Technological superiority has been, and continues to be, a cornerstone of our national military strategy. Technologies such as radar, jet engines, nuclear weapons, night vision, smart weapons, stealth, the Global Positioning System, and vastly more capable information management systems have changed warfare dramatically. Today's technological edge allows us to prevail across the broad spectrum of conflict decisively and with relatively low casualties. Maintaining this technological edge has become even more important as the size of U.S. forces decreases and high-technology weapons are now readily available on the world market. In this new environment, it is imperative that U.S. forces possess technological superiority to achieve and maintain the dominance displayed in Operation Desert Storm. The technological advantage we enjoy today is a legacy of decades of investment in science and technology (S&T). Likewise, our future warfighting capabilities will be substantially determined by today's investment in S&T.
In peace, technological superiority is a key element of deterrence. In crisis, it provides a wide spectrum of options to the National Command Authorities and commanders in chief, while providing confidence to our allies. In war, it enhances combat effectiveness, reduces casualties, and minimizes equipment loss. In view of declining defense budgets and manpower reductions, advancing military technology and ensuring that it undergoes rapid transition to the warfighter are national security obligations of ever greater importance.
To fulfill these obligations, the Director, Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E), has continually enhanced the strategic planning process for defense S&T. The foundation of this process is the Defense Science and Technology Strategy with its supporting Basic Research Plan (BRP), Joint Warfighting Science and Technology Plan (JWSTP), and Defense Technology Area Plan (DTAP) (References 1-4). These documents present the DoD S&T vision, strategy, plan, and objectives for the planners, programmers, and performers of defense S&T.
These documents are a collaborative product of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Joint Staff, military services, and defense agencies. The strategy and plans are fully responsive to the National Security S&T Council's National Security Science and Technology Strategy (Reference 5) and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Vision and Joint Vision 2010 (JV 2010) (Reference 6), as shown in Figure 1. The strategy and plans and supporting individual S&T master plans of the military services and defense agencies guide the annual preparation of the defense program and budget. The strategy and plans are made available to the U.S. Government, defense contractors, and our allies with the goal of better focusing our collective efforts on superior joint warfare capabilities and improving interoperability between the United States and our allies.
Defense Science and Technology Strategy (Reference 1). The Defense Science and Technology Strategy is responsive to the Secretary of Defense's vision to "develop and transition superior technology to enable affordable, decisive military capability." The strategy focuses on four generic considerations that have high priority in making strategic decisions about which technologies are pursued:
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The coupling of the BRP with the DTAP and the JWSTP is carried out in several ways. First, the planning stage of the 12 individual research areas has the active participation of both the Service Laboratories and the Warfighters (through the Operating Commands, such as the Army's TRADOC). This activity takes place by providing requirements and, oftentimes, serving on planning committees that focus on or include basic research. Second, representatives of the Service Laboratories and Operating Commands also take part in the program evaluation process through attendance and participation in Service S&T program reviews and the ODDR&E TARA reviews.
Joint Warfighting Science and Technology Plan (Reference 3). The JWSTP takes a joint perspective horizontally across the Applied Research (6.2) and Advanced Technology Development (6.3) plans of the services and defense agencies to ensure that the requisite technology and advanced concepts for superior joint and coalition warfighting are supported. It ensures that the near-, mid-, and long-term needs of the joint warfighter are properly balanced and supported in the S&T planning, programming, budgeting, and assessment activities of the DoD. The JWSTP is focused around 10 Joint Warfighting Capability Objectives (JWCOs). These objectives support the Joint Warfighting Capability Assessment (JWCA) and the four operational concepts emphasized in JV 2010: dominant maneuver, precision engagement, full-dimension protection, and focused logistics. A significant feature of the JWSTP is the identification of mechanisms for the timely transition of technology to the warfighter in the field before it becomes obsolete or falls in the hands of our adversaries.
Defense Technology Area Plan (Reference 4). The DTAP presents the DoD objectives and the Applied Research (6.2) and Advanced Technology Development (6.3) investment strategy for technologies critical to DoD acquisition plans, service warfighter capabilities, and the JWSTP. It also takes a horizontal perspective across the service and defense agency efforts, thereby charting the total DoD investment for a given technology. The DTAP documents the focus, content, and principal objectives of the overall DoD science and technology efforts. This plan provides a sound basis for acquisition decisions and is structured to respond to the DDR&E emphasis on rapid transition of technology to the operational forces. This year the DTAP includes an assessment of the potential technology capabilities of other countries vis-à-vis the United States.
Defense Technology Objectives (Reference 7). The focus of the S&T investment is enhanced and guided through Defense Technology Objectives (DTOs). Each DTO identifies a specific technology advancement that will be developed or demonstrated, the anticipated date of technology availability, and the specific benefits resulting from the technology advance. These benefits not only include increased military operational capabilities but also address other important areas, including affordability and dual-use applications, that have received special emphasis in the Defense Science and Technology Strategy. Each DTO also identifies funding required to achieve the new capability. This funding, shown in millions of dollars, has been rounded to a single decimal, so all totals in the tabulations may not add due to rounding.
This document contains descriptions of nearly 300 DTOs. Two-thirds of these are identified in the DTAP, which cites the anticipated return on the S&T investment through 10 broad technology areas. The remaining DTOs support the 10 JWCOs of the JWSTP. JWSTP DTOs are limited to Advanced Technology Demonstrations (ATDs) and Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs).
The DTOs are presented in a separate volume in two parts—one for the DTAP and one for the JWSTP. The DTAP DTO number consists of a two-letter prefix corresponding to the names of the 10 technology areas addressed in that document, a two-digit numeral that represents the DTO sequence, and a second two-digit numeral that is an undefined field. The letter prefix for the JWSTP DTO number corresponds to the 10 sections (A through J) in Chapter IV of that document, followed by a two-digit sequence number. Thus, DTO numbers easily distinguish JWSTP from DTAP DTOs. The DTO sequence numbers do not connote priorities.
The JWSTP and the DTAP document the focus, content, and principal objectives of the overall DoD technology efforts (budget categories 6.2 and 6.3). These plans are presented in separate documents under their respective titles.
This document concludes with an appendix that is a compilation of all abbreviations and acronyms used in the JWSTP and DTAP as well as in these DTOs.
