Since the Korean War, having the technological advantage has been a cornerstone of our national military strategy. Technologies like radar, jet engines, night vision, Global Positioning System (GPS), smart weapons, and stealth have changed warfare dramatically. Maintaining this technological edge has become even more important as the size of U.S. forces decreases and high technology weapons become readily available on the world market. In this new environment, it is imperative that U.S. forces possess technological superiority to ensure success and minimize casualties across the broad spectrum of engagements. The technological advantage enjoyed by the United States in Operation Desert Storm, and still enjoyed today, is a legacy of decades of wise investments in Science and Technology (S&T). Similarly, our warfighting capabilities 10 to 15 years from now will be substantially determined by today's investment in S&T.
The Defense S&T Strategy (Reference 1) with its supporting Basic Research Plan (Reference 2), Defense Technology Area Plan (Reference 3), and this Joint Warfighting S&T Plan present the Defense Department's science and technology vision, strategy, plan, and objectives for the planners, programmers, and performers of defense S&T. Revised annually, these documents are a collaborative product of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Staff, the Military Services, and the Defense Agencies. The strategy and plans are fully responsive to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Vision 2010 (Reference 4) and the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) National Security Science and Technology Strategy (Reference 5) as shown in Figure I.1. These documents and the supporting individual S&T master plans of the Military Services and Defense Agencies guide the annual preparation of the DoD budget and Program Objective Memoranda (POMs). The strategy and plans are made available to the United States Government, defense contractors, and U.S. allies with the goals of better focusing collective efforts on superior joint warfare capabilities and improving interoperability between the United States and its allies.
The Basic Research Plan (BRP) presents the DoD objectives and investment strategy for DoD-sponsored research performed by universities, industry, and Service laboratories. In addition to presenting the planned investment in 12 broad research areas, this year's plan highlights six strategic research objectives holding great promise for enabling breakthrough technologies for revolutionary 21st century military capabilities.
The Defense Technology Area Plan (DTAP) presents the DoD objectives and investment strategy for 10 technology areas critical to DoD acquisition. It takes a horizontal perspective across Service and Agency efforts, thereby charting the total DoD-wide investment for each technology area.
This Joint Warfighting S&T Plan (JWSTP) also takes a joint perspective, looking horizontally across the Services and Agencies, but for a different purpose. Its objective is to ensure that the S&T program supports priority future joint warfighting capabilities. The Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) has endorsed the JWSTP planning process and methodology and the initial twelve Joint Warfighting Capability Objectives (JWCOs) used in the development of this first JWSTP. The JWCOs are not all inclusive; there are other important joint and Service-unique warfighting capabilities that need strong S&T support; but they provide an important focus for the S&T program.
The JWSTP and DTAP together ensure that the near-, mid-, and far-term needs of the joint warfighter are properly balanced and supported in the S&T planning, programming, budgeting, and assessment activities of DoD. This is the first edition of the Joint Warfighting S&T Plan. It will be issued annually as defense guidance. Advanced concepts and technologies identified as enhancing high priority joint warfighting capabilities, along with prerequisite research, will receive funding priority in the President's Budget and accompanying Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP).
Defense Technology Objectives (DTOs) are planning objectives for achieving specific functional and operational capabilities as elements of the JWCOs. Collectively the twelve JWCOs and the supporting DTOs from the Defense Technology Area Plan will receive 25 percent of the 6.2 and 6.3 budget in fiscal year 1997 (FY97). Figures I.2 and I.3 show the funding allocation to the DTOs cited in this plan, those cited in the Defense Technology Area Plan, and the remainder of the 6.2 and 6.3-funded program. Not every needed technology program is captured in a DTO. If the entire DoD S&T program were to be defined by DTOs in the Defense S&T Strategy and plans, the Services and Agencies would lack the flexibility to seize local opportunities. A balanced, innovative program requires that some flexibility be retained at the Service, Agency, and local laboratory levels.