The Air Force is on the verge of a technical revolution that will allow it to fight future wars almost simultaneously across the entire spectrum of enemy capabilities, outgoing Air Force Secretary Sheila E. Widnall said.

Widnall told delegates to the Air Force Association's 1997 National Convention and Aerospace Technology Exposition that the nation "holds within its grasp the ability to prosecute warfare in parallel fashion." She described the concept as the ability to "to hold -- with near simultaneity -- all our adversaries' target classes at risk."

The secretary reiterated her belief that the Air Force is moving toward becoming a "Space and Air Force," pointing out that "we have 250 percent more satellites in orbit today than during the Cold War." Widnall added that "in the realm of space assets, we can all point with pride to the Space-Based Infrared System and Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle as two examples of how we're improving our space launch and detection capabilities, and we're doing it well ahead of schedule."

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart reviewed 50 years of Air Force milestones during a keynote address to convention delegates. Early on, he evoked the moment in 1947 when President Harry Truman, seated on the plane the Sacred Cow, looked up at the crew after signing the act forming the Department of Defense and the Air Force and said, "Gentlemen, we now have an independent Air Force."

Eberhart also strongly endorsed the establishment of an Air Force Memorial that will commemorate the service of airmen, past, present and future. He reminded the delegates of the sacrifice of Lt. Thomas Selfridge, who 89 years ago lost his life on the Fort Myer, Va., parade ground -- which is close to the approved site of the Air Force Memorial.

Eberhart underlined such sacrifice with an example straight out of today's front pages: the airmen who lost their lives in a C-141 crash off the west coast of Africa last weekend. All airmen who've lost their lives in service of the nation, Eberhart said, "knew what the

consequences might be, that it's a dangerous business, that they may lose their lives as they performed that duty."

The vice chief of staff said that such selfless service is why the dedication of the memorial site "is so very, very important."

The dedication of the Air Force Memorial site is being held on schedule at noon Thursday following a U.S. District Court judge's Wednesday rejection of a temporary restraining order aimed at blocking the project.