FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla.: For the 36th year, the Air Armament Center partnered with the National Defense Industrial Association to host its annual Air Armament Symposium here Oct. 5 and 6.
The symposium, a two-day forum for both industry and government personnel, was an opportunity to exchange information, recognize acquisition challenges and better understand warfighter requirements.
This year’s theme, “Excellence in Armament Acquisition: Adapting to a Dynamic Environment,” highlighted topics vital to national and international defense interests. Speakers from joint services and Air Force major commands shared the common thread of working together in a changing acquisition world.
After an introduction by Gulf Coast Chapter president David Andrews, Maj. Gen. C. R. Davis, program executive for weapons and the Air Armament Center commander, spoke of the center’s and Eglin’s broad range of missions.
“Anyone who has any part in weapons development, from the first stages of technology to the long-term sustainment, is together here,” General Davis said. “This makes for a lot of synergy and capability to get things done.”
The general said there will be more training at Eglin with the addition of the joint strike fighter and 7th Special Forces Group, both of which offer great opportunities.
“We need to take advantage of the experts who are ready to go into the (area of responsibility). We can only get better synergy out of our weapons development process by incorporating that training into our daily work,” he said.
Looking into the future, General Davis said he sees the need to keep today’s weapons sustainable and to ensure new weapons meet and defeat different threats.
General Davis said another test is to align budgets with capabilities, stating that it is not about taking funding away but allowing the acquisition program to allow for more purchase power. “We’ve got to do our best to try to keep up with the challenges we have on our roadmap,” he said.
After General Davis set the tone for the symposium, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz addressed the audience. He stressed vigilance in assessing future threats and the need to anticipate future requirements at a time when funding is increasingly scarce.
“The reality is we are faced with trillion-dollar deficits, including federal debt, and as a result, defense budgets will likely flatten,” General Schwartz said. “Even with declining purchasing power, we still have to meet substantial demands and responsibilities.”
General Schwartz stressed the need for efficiency, versatility and flexibility to create the decisive air and space power that is the trademark of the Air Force.
“We must balance our approach to modernize and recapitalize where we are able and accept risk where we must,” he said. “Scarce funds will not allow us to indiscriminately acquire new technology or material solutions.
“Instead we must carefully anticipate future requirements and implement a selective and incremental approach to modernizing legacy capabilities, acquiring limited-capability systems as a stopgap where necessary and procuring next-generation technologies where fiscally responsible,” General Schwartz said.
General Schwartz mentioned the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, a precision standoff missile, as one weapon vital to the Air Force’s future.
“With JASSM-ER, we can minimize the disadvantage from having to operate at greater distances and still expect an operationally significant degree of accuracy, lethality and effectiveness,” he said. “Efforts by potential adversaries will intensify, and therefore the entire armament enterprise must be united in leveraging our strengths.”
General Schwartz paused to remember four Airmen who were killed in Afghanistan recently. Three of the four had ties with the bases in the local area. He somberly reminded the audience the ultimate objective is the security of our nation.
“Our immediate goal is to provide our brave men and women in uniform with what they need to succeed now and in the immediate future,” he said.
The symposium continued with speakers discussing topics vital to national and international defense interests. Activities for interaction included two socials and a golf tournament, the proceeds from which will benefit scholarships for local high school students in the science and mathematics fields.
