December 19, 2003
Colloquium Topic: Future Strategic Strike Forces
The office of the Secretary of Defense recently tasked the Defense Science Board to examine the nation's future strategic strike forces in light of the fact that "the Strategic Environment facing the U.S. is substantially changed . We need to assure we evolve long-range strike forces and concepts by application of technology for non-nuclear weapon systems, communications, planning systems and intelligence, as well as integration of strategic forces with active defenses as part of a new triad." The Board was asked to (a) assess systems life of current long-range nuclear forces and future needs for nuclear strike forces, and (b) identify promising non-nuclear, long-range systems and new concepts and approaches for strategic nuclear and non-nuclear forces. The presentation will discuss the study's findings and recommendations, which are relevant to a number of the Laboratory's Business Areas.
Colloquium Speaker: ADM Dennis C. Blair
Admiral Dennis C. Blair, USN (ret), is President of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA). He was Senior Fellow from October 1, 2002 to November 3, 2003 when he became IDA's President. He is the former Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command. As the senior U.S. military commander in the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas from February 1999 to May 2002, he led the largest of the unified commands and directed Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force operations across more than 100 million square miles. During his 34-year Navy career, Admiral Blair served at sea on guided missile destroyers. He commanded USS Cochrane (DDG-15), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. He also commanded Naval Station Pearl Harbor and the USS Kitty Hawk Battlegroup. Ashore, Admiral Blair served in budget and policy positions on several major Navy staffs, the Joint Staff, and the National Security Council staff. He was also the first Associate Director of Central Intelligence for Military Support. A 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Admiral Blair earned a master's degree in History and Languages from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and served as a White House Fellow at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Admiral Blair has been awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal four times, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal twice, and has received decorations from the governments of Japan, Thailand, Korea and Australia. Admiral Blair was co-chair of the recent Defense Science Board study of Future Strategic Strike Forces.