Air Force's Top Scientist Focused On Scramjets, Lasers.

Air Force's Top Scientist Focused on Scramjets, Lasers.

The Los Angeles Times (3/26, Barnes) reports on Werner J.A. Dahm, "the chief scientist for the Air Force," whose "job is to separate promising ideas from the stuff of 'Star Trek.' He advises generals in an era of tightening research and development budgets which scientific innovations are worth pursuing -- or not." Among the new technologies he is investigating are "miniature drones that coordinate attacks, hypersonic flight and, one of the more promising at the moment, the laser beam." Dahm has held his post "since October 2008. If tradition holds, he probably will serve for two to three years." Dahm is an advocate of the scramjet, and Dahm's "role is to explain to skeptical Air Force generals what it can do. The practical application -- at least initially -- is to create the world's fastest cruise missile" travelling "at more than 5,000 mph." Another focus is the development of laser weapons that could eliminate deaths of innocents that result from even very small explosives.