The Control of Military Electronics Manufacturing Technology.

The loss or erosion of out technological leadership is a subject of growing national concern. This essay concentrates on the most critical aspect of technology transfer, i.e., the transfer of military electronics manufacturing technology. The policies and practices associated with the control of this technology are examined for consistency with national objectives. While the methodology utilized to staff license applications under the case-by-case method was found to be satisfactory as was the technical backup available to the decision makers, the overall policy is ambiguous. Furthermore, there is no mechanism for making a long term economic impact analysis of the aggregate transfer. The creation of a Defense Industrial Production Group is recommended to accomplish this task. In recognition of the limited ability to protect technology in a free society, recommendations are furnished for enhancing our research and development process.