efficiency of high speed vessels. The Sea Fighter will be the first Navy purpose built ship to demonstrate mission flexibility. Mission flexibility will be demonstrated through interchangeable "mission modules" housed in the Sea Fighter's large Mission Bay in standard 20-foot container boxes. The Mission Bay will be capable of housing 12 containers, permitting the vessel to be quickly reconfigured to support a variety of potential missions, including battle force protection, mine countermeasures, amphibious assault support, and humanitarian support. A multi-purpose stern ramp will allow Sea Fighter to launch and recover manned and unmanned surface and sub-surface vehicles up to the size of an 11 meter Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boat. From its flight deck, Sea Fighter FSF-1 will be able to support 24-hour-a-day operations for up to two MH-60S helicopters. When turned over to the fleet in May 2005, Sea Fighter, manned by a joint Navy-Coast Guard crew of two dozen will serve as a risk reduction "surrogate" for Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) concept of operations and technical capabilities development.

AND BEYOND THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AFTER NEXT

At the basic research end of the spectrum, ONR-funded investigations are administered in accordance with scientific and technical disciplines-ocean sciences, materials, electronics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine, and others and their focus is on discovering and understanding new phenomena that hold promise for future application in the Navy/Marine Corps-after-next. Our research investment priorities focus on areas that are uniquely naval and maritime and usually of interest primarily to the sea services and areas where we leverage applicable naval disciplines in conjunction with the rest of America's basic research establishment.

We integrate the Naval Research Laboratory and ONR programs to maintain a strong corporate lab at the Naval Research Laboratory. Thanks to Thomas Edison's vision the Naval Research Laboratory has a long history at the forefront of basic research, including radar, nuclear propulsion, advances in timekeeping for the Global Positioning System, development of satellites, electronic warfare, and today's global war on terrorism "tools" to name a few.

A portion of our applied research (6.2) investment plans are targeted to the harvest of successful basic research concepts and knowledge for use in the FNCs, the INPs, experimentation, and other transitions. We are working to reduce the transition time of the fruits of the discovery and invention to less than 10 years. We also work closely with the other Services through the DOD Reliance process to help rationalize the DOD-wide S&T portfolio.

National Naval Responsibilities shape these basic and early-applied research portfolios, and ONR has earmarked a significant portion of its resources to sustain a critical mass of research and development efforts in these areas. These scientific and engineering disciplines-ocean acoustics, underwater weapons, and naval engineering-are critical for naval missions but are of limited interest to commercial industry and thus unlikely to attract significant private-sector investment. It is vital to keep such fields healthy, not only for the sake of our own capabilities, but to avoid technological surprise as well.

The naval S&T Grand Challenges are large, difficult, challenges that, if met, could give us decisive capabilities 15 to 30 years in the future. We encourage the Nation's scientific community to achieve breakthroughs in difficult but achievable scientific challenges like Naval Battlespace Awareness, Advanced Electrical Power Sources for the Navy and Marine Corps, Naval Materials by Design, and Multifunctional Electronics for Intelligent Naval Sensors.

In conclusion, the Nation's return on investment is clear. Success in the global war on terrorism, naval transformation, and Navy and Marine Corps-after-next, depends on a balanced, long-term, stable, and sustained investment in S&T, validated through a cycle of ongoing experimentation so we can transition new capability to the warfighter.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Senator CORNYN. Thank you, Admiral.

Mr. Engle, we would be glad to hear you next.

STATEMENT OF JAMES B. ENGLE, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

Mr. ENGLE. Mr. Chairman, members of the subcommittee and staff, I also very much appreciate the opportunity to provide testimony on the fiscal year 2006 Air Force S&T program.

The United States Air Force continues to transform to a capabilities-focused expeditionary air and space force based on the concepts of operations (CONOPS) for each of the seven major tasks that the Air Force must be capable of accomplishing to support our combatant commanders. The Air Force is focused on delivering the ability to effectively and affordably train, organize, and equip our military forces. The Air Force Integration Capability Review and Risk Assessment (I-CRRA) master planning process encompasses the effects and capabilities required by the seven CONOPS and is key to ensuring we have a high correlation between our S&T programs and the warfighting capabilities required by these concepts.

As a result of this capability review and risk assessment, the Air Force realigned approximately $500 million of its S&T funding to support higher-priority areas over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). These areas included the Battlefield Air Operations (BAO) kit, which I will discuss in more detail in a moment; the commander's predictive environment, which teams our human effectiveness and information technology communities working on network-centric warfare applications; and Air Force-unique nanotechnology efforts in the areas of chemistry, electronics, and materials.

Fiscal constraints, operational demands, and ongoing peacekeeping operations and conflicts in such places as Afghanistan and Iraq continue to place a great burden on our people, our already stressed operational systems, and our supporting logistics. However, the Air Force is working to increase the S&T funding to ensure we maintain our technology options in support of future warfighting needs.

