 The mission of the Air Force Systems Command is to research, develop, test, evaluate, procure, and produce new materials and systems in support of aerospace power. Systems must be of superior quality, yet be affordable and maintainable, and above all more than equal to the systems of a potential enemy. The first Air Force aircraft to be developed specifically for the close air support role in a combat zone. It can loiter in a combat area for almost two hours and still return to a base 250 miles away. The A-10 can operate on 2,000 foot runways close to the battle area to improve its response to combat conditions. It's also designed for rapid turnaround between missions and sustained operations over a long period of time. Its cruising speed is 340 miles per hour for low altitude and low airspeed operation where faster aircraft are less effective. This twin-engine single-seat aircraft can carry up to 8 tons of mixed ordnance, including conventional bombs and air-to-surface missiles such as the Maverick. Its unique armament, however, is the 30-millimeter gattling gun which can fire 2,000 or 4,000 rounds per minute. This gun can defeat heavily armored tanks in a single strafing pass. For survivability, the A-10 combines a backup flight control system and self-sealing fuel tanks with protective armor enclosing the cockpit area. The armor protects the pilot from both high explosives and 23-millimeter armor-piercing projectiles. The A-10 has advanced avionics, including a head-up display unit which couples a visual presentation of both combat and flight information with target identification and fire control equipment. The Tactical Air Command received the first A-10 in March of 1976, and eventually over 700 aircraft will be in service. Dane is a large radar system on Shemya Island, one of the most remote points in the Aleutian Island chain. This phased array radar is 100 feet high and 96 feet across. Its face contains 34,000 elements that can transmit and receive signals. Primarily, this radar gathers intelligence information from Soviet ballistic missile flights. In addition, it provides object warning and tracking in the event of a general missile attack. The Cobra Dane system is operated by the Aerospace Defense Command. The GBU-15 is a modular glide weapon designed to destroy targets day or night and in adverse weather. The planar wing version is launched from high altitudes and the cruciform wing weapon from low altitudes. The baseline kit common to both configurations includes the control module, warhead adapter, and television guidance module. Unitions carried on both include the Mark 84 2000-pound general-purpose bomb and the Su-54 dispenser for cluster munitions. Guidance options include TV data link, imaging infrared and distance measuring equipment. The planar wing design is effective for high-altitude long-range attack. The B-52 launches the weapon, initiates mid-course corrections, and directs it into a target with extreme accuracy. For low-level short-range attack, the cruciform wing weapon is launched from fighter aircraft. This design is highly maneuverable for mid-course corrections at close range, improving accuracy against ground targets. At low altitudes, the TV guidance system is effective against targets such as missile sites, ground vehicles, and ships. Further development will produce a family of modular glide weapons for use in high threat areas. While the Minuteman program has been continually improved to increase range, accuracy, and reliability, the Air Force is concerned about improving the survivability of the land-based ICBM force. To fulfill future ICBM requirements, the Air Force has initiated the MX program. Two major tasks are underway, the study and selection of mobile basing options, and the definition of a new and larger ICBM. Two mobile basing options have been selected for more detailed evaluation, the shelter system and the trench system. The trench concept includes a network of underground trenches that would provide no specific aim point data for enemy missiles. The trench would be strong enough to resist blast pressures, yet still allow breakout for missile launches from unmanned vehicles. The shelter concept involves a random switching of missiles between hardened shelters on mobile transport systems. It would force an enemy to execute a complex and difficult attack to destroy each sheltered missile. The missile design itself would result in larger payloads, improved efficiency, and increased accuracy over the Minuteman III. Current hardware validation is in progress to reduce technological risks and provide reliable development cost estimates. Systems Command has been looking at future transport aircraft for battlefield support operations from short, unprepared forward landing strips. Two prototypes were considered. The YC-14 prototype maximizes its lift capability by mounting two engines above and forward of the wing's leading edges. This forces engine exhaust over the upper surface to improve the wing's lift characteristics. This design also reduces the aircraft's infrared image to ground-based detectors. Additionally, the high-engine position lessens the chance of foreign object damage during operations on unimproved surfaces. Another prototype, the 4-engine YC-15, is more conventional in design, relying on large flaps through which engine exhaust is blown for increased lift. A special flight control augmentation system improves handling at cruise speeds and aids low-speed approach and landing performance. The YC-15 has a landing gear system designed to distribute aircraft weight over a relatively large area. This improves performance in both normal and unimproved landing surfaces. Both designs include an improved rear-loading ramp, a high tea-tail for stability, and a wider fuselage for increased cargo capacity. Both designs must be capable of airlifting over 25 tons of cargo from conventional runways and at least 19 tons from 2,000-foot dirt strips. Additional design goals require a 400-mile radius of action with a ferry range of 2,600 miles. Both prototypes cruise at speeds just under 500 miles per hour, yet can successfully maneuver at approach speeds as low as 95 miles per hour. The F-16 is a lightweight fighter aircraft designed to complement the more sophisticated F-15 in the air superiority role and supplement other aircraft in the ground support role. It combines proven system components with advanced engineering technology to achieve a modern yet low-cost fighter aircraft. Non-metallic materials are used in certain structures to decrease weight. Borrowed from the space program, a fly-by-wire flight control system improves flight performance and contributes to maneuverability. A 30-degree recline cockpit seat reduces the effect of high G-forces on the pilot. Automatically variable wing leading edges are used to improve lift, directional stability, and buffet characteristics. Other