The Airways Modernization Board is proposed as an interim organization to establish a point of responsibility for system development and selection. At present, this kind of activity is scattered throughout the two principal agencies. This bill is proposed in order to consolidate this activity and to initiate the joint test and evaluaion work which is so urgently needed if this country is to avoid an increase in delay and hazard to air traffic.

The functions which the Board will perform are entirely in consonance with the considerations being given to a broader change in Federal Government organization for aviation matters. In my final report, I intend to cover the broader plan. However, it is now clear that much more thorough examinations needs to be undertaken in order to achieve a durable permanent organization. To recommend such in final form too quickly might result in improvisations which would complicate or delay the expected action necessary to accommodate the civil and military needs of aviation in the future.

Consequently, the Airways Modernization Board is proposed as the most expeditious and effective way to commence the long-range improvement of our air traffic system. Its tenure of 3 years is proposed as sufficient to establish the permanent functions of joint test, evaluation, and selection of air traffic systems. This period of time likewise will permit the executive branch to plan further organizational adjustments into which the functions of this new Board will logically fit.

Respectfully submitted.

EDWARD P. CURTIS.

Senator MONRONEY. During the temporary absence of the chairman he has asked me to preside, and go forward with General Curtis' testimony.

Do you have a prepared statement?

Mr. CURTIS. Yes, sir, I have.

And I would like very much, with your permission, to read it. Senator MONRONEY. Fine. We appreciate very much your being here, and all the work that you have given to this Government and the cause of aviation in making this study. Some of us have some doubts about parts of the report, but none as to your ability, competence, and eagerness to try to solve this pressing problem that is on us today.

STATEMENT OF EDWARD P. CURTIS, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR AVIATION FACILITIES PLANNING

Mr. CURTIS. Thank you, Senator. I appreciate very much the opportunity to appear before this committee, and to discuss the Airways Modernization Board.

During the past year at the request of the President I have made an extensive study of our aviation facilities with particular attention. to air traffic controls and navigation systems including airports in the United States.

The facts developed with the excellent cooperation of the Departments of Defense and Commerce and the aviation industry have confirmed the alarm concerning our aviation facilities which has been voiced in the past by Members of Congress and by many others. The system for handling air traffic is now inadequate and must be greatly improved to meet present needs. Even more energetic measures will be required to keep pace with future developments and demands.

My studies on the growth of aviation between 1957 and 1975 indicate a startling rate of expansion. These figures set forth starkly the grave task which faces us.

In 1946 only 6 billion passenger-miles were flown in the United States by the airlines alone. By 1975, this figure will be approximately 70 billion.

Likewise, the present 61,000 private United States aircraft will exceed 100,000 by 1975. We have recorded by radar techniques as many as 270 aircraft of all types flying within a 50-mile radius of the city of Los Angeles at one time. This is expected to grow to approximately 700 aircraft flying over that city simultaneously in 1975. The number of passengers carried by aircraft flying simultaneously in such a dense traffic situation will be in the thousands. New levels of safety are mandatory.

Two actions must be taken promptly to effect necessary improvements in air-traffic control. First, we must strengthen our present system by adding necessary facilities and increasing its efficiency so that greater capacity and safety can be obtained.

The Civil Aeronautics Administration now has a program intended to do just this. We must place present reliance on this program although we know that the existing system has important basic limitations.

Second, we must begin at once to determine the best practical approach to modernizing our present predominantly manual air trafficcontrol system by the fuller use of technology already available. We apply the most advanced techniques to the selection of computers, data processing devices, communications links between the aircraft and the ground, beacons, and other navigational devices, many of which are already under development.

The development and testing of systems and devices for air-traffic control, even when based on well-established discoveries and techniques, is a time-consuming process. It is imperative, therefore, that effective work be commenced immediately.

Precisely this urgency caused me to recommend to the President the creation of the Airways Modernization Board to carry out this function.

The Airways Modernization Board will be a temporary independent agency of the executive branch. It will consist of a chairman appointed by the President and representatives of the Departments of Commerce and Defense. This Board will be given as its primary function, the task of developing and selecting such systems, devices, and procedures as will best serve the civil and military needs for safe, efficient, air-traffic control. The Board will have its own personnel, its own funds, and its own facilities for developing and testing the devices and techniques which it has under investigation. The Board will, therefore, be equipped to do what the Federal Government has never before been prepared to accomplish effectively, namely, to carry out through a single agency, armed with statutory authority the entire task of bringing to the point of application modern and tested air traffic-control systems.

It is recognized that the Department of Commerce, which is charged with the installation, maintenance, and operation of air traffic-control facilities, and the Department of Defense, with its vast responsibility for military aviation each has a deep concern and interest in the systems developed by the Airways Modernization Board.

It was this consideration which led to the inclusion of representatives of these two departments on the Board. It is assumed that military personnel will take an active part in the work of developmental testing activities through the detail of qualified personnel.

