Technology and the Air Force: A Retrospective Assessment
Abstract
The history of the United States Air Force is inextricably bound up in the history of aerospace technology. Major revolutions have influenced the evolution of Air Force capabilities and systems, most notably those of atomic weaponry, the turbojet revolution, supersonic flight, avionics, aerial refueling, space flight, precision weaponry, electronic flying controls, composite materials, and stealth. It is worthwhile to take a retrospective look at some of the aerospace challenges and opportunities the Air Force faced and how it took advantage -- or failed to take advantage -- of them. With this in mind, the Air Force History and Museums Program organized a symposium on October 23 and 24, 1995, in which leading historians, technologists, and military decision makers met at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, to present case studies on a series of technological challenges, opportunities, and problems. This symposium, co-sponsored by the Air Force Historical Foundation, covered relevant technological histories ranging from the turbojet revolution of the 1930s to the stealth revolution of the 1990s. This volume presents the texts of the 20 papers in the order they were given. Topics discussed include the turbojet revolution, technological forecasting, supersonic aircraft, origins of air refueling, technology and doctrine, ballistic missile program, smart weapons, cruise missiles, fly-by-wire technology, nuclear-powered flight, F-16 lightweight fighter, early spacecraft technology, origins of the Global Positioning System, the space revolution, AWACS and JSTARS, computational fluid dynamics, stealth technology, and information systems and applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA440094
Entities
People
- David Chenoweth
- George M. Watson Jr.
- Jacob Neufeld