James Dodd, VP of Boeing’s advanced military aircraft, said the company is concentrating its research and development money in seven areas. They are data fusion, electronic warfare and cyber capabilities, precision navigation, directed energy, multiple autonomous vehicle operations, hypersonics, and alternative propulsion and storage. Speaking during an industrial base panel discussion Tuesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference, Dodd said the government can help keep private aerospace capabilities alive by reforming export controls, reducing requirements, keeping science and technology funded, and “keeping the lines of communication open.” What he called “transparency”—government and industry understanding each other and making things clear about what they want and what can be done—is key, he said.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.