The U.S. Army has published its 2011 Weapon Systems handbook, a catalog of current weapon programs that are in various phases of the acquisition process. A copy was obtained by Secrecy News. Many of the programs are mature and familiar; others are less so. In each case, the program’s purpose and status are described, contractors involved in production are identified, and countries that have acquired the weapon system through foreign military sales programs are listed.
Gilman Louie, Longest Serving Board Chair of the Federation of American Scientists, Named Chair Emeritus
The proposed Office will resurrect the long-closed Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), the archive of which has been maintained by FAS for decades at https://ota.fas.org/.
If Congress needs help understanding the risks and rewards of a piece of technology, they shouldn’t have to rely solely on the sparknotes from a salesman. The rub is much simpler: Congress needs nerds.
If we set up the new OTA to do its job well, members will see it as the first stop to see what issues are lurking around the corner. They will bring their questions early. And they will keep coming back for more.