Arlington, VA, September 15, 1997 -- Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen called upon the Air Force to continue its efforts to develop a revolutionary 21st-century force that can complement its modern weaponry with a far-reaching ability to "see" and dominate future battlefields.

Cohen also expressed thanks to Maj. Bryan Knight, the pilot of the F-117 jet that crashed at a Baltimore air show Sunday, whose "courage and confidence helped avert a much larger disaster." And he extended "our heartfelt gratitude and sorrow" to families of the air crew apparently lost in a mid-air collision over the weekend off the coast of Africa.

The U.S. military, Cohen told delegates to the Air Force Association's 1997 National Convention and Aerospace Technology Exposition, is on the cusp of another "revolution in military affairs" --"one of those rare times when a combination of new technology, new tactics, new doctrine, combine into a form of warfare that is truly different in kind and in degree from what came before." It will integrate "the laptop, the microchip, the microwave, the videocam, the satellite, and the sensor," he said.

By integrating these new capabilities into a "joint" system all four service branches can share, Cohen said the U.S. military will gain "total battle space awareness"-- the ability to "see" the entire battlefield, attack the enemy at its weakest points, and minimize casualties.

To realize this vision, Cohen said, "we're going to need the so-called leap-ahead technologies" like the F-22 Raptor, which took its first flight last week. "The Raptor, together with platforms such as the B-2, Joint Strike Fighter, and Airborne Laser . . . will combine to allow us not only to defend our own air space but to dominate the other side's entire battle space."

Cohen also touted the work of the six Air Force "battle labs," where researchers are working "not only to identify innovative technologies, but mainly to find out how we can best take advantage of them."

"We have to dare to experiment, and to be ready to switch courses, based on whatever we discover," Cohen said. "The technology, the weapon, the doctrine that looks like the sure-fire path to the future today might be overtaken or even obsolete five, 10, even 15 years from now as this revolution continues to unfold."

But, Cohen added, any examination of a future Air Force must include an appreciation of its people, not just its technologies. "Airplanes depreciate. They become obsolete over a period of time," he said. "It's just the opposite for our pilots and airmen, who gain in value over a period of time."

"That's why I fully support the Air Force's efforts to keep good pilots from leaving too soon," Cohen said, ticking off efforts to increase pay and bonuses, slow the pace of operations, and place greater emphasis on quality of life issues.

"What's important is letting our people know that we care about their families, letting their families know that we care about them, that we respect them, value them, and truly care about their future in the Air Force," Cohen said.

Looking to the Air Force's 50^th anniversary, which will be celebrated on Sept. 18, Cohen said "America is reflecting upon the enormous debt that our nation owes to the Air Force for five decades of courage and service."