The Air Force fiscal year 2006 budget request for S&T is $1.98 billion. This includes $1.4 billion in core S&T efforts, which represents an increase of over $60 million, or almost 2.3 percent real growth compared to the President's budget request for a similar core amount of S&T investment in fiscal year 2005.

Also with an eye toward maintaining our long-term superior warfighting capability, this year's President's budget request includes $340 million in basic research funding, or about 18 percent of the Air Force's S&T budget. Included in this amount are university research initiatives and high-energy laser basic research programs that were transferred to Air Force S&T by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) the year before last. These efforts, along with additional high-energy laser programs that also transferred to the Air Force, continue to do well and receive oversight and policy guidance from the OSD while the Air Force works hard to ensure these programs support the diverse multiple military objectives inherent in joint activity.

In addition, the seismic research program for detection of nuclear explosions has been successfully integrated into core Air Force S&T programs. We continue to work with the OSD, the Air Force Technical Applications Center, the Army, and the Department of Energy to ensure the right level of investment in seismic research that will address the operational nuclear explosion monitoring needs of our country.

As the Air Force continues to transform to meet current and future security challenges, we must prepare for a broad spectrum of

capabilities that address three strategic contributions that air and space power provide: persistent C4ISR, global mobility, and rapid strike. All of this must be done, recognizing that we will, in most situations, be operating in a joint and often coalition environment. We work closely with the warfighter to anticipate new operational needs arising from changing national and world security environments and to develop and demonstrate S&T applications to rapidly mitigate irregular, catastrophic, and disruptive threats, as well as traditional threats.

Our prime example is the Air Force special tactics combat controller BAO kit that I mentioned earlier. Lighter batteries, hearing protection, and more efficient target designation are some of the examples of ongoing BAO kit technology enhancements.

The Battlefield Air Targeting Camera Autonomous Micro-air Vehicle (BATCAM), which I brought with me today-and I think you have all had a chance to look at-replaces the current unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system in the BAO kit with one that is 5 times smaller and 10 times lighter. It still provides covert reconnaissance. It is simple to operate, inexpensive enough to be expendable, and can provide real-time battle damage assessment. These new BAO kits provide a joint capability that will help save American lives and the lives of innocent civilians.

The Bombot robot, which I also brought with me today, provides a joint service capability to aggressively destroy explosive devices. The Air Force was selected to develop Bombot because of our experience and expertise in ground vehicle robotics. The effort resulted in the development of a very small, off-road, remote-controlled, reusable robot that has been deployed to Iraq for destruction of IEDs. The robot uses video feedback or line-of-sight RF to find IEDs, drop the explosive destruction charge and move to safety.

The First Response Expeditionary Fire Vehicle shown in the poster boards behind me today provides a lightweight air-droppable system for effective crash and rescue fire-fighting services starting on day one of deployments. This compact, lightweight system can be transported on military HMMWVs, Gators, or other small vehicles and can effectively extinguish two- and three-dimensional fires with one-fifth the firefighting agent.

As demonstrated in the laser eye protection display today, the Air Force continues its laser countermeasures effort designed to protect warfighters with multiple capabilities and approaches to address laser hazards and threats. These capabilities and approaches include technologies for training tactics, personnel protection, optical hardening, as well as technical data to established DOD policies and international treaties.

The Air Force is also developing technology to better prosecute the offensive portion of the global war on terrorism. The hardened surface target ordnance package (HardSTOP) is an airdrop munitions technology development focused on multi-story targets in urban terrain. HardSTOP is equipped with over 50 mini-penetration charges to allow it to hit targets within multiple-story buildings and soft bunker type targets. Additionally, HardSTOP provides low collateral damage with a precisely selectable explosion diameter of as little as 20 feet.

We are also engaged in other areas and are working to ensure that we transform, as we continue to integrate these expanding capabilities with those of other services and non-military elements of our national power. The technology upgrades to Global Hawk propulsion and power systems are an example of spiral development. Power extraction from the low-pressure turbine will triple the current onboard power capacity, which is currently 25 kilowatts to 75 kilowatts, as an integral starter generator will provide essential inflight engine restart capability, and low temperature fuel additives will decrease operations and maintenance costs associated with the current fuel mixtures.

In the area of world-class research, Air Force technologies continue to stand out, including directed energy activities at Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland, New Mexico, which is leading atmospheric compensation technology development for use in large ground-based telescopes to image satellites and propagate laser beams through the atmosphere.

Our Information Directorate's networked cyber operation tools research at Rome Research Site in Rome, New York, has also been cited with exemplar laboratory programs.

