Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-29
Space Control
Next AT Aim,
White Asserts
Chief Of Stuff Tells
OfThree Actions
To Win CopobiIity

The Chief Of Staff of the
Air Force said today that the
next step for his arm Of the
military service is to achieve
the "capability to control
space"
Gen. Thomas D. White told
a National Press Club luncheon
that "in the future whoever
has the capability to control
space will likewise possess the
capability to exert control of
the surface of the earth"
Gen. White said that as first
steps in Americas drive to con-
troll space. the Air Force has
done these three things:
Il. Transferred the first mis-
sile division to the Strategic
Air Command.
20. Transferred the response
bility for the initial operational
capability phase of both the
ICBM and IRBM programs to
the Strategic Air Command.
80. Directed the entire re-
sources of the joint Air Force
depot at San Bernardino, Calf.
to be made available as required
to support this effort"
Issues Warning
The Air Force chief cautioned
against the Nations putting all
its eggs in a basket labeled
defense.
I'VE believe that our possess
sion of strong offensive power
will make an enemy reluctant
to. attack" Gen. White said.
"The Maginot Line philosophy
and Goering's claim that no
allied bomber would reach Ber-
lin are examples of the danger
of excessive confidence in the
defense.
Gen. White emphasized that
defenses must be made strong,
but with enough money, eff
fort and talent, we can MAIN
tain the flrst-rate offensive
power that will make an enemy
fear to strike"
The Nations No. / airman
told his audience Of about $50
newsmen and guests that his
service did not aspire to a mo-
nopoly in the missile field.
Since missiles are becoming
more important to the national
security" he said, ut is logical
that all military services should
share an interest in the develop
ment and use of missiles. How
ever. it is important to note
the differences in interest
clearly because there are
marked differences that show
UP in mission requirements
and in the matter of system
completeness.
"The point ! want to make is
that in the context of the Air
Forces missions and combat
technology, manned aircraft,
unnamed systems and man
ned spacecraft join together in
compatible and complementary
roles to form a functionally
complete system"
Gen. White dealt at some
length with the Air Forces re-
cent probings into the lower
fringes Of space. He cited the
rocket research plane X-2 as
an early example and the Kills
as a more recent type of ex-
perimental Spacecraft.
Cites Integrated System
II think 1t is interesting to
point out that in the develop
ment of this spacecraft, the air
frame, the power plant, the
cockpit and the pilot compose
an integrated system" Gen.
White said. "A special pres
sure suit has been designed for
use in conjunction with the
Kills"
The Kills spacesuit was
brought to the National Press
Club ballroom by the Air Force
and was shown to the audience.
Gen. White defined the three
primary combat missions of
his branch of the service as
ito maintain a strong. long
range striking force, to conduct
the air defense of the United
States and to provide and
operate practical air forces
wherever they may be needed"
He estimated Americas pres
ent capabilities in each Of these
fields as reasonably adequate,
particularly as far as the Of
fense is concerned"