Air Force weapons strategy seeks to learn quickly to make incremental technological advancements
March 7, 2019
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Air Force is carrying out a new weapons strategy to fast-track high-priority systems to warfighters, including satellite sensors, hypersonic weapons, B-52 engines, nuclear missiles, and combat sensors. Warrior Maven reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
7 March 2019 -- The approach calls for rapid and early prototyping of new weapons to determine quickly what works, says William Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology & logistics.
The approach adds risk -- a necessary part of the process -- he says. While rarely desired, failure is an opportunity to learn quickly and make adjustments early in the acquisition process to keep pace with anticipated emerging threats.
There is no mystery about why the Air Force is emphasizing this approach; potential US adversaries are making technological advancements at an alarming rate; anti-satellite weapons, hypersonics, artificial intelligence (AI) and stealth may be surpassing or at least seriously rivaling U.S. technological superiority.
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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
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