Finally, the Air Force S&E workforce, as you mentioned earlier in your opening remarks, is another area that we are meeting with great success. The Air Force is generating enough S&Es at the present time to sustain Air Force needs through its developmental education programs and various recruitment and retention initiatives. The Air Force is attracting the best and the brightest. We are getting graduates with 4.0 grade point averages, and many of our recruiting initiatives are aimed at attracting students into the Air Force S&E career field. We also have several education programs within our core basic research program that could enhance our S&E workforce, such as the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship program. The Air Force is committed to continuing to shape its S&E workforce with the vision to enhance excellence and relevance of S&E into the 21st century and appreciates the support Congress has already provided.

In conclusion, the Air Force is fully committed to providing this Nation with the advanced air and space technologies required to meet America's national security interests around the world and to ensure we remain on the cutting edge of systems performance, flexibility, and affordability.

The technological advantage we enjoy today is a legacy of decades of investment in S&T. However, in this post-Cold War world, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We are focusing our S&T program to meet the challenges of a new security environment. The global war on terrorism drives a different construct for Air Force S&T, and we are focusing our top talent and investing our funds on many efforts that address this war. Air Force core competencies in S&T enable solutions to meet these emerging threats. The Air Force S&T program continues to provide for the discovery, development, demonstration, and timely transition of affordable technologies that keep our Air Force the best in the world.

As an integral part of the DOD S&T team, we look forward to working with Congress to ensure a strong Air Force S&T program tailored to achieve our vision of a superior air and space force that

can identify and defeat both traditional and global war on terrorism targets.

Mr. Chairman, thank you again for the opportunity to present testimony and thank you for your continued support of the Air Force S&T program.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Engle follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT BY JAMES B. ENGLE

INTRODUCTION

Mr. Chairman, members of the subcommittee, and staff, I very much appreciate the opportunity to provide testimony on the fiscal year 2006 Air Force science and technology (S&T) program. The United States Air Force continues to transform to a capabilities-focused Expeditionary Air and Space Force based on the concepts of operations (CONOPs) for each of the seven major tasks the Air Force must be capable of accomplishing to support our combatant commanders. The Air Force is focused on delivering the ability to effectively and affordably train, organize, and equip our military forces. The Air Force Integration Capabilities Review and Risk Assessment (I-CRRA) master planning process encompasses the effects and capabilities required by the seven CONOPS. This master planning process is key to ensuring we have a high correlation between our S&T programs and the warfighting capabilities required by these CONOPS. In fact, in the fiscal year 2006 President's budget request, the Air Force reprioritized approximately $500 million of its S&T program to address capability needs identified in the master planning process.

The United States Air Force is committed to defending America by unleashing the power of S&T. Our S&T program enables us to achieve our vision of becoming an integrated Air and Space Force capable of rapid and decisive global engagement. The Air Force S&T program is aggressively pursuing high payoff technologies and is focused on current and future warfighting capabilities to address not only traditional threats, but also the global war on terrorism. The Air Force is focusing on technologies to meet the capability needs of the combatant commanders. Many of these technologies could be applicable to a number of different joint uses and the Air Force actively pursues joint programs and sharing of technology with the Services, Defense Agencies, Homeland Security, and others.

A broad foundation of basic, applied, and advanced technology S&T investment enables our scientists and engineers (S&Es) the freedom to innovate and is the key to ensuring the Air Force will meet the challenges of tomorrow. The output of this broad base of science investments provides our leadership the opportunities to respond quickly to a rapidly changing world. A key example of this flexibility is our rapid response to the global war on terrorism with technologies to help defend against both traditional and asymmetrical threats. We are able to deal with the uncertainty of tomorrow because of our broad investment in S&T today-an investment geared towards winning decisively, protecting our forces, and minimizing collateral damage at anytime and any place in the world.

S&T BUDGET/SENIOR LEADERSHIP INVOLVEMENT

Fiscal constraints, operational demands, and ongoing peacekeeping operations and conflicts in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq, continue to place a great burden on our people, our already stressed operational systems, and our supporting logistics. However, the Air Force is working to increase S&T funding to ensure we maintain our technology options in support of future warfighting needs. The Air Force fiscal year 2006 budget request for S&T is $1.98 billion-this includes $1.4 billion in "core" S&T efforts, which represents an increase of over $60 million or almost 2.3 percent real growth compared to the requested amount for similar "core" S&T efforts in fiscal year 2005. An additional $77.8 million in Joint Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle funding was added to the S&T program in fiscal year 2006 only.

Of the programs that were transferred to Air Force S&T the year before last, all continue to do well. The University Research Initiative program plus the High Energy Laser programs, which were devolved to the Air Force by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), continue to receive oversight and policy guidance from the OSD, while the Air Force works hard to ensure these programs support the diverse multiple military objectives inherent in joint programs. In addition, the Seismic Research Program for detection of nuclear explosions has been successfully integrated into the core Air Force S&T program. We continue to work with the OSD, the Air Force Technical Applications Center, the Army, and the Department of Energy to