Technology Development: New DOD Space Science and Technology Strategy Provides Basis for Optimizing Investments, but Future Versions Need to Be More Robust

In response to this recommendation, the Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) and the DOD Executive Agent for Space are holding summit reviews of space S&T investments, which includes participation from acquisition organizations, DOD, and intelligence community organizations. In addition, the DDR&E Director, serving in the role of the Department's Chief Technology Officer, has expanded its outreach to the Combatant Commands (COCOMs) and the intelligence community. Specifically, it worked closely with the COCOMs through the Joint Staff Joint Functional Capability Boards to develop the 2006 Joint Warfighting S&T Plan (JWSTP). DDR&E is a formal member of the S&T Intelligence Committee, a National Intelligence Council Working Group, with representation from across the intelligence community. DDR&E also continues to interact and collaborate with federal, state and local governments. DDR&E, in conjunction with other partners (e.g. Department of Homeland Security), formed an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) called the Homeland Security/Homeland Defense Command and Control. This ACTD links DOD capabilities (e.g. Northern Command) with civilian authorities to address important communication and command operational picture challenges for federal, state and local communities.

DOD officials have reported to GAO that they plan to link the space S&T strategy to architectural development efforts, including those within the office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering and the National Security Space Office. The DOD Joint Warfighting Science and Technology Plan (JWSTP) was revised and issued in January 2006. The JWSTP looks across the applied research and advanced technology development plans of the services and defense agencies. Its objective is to help ensure that the S&T program supports priority future joint warfighting capabilities as determined by the Functional Capabilities Boards, which ensure sufficient support for each Joint Functional Concept. The JWSTP, together with the Defense Technology Area Plan and the Basic Research Plan, help ensure that the near-, mid-, and long-term needs of the joint warfighter are properly balanced and supported in the S&T planning, programming, budgeting, and assessment activities of DOD. The Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) has also expanded the inputs to its S&T decision-making process to include capturing more information about global S&T activity, increased formal and informal inputs from the Combatant Commands (COCOMs), more interaction with the interagency processes, and an expanded comprehensive review process with the Services and Defense Agencies. In May 2007, DOD updated its Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS). The prioritized joint warfighting capabilities identified through the JCIDS process should serve to inform the S&T community and focus the developmental efforts of the community as specified in the JWSTP. Applying the linkages will allow the National Security Space Office to align future technology requirements in the architectures.

DOD has begun to establish metrics to monitor the level of effort, progress, and technology readiness to ensure that the goals outlined in the space S&T strategy are being met. Portions of the Next Generation Launch Capability roadmap were provided during a Space S&T Summit meeting to demonstrate specific system performance metrics and component technology maturity levels incorporated as an integral part of the roadmap process. These roadmaps are expected to be periodically updated and revised once NASA has completed the restructuring of its programs to implement the President's Space Exploration Vision. The Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) has also modified the S&T review process to a Comprehensive S&T Review process to better rationalize the program with the strategic direction of the Department and identify additional gaps or emphasis areas.

In responding to GAO's report, DOD identified several recent internal initiatives aimed at addressing the barriers GAO identified. These include (1) enhancements to the Major Force Program, which is designed to increase funding visibility and most recently included a DARPA space unique PE for space projects; (2) the DT&E Facilities Database and S&T Space Flight Opportunities Survey, which are designed to address the need for improving testing resources; and (3) larger "DOD manpower efforts" which are partially focused on space S&T workforce issues. The Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) has also modified the S&T review process to a Comprehensive S&T Review process to better rationalize the program with the strategic direction of the Department and identify additional gaps or emphasis areas, and has expanded the inputs to the S&T decision-making process to include capturing more information about global S&T activity, increased formal and informal inputs from the Combatant Commands (COCOMs), and more interaction with the interagency processes. During the past several years, DOD has been engaged in several activities to help understand and characterize the national security science and engineering workforce situation within the DOD and outside, to include interagency forums (e.g. National Security R&D Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council), industry (e.g. National Defense Industrial Association and Aerospace Industry Association studies and workshops), and national competitiveness forums (e.g. National Innovation Initiative). The DOD also has in place the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) defense scholarship program, mandated by Congress. A 2006 amendment to SMART further enables the development of DOD's future workforce by establishing a permanent program to include efforts to increase development, recruitment, and retention of individuals with physical science disciplines critical to DOD and expanding the number of academic degrees covered by the program.