features include a control stick located at one side in a single-piece bubbled canopy giving the pilot much better visibility from the cockpit. The F-16's weapons include a 20-millimeter multi-barrel cannon and heat-seeking missiles mounted on each wing tip. Both are coupled to a head-up display unit which shows flight information as well as combat information for acquisition and tracking of air and ground targets. Five tons of various air-to-ground weapons can be carried on wing stations. The F-16 uses the same advanced technology engine as the F-15. This simplifies logistics and it's more cost-effective. This improved engine produces more power per pound of engine weight than the best previous fighter engine. It allows a maximum speed of over Mach 2 and a radius of action of over 500 miles. The F-16 was selected by several NATO countries for their air forces. Through a multinational consortium, these countries and the United States will co-produce the F-16s to be used by them. Combining advanced aeronautical designs and proven electronic components, the F-16 offers a high performance and cost-effective addition to the tactical fighter force. The global positioning system will be a worldwide network of satellites transmitting precise, jam-resistant navigational signals. These signals could be deciphered by special receivers to determine longitude, latitude, altitude, speed and time. 24 satellites will orbit the Earth every 12 hours to provide highly accurate and continuous global coverage to the Army, Marines, Air Force and the Navy. With this system, a ship could determine its precise position on any ocean in the world within 30 feet. A tank unit could accurately determine local time for a coordinated attack. Additional applications include precise weapons delivery during and climate weather, proved approaches and poor visibility, accurate aerial refueling rendezvous and more efficient search and rescue operations. Monitor stations around the world would continually gather the satellite signals. During the 1980s, the NAVSTAR system will provide an accurate, cost-effective global positioning capability. It provides the National Command Authority and Strategic Air Command with a highly survivable airborne command post to replace the EC-135. The E-4 with its advanced equipment offers more effective supervision of strategic forces during a general war. It includes many improved features such as nuclear hardening, an advanced technical control facility, satellite communications equipment and a larger battle staff capacity. Able to carry nearly three times the equipment of the EC-135, the E-4 also has an increased flight endurance of 12 hours. This could be further extended by air-to-air refueling. The E-4s serve as intermediate national emergency airborne command posts. The Air Force was selected as the executive agent for the Department of Defense in all NASA space transportation system activities. This includes a space shuttle vehicle to be launched into orbit for space missions during the 1980s and beyond. The Air Force is developing the interim upper-stage propulsion system and preparing launch and recovery facilities at both Vandenberg Air Force Base, California and at the Eastern Test Range in Florida. Based on NASA estimates, the Air Force confirms overall cost reductions for DOD space missions while improving future operational capabilities. The space shuttle will deliver greater payloads at a lower cost per flight than present launch systems. After delivering satellites to orbiting positions, the shuttle could make maintenance visits and eventually retrieve satellites, returning to Earth with up to 16 tons of payload. As part of the testing program, the shuttle was mated to a 747 for tests, evaluating the vehicle's flight characteristics. After its mission, the shuttle will glide back and land on a 15,000-foot runway, much like conventional aircraft. It could perform more than 100 missions during its lifespan. The shuttle will become a valuable asset for NASA space operations and the Department of Defense. A modified 707 is the basis for the E3A Airborne Warning and Control System. It serves as a command and control center in both tactical and air defense roles. The E3A's sophisticated electronic equipment can detect, identify and monitor the interception of opposing forces during a conventional war. Its unique radar looks down on a large geographic area from 30,000 feet and detects targets without losing them in ground clutter. At 250 miles, the E3A can spot fighters at low altitudes, regardless of terrain or weather. The E3A incorporates a tactical air control system to monitor and direct encounters with enemy aircraft. Computer display screens indicate detailed information on the progress of all aircraft to provide the mission controllers with a display of battle conditions. More flexible than land-based radars, the E3A greatly improves the capability to manage an airspace. The F-15 is a new advanced fighter aircraft capable of gaining and maintaining air superiority against enemy fighters in all types of aerial combat. It's designed specifically to secure the airspace over a battle area to allow tactical missions to operate without the threat of air attack. The F-15 is the first U.S. fighter aircraft whose engines produce thrust greater than the weight of the loaded aircraft. It has even exceeded the speed of sound in a vertical climb. These engines, together with an efficient wing design, allow the F-15 to maneuver very tightly without losing airspeed. This is critical in a medium or low altitude encounter with enemy aircraft. This twin-engine fighter has a fuel capacity for a 500-mile combat radius and can use a variety of aerial weapons. The F-15 has been tested against a modified F5E to compare its combat capability with existing fighters. The F-15 consistently maintained a combat advantage. The sophisticated avionics systems in the F-15 greatly enhance its combat effectiveness. Its versatile radar permits target detection and tracking from point-black range to beyond visual contact. It can also distinguish targets below the aircraft in spite of ground clutter. The head-up display unit shows separate information for each weapon system as well as flight information to assist the pilot during combat. Against aircraft like the F-4, the F-15 has achieved an overwhelming win record during combat maneuvering tests. The F-15 can use all the classical maneuvers and use them in a greater variety of situations than any previous aircraft. The F-15's outstanding performance in all types of weather, day or night during complex combat conditions enhances U.S. air superiority into the 1980s and beyond. These are some of the highlights of the Air Force Systems Command Research Development Test Evaluation Procurement and Production in 1977. Only through vigorous and progressive programs can we maintain the edge in aerospace power.