In the Air Force, the focal point for science and technology investments is  the Air Force Research Laboratory. As required, the Air Force established a task force  consisting of representatives from the Air Force Chief of Staff and  combatant commands to identify short-term objectives. While these are not new concepts, they still present significant  technological challenges. As required, it established an  integrated product team to address each short-term objective. The act required the secretary of  the Air Force to conduct a timely review of the science and technology  programs and to assess the budgetary resources needed to address the  long- and short-term needs. The secretary delegated this responsibility to  the deputy assistant secretary for Science, Technology and Engineering. The deputy also  complied with the provision to evaluate whether the ongoing and projected  science and technology programs addressed the long- and short-term  science and technology needs. Finally, the act required the secretary to review the long-term challenges  and short-term objectives and to identify additional work that should be  undertaken to meet the challenges and objectives. Scope and Methodology

To document the extent to which the Air Force complied with the long- term planning process specified in the National Defense Authorization Act  for Fiscal Year 2001, we obtained appointment letters, membership rosters,  initial guidance and work plans, meeting schedules, biographies of each  technical coordinator, and a comprehensive listing of the initial long-term  challenge ideas.
Why GAO Did This Study

Congress and the scientific community are concerned that the Air Force's investment in science and technology may be too low to meet the challenges presented by new and emerging threats. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 requires the Air Force to review its science and technology programs to assess the budgetary resources currently used and those needed to adequately address the challenges and objectives.

What GAO Found

GAO found that the Air Force complied with the requirements of section 252 of the act. The Air Force established an integrated product team to identify long-term science and technology challenges and a task force to identify short-term objectives. For each challenge or objective that was identified, the Air Force established teams to identify technological capabilities needed to achieve these goals. Each team chose research projects that addressed the criteria specified in the act. The Air Force also complied with the act's process provisions. The Deputy Assistant Director for Science, Technology and Engineering is required to review the teams' results and to identify any science and technology research not currently funded.