Transforming Aerospace Power

THE UNITED STATES is pursuing a defense strategy developed during the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), stated in terms of “shape, re­ spond, and prepare now.” The latter tenet of this strategy implies change in defense ca­ pabilities to leverage advances in techno-l ogy and address operational challenges envisioned for the early twenty-first century. Certainly, aerospace power will have a key role in our future. But the real question to consider is whether this nation will develop the bureaucratic and political resolve to make the necessary investments and key decisions to truly transform aerospace power as Secretary Cohen indicates, or whether we will merely evolve the current state of aerospace affairs. To put the bottom line up front, the United States is destined merely to evolve aerospace power unless we demonstrate, in a joint setting, the capa­ bility to overcome vulnerabilities associated with technical shortfalls and operational challenges in areas such as anti-access, target identification, and force protection. Before discussing the future of aerospace power, we need to define transformation in general and differentiate it from a mere evo­