TABLE OF CONTENTS

to coping with emerging technologies; and 4) the investment in senior leadership S&T
education so they will be conversant with accelerating technology and decisions related
to it. These must be combined with, 5) a PME system that focuses more on the future
than the past, that fosters adaptive, innovative thinking, and develops airmen who are
willing and able to accept greater risk taking in a rapidly changing environment.
5. We need better space situational awareness, defensive counter space, and
offense counter space technologies. Full advantage must be taken of the potential for
smarter, smaller, cheaper, better, satellites that will provide increased computing power,
increased electrical power and maneuver capabilities, and improved autonomous control
– all with decreased size and weight. 1) The USAF should pursue space superiority as it
did air superiority. Space will become a more important arena than it already is for
sensors, and possibly weapons. While the U.S. may not wish to take the lead in
weaponizing space, it must be ready to confront the possible necessity. 2) The USAF
needs immediate investments to insure greater space based situational awareness as the
first step toward space superiority, and possible weaponization. 3) Effective space
situational awareness must be complemented by defensive and offensive counter space
capabilities. Given the U.S. reliance on space for information gathering and
communication, protection of space based assets and a reconstitution capability is
essential.
6. The acquisition process must be changed if the USAF is to compete in the
environment of 2025 and beyond. We have gone through multiple “improvements” to
the acquisition system, but these have been incremental. Accelerating technological
change is creating a need for fundamental change in the acquisition process. Long