What are the emerging fundamental characteristics of Air Force systems?
(3) What forms of utilization are most appropriate to systems with these characteristics? (4) What are the organizational implications of the emerging force structure? 1. Do we need an independent Air Force? That we may not need independence is suggested by duplication of equipment and roles among the services, the increasingly evident convergence of weapons toward a common electronic character, the tendency to think and exercise in joint-force packages, budgetary pressures, and a tantalizing element of common sense. The requirement for an independent Air Force, however, is sustained by more fundamental arguments. In one sense, the environmental consideration is crucial. Somewhere, under some name, there must be a team of thinkers, managers, and operators steeped in the air environment who understand the risks and returns from great speed, distance, and height from the surface of the earth to the depths of space with a sensory and intelligent appreciation for the aerospace experience.
