Plan for vital defense technologies issued

Efforts are moving on at least three fronts toward formulating a national technology policy. For example, a report released last week describes plans for developing 20 technologies rated by the Department of Defense as the "most critical to ensuring the long-term qualitative superiority of U.S. weapon systems." Under a Congressional mandate, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy is forming a National Critical Technologies Panel. This high-level panel will prepare by late fall the first of a series of biennial studies of up to 30 crucial defense and civilian technologies. Moreover, OSTP will soon issue a first, broad overview of technology policy. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department is expected shortly to issue a report on critical technologies. DOD's 272-page report is the second annual Critical Technologies Plan it has prepared (C&EN, April 3, 1989, page 24). Concerned that the U.S. is losing its technological edge, Congress has mandated in the past two defense authorization ...