Today's national security environment requires that the Armed Forces of the United States fight as a joint force. This requires advanced technology and concepts to capitalize on joint warfare principles and fight effectively as a true joint force; not as a combination of air, land, and naval forces. It is the responsibility of the defense acquisition community to ensure that our future forces have the combat edge provided by technologically superior weapons. With the current emphasis on joint warfare, it is essential that we pursue a focused, high quality, aggressive science and technology program to maintain this edge for the joint warfighter.

This second edition of the Joint Warfighting Science and Technology Plan embodies many of the refinements we have made to our science and technology strategic planning process to ensure that we are responsive to our customers. It has identified ten joint warfighting capability objectives critical to our future forces. This plan takes a horizontal perspective across the technology development and advanced concept technology demonstrations, of the Military Services and Defense Agencies. It presents an integrated approach to the development of technology required to achieve the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Vision 2010 .

This Plan is the joint product of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Military Services and the Defense Agencies. The Joint Requirements Oversight Council has reviewed and endorsed the Joint Warfighting Capability Objectives on which this plan is based. It is responsive to Section 270 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 which requires the annual submission of a plan for ensuring that the DoD S&T program supports joint warfighting requirements.

JOSEPH W. RALSTON General, USAF Vice Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

PAUL G. KAMINISKI Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology)