J. R. KILLIAN, JR. 



practice is not limited to military technology. Most modern 

 weapons, even in their simplest form, must be enormously com- 

 plex; but we need to resist the temptation to add to this com- 

 plexity through a prodigal use of our technological resources. 

 It frequently proves that in an "all out" effort to develop a 

 given weapons system, we tend to multiply the requirements on 

 the system, thereby adding to its complexity and to the time 

 and cost required for development. As one of my associates 

 recently remarked, we have become in too many instances 

 "technology happy," too much preoccupied with technological 

 spit and polish, too little concerned with disciplined, tough- 

 minded design and control, and have aiven too little attention 

 to simplicity, operational practicality and reliability, and early 

 completion. 



There is also today a tendency to let the spectacular aspects 

 of some kinds of technology lead us to give undue attention to 

 those things which are glamorous, at the expense of those things 

 which are important and badly needed. As we push ahead 

 with the military uses of outer space and the advanced tech- 

 nology of space science and exploration, as indeed we are and 

 must, and as we pursue glamorous technological objectives in 

 other fields, let us not forget that we have vitally important, if 

 less spectacular, programs in military technology and in science 

 that must not be downgraded in the emphasis we give them and 

 in the top-flight manpower we assign to them. 



I do not imply that we should be any less bold or audacious, 

 any less far-reaching and creative in our technology- I do sug- 

 gest that we have problems of common-sense priority and fund- 

 ing and use of scientists and engineers which require disci- 

 plined judgment in our planning and in establishing require- 

 ments. Research, especially applied research, can help provide 

 the critical analysis necessary to define meaningful priorities. 



One of the rarest types of managerial talent today is that 



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