Maryland

THOMAS S.MOORMAN, JR.,

U.S. Air Force (retired), McLean, Virginia

BRADFORD W.PARKINSON,

Stanford University, Stanford, California

RICHARD R.PAUL,

Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington

ELI RESHOTKO,

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

ALTON D.ROMIG,

Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Staff

BRUCE A.BRAUN, Director

MICHAEL A.CLARKE, Associate Director

CHRIS JONES, Financial Associate

WILLIAM E.CAMPBELL, Administrative Coordinator

GWEN ROBEY, Senior Project Assistant

DEANNA SPARGER, Senior Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×

Preface

The uncertainty of the threats faced by the military since the end of the Cold War is mirrored by uncertainties in the national defense aerospace infrastructure. The aerospace industry has undergone a significant restructuring in the last 20 years, a dramatic consolidation to adjust to the declining defense investment. In the 1980s, aerospace was a major U.S. economic sector dominated by defense spending. In the 1990s, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) accounted for only 28 percent of aerospace sales.

These changes raise questions about the future. The Air Force is concerned about having available and attracting the creative, skilled work force it will take to implement its military mission. The change in the environment supporting the defense aerospace infrastructure has also changed the relationship between the military and industry.

The committee was asked to identify problems facing different sectors of the defense infrastructure and how the Air Force could ensure its ability to attract the best and brightest to produce the leading-edge technology upon which its weapons systems rely.

To determine the scope of its study, the committee consulted with representatives of academia and visited representatives of the Air Force, Navy, DoD, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and other government agencies. To learn more about issues related to the physical test and development infrastructure, a fact-finding team visited the Arnold Engineering Development Center and received briefings about the work force, budget, policy, and facilities. Industry representatives made presentations on work force issues, business opportunities and goals, facilities, and financial challenges. In the end, the committee focused its attention on the issues most important for the primary client of the defense aerospace infrastructure, the Air Force.

Recommendations are focused on how Air Force senior management can compete for skilled technical personnel, sustain high-quality scientific and technical resources, and reform industrial policy to adapt to the changes in the industry.

The committee greatly appreciates the support and assistance of National Research Council staff members James Killian, Pamela Lewis, and Carol Arenberg and consultant Linda Voss in the production of this report.

Robert R.Everett, Chair

Committee on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering

Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Acknowledgments

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. The committee wishes to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Henry P.Arnold, BF Goodrich Aerospace

William C.Bowes, USN (retired), Litton Integrated Systems

Natalie W.Crawford, RAND

Earl H.Dowell, Duke University

David Heebner, Heebner Associates

R.Richard Heppe, Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company

Peter B.Teets, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)

Brian Wright, Rockwell Collins

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Alton Slay, appointed by the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, and William Howard, appointed by the NRC’s Report Review Committee, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×
Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×

Tables and Figures

TABLES

3–1

 

Decline in Fixed-Wing, Manned, Combat Aircraft Programs,

 

18

3–2

 

Boeing Life-cycle Support,

 

20

3–3

 

Funding by Federal Agencies to Universities for Aeronautical and Astronautical Research (in millions of constant FY01 dollars),

 

22

3–4

 

Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded from 1991 to 2000,

 

22

3–5

 

Projected Job Growth in Engineering Fields (in thousands),

 

23

4–1

 

U.S. Aerospace Industry Sales in the United States (in millions of constant FY01 dollars),

 

27

FIGURES

1–1

 

Balance of trade by industry, 1998,

 

9

2–1

 

Total DoD S&T budget history,

 

13

2–2

 

Air Force S&T budget history,

 

14

3–1

 

Number of engineers who left Boeing in 1999,

 

17

3–2

 

Rate at which engineers left Boeing in 1999,

 

17

4–1

 

Funding for R&D by source,

 

28

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×

Acronyms and Abbreviations


ABL

airborne laser

AEDC

Arnold Engineering Development Center

AFB

Air Force Base

AFIT

Air Force Institute of Technology

AFMC

Air Force Materiel Command

AFRL

Air Force Research Laboratory


CAS

cost-accounting standards

CEO

chief executive officer

CFD

computational fluid dynamics

COTS

commercial off-the-shelf


DARPA

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

DASA

DaimlerChrysler Aerospace

DCS

deputy chief of staff

DoD

U.S. Department of Defense

DSB

Defense Science Board


EMD

engineering and manufacturing development


FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

FAR

Federal Acquisition Regulations

FFRDC

Federally Funded Research and Development Center

FSA

Future Strike Aircraft

FY

fiscal year


GOCO

government-owned, contractor-operated

GPS

global positioning system


IHPTET

Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology

IR&D

independent research and development

ITAR

International Traffic in Arms Regulations


JPL

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JSF

Joint Strike Fighter


LAI

Lean Aerospace Initiative


Mil-Spec

military specification

MOSA

modular open systems architecture


NAE

National Academy of Engineering

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NMD

National Missile Defense

NRC

National Research Council


O&M

operations and maintenance

ODTC

Office of Defense Trade Controls

OPM

Office of Personnel Management

OSD

Office of the Secretary of Defense


QDR

Quadrennial Defense Review


R&D

research and development

RDT&E

research, development, test, and evaluation

RLV

reusable launch vehicle

ROI

return on investment


S&T

science and technology

SBL

Space-Based Laser


TINA

Truth in Negotiations Act


UAV

unmanned air vehicle

UCAV

unmanned combat air vehicle

USAF

U.S. Air Force

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Review of the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Infrastructure and Aerospace Engineering Disciplines to Meet the Needs of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10201.
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The Principal Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition requested that the National Research Council (NRC) review the Air Force's planned acquisition programs to determine if, given its scale, the highly talented scientific, technical, and engineering personnel base could be maintained, to identify issues affecting the engineering and science work force, and to identify issues affecting the aerospace industry's leadership in technology development, innovation, and product quality, as well as its ability to support Air Force missions.

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