Another feature of the Board is the provision for a chairman appointed by the President who will represent the broad public interest and who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the affairs of the Board. Through the Chairman and through the powers which S. 1856 proposes to place in the new agency the Airways Modernization Board will overcome the weaknesses of past approaches to the task of systems development. I refer particularly to the Air Navigation Development Board, a Commerce-Defense interagency committee which has for a number of years attempted with but limited success to achieve solutions to the many problems which will be within the province of the Modernization Board.

It has been proved by the experience of the Air Navigation Development Board, that a successful agency in this area must have specific statutory authority and the resources to do the job, including facilities for the actual testing of systems and equipment.

Furthermore, no agency consisting only of representatives of interested departments acting only by unanimous decision could be expected to resolve problems as complex and interrelated as those we are now attempting to solve.

The creation of the Airways Modernization Board will provide an action agency in the place of a coordinating committee.

Certain of the functions lodged in the Airways Modernization Board by S. 1856 are presently being performed by the Air Navigation Development Board, to which I have referred, and by the Departments of Commerce and Defense. It is recognized that some of these activities should be transferred to the Board to avoid duplication and to assure the most efficient performance of the development and testing functions. Because it is impossible at this time to specify precisely the functions and parts of functions, the personnel and facilities which should be transferred from existing agencies to the Board, the bill authorizes the Airways Modernization Board to transfer to itself certain functions of the Departments of Commerce and Defense.

These functions would relate primarily to the selection, development, testing, or evaluation of systems, and devices for safe and efficient air-traffic control and could be transferred only upon unanimous action of the Board with the President's approval. The requirement that such transfers be effected only by unanimous action guarantees that this authority will not be used to infringe upon other responsibilities and functions of the departments.

I should like to stress that no action can be taken under this bill to diminish the responsibility now lodged in the Department of Commerce for the installation, maintenance, and operation of facilities and equipment used in connection with the Federal airways system. The responsibilities of the Department of Defense for the operation of its aircraft and for the performance of traffic control functions now associated with military activities would also remain unaffected.

The bill would expressly except from its application those needs of military agencies which are peculiar to air welfare and primarily of military concern.

This committee may feel concerned lest systems and devices developed by the Board at Government expense remain neglected or unused by the agencies responsible for air traffic control operations. It is certainly true that the Board will not and should not be given the power to direct the installation of particular systems at particular

times. However, I cannot believe that systems developed, tested and evaluated in the manner contemplated by this bill and selected for use by a Board on which both the Departments of Commerce and Defense have representatives would fail of implementation by the operating agencies.

The fact that the Board will carry out its functions in the closest cooperation with representatives of all segments of aviation and with the representatives af all affected departments and agencies of the executive branch will give further assurance that the transition from selection to installation will be an orderly one, characterized by a high measure of acceptance and cooperation.

The CHAIRMAN. You heard me ask the Under Secretary about that feature of the bill.

Mr. CURTIS. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. I note what you say and that probably would be in

most cases correct.

But it would be possible for one of the departments that, say, voted against a system and the chairman and the other department voted for it, to be stubborn about it, and not put it in their budget and not ask for an appropriation to accomplish the purpose.

Mr. CURTIS. This is possible.

I think the best guaranty you have against that is that both departments are going to be in on the operation of this Board from the beginning.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

It probably wouldn't happen generally speaking, but it could be possible.

Mr. CURTIS. That is right, it is possible.

The CHAIRMAN. Because of the fact, as you point out, that you are not suggesting that this temporary 3-year Board have the directive to make it mandatory that this be done.

Mr. CURTIS. That is right.

The CHAIRMAN. Because they would have to test, Mr. Pyle would have to have those things tested out anyway, he would have to give it trial and error even after you recommended it.

Mr. CURTIS. Certainly. I don't believe that you should give this Board, which is set up to do specific research and development, operational responsibility. If you give it the authority to direct the CAA to do something, in effect, you will have given it the responsibility for the operation of CAA.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Senator SCHOEPPEL. I would like to ask the general this, Mr. Chairman. What would be the function of the President of the United States, the head of our Nation in this, if it wasn't to see that some of these differences on a practical basis should be resolved because these men are going to be appointed, and are members of the executive branch of Government.

Mr. CURTIS. Yes, sir.

Senator SCHOEPPEL. What evaluation do you put on that?

Mr. CURTIS. I put a very high evaluation on that. I think the Chairman obviously has to be an extremely competent citizen, the fact that he is appointed by the President, has access to the President, is the best guaranty that you are going to get that decisions that are needed will be made.

Senator SCHOEPPEL. In fact, that would pinpoint responsibility to the President if necessary; would it not?

Mr. CURTIS. Yes, sir.

Senator MONRONEY. That is just, again, what I am afraid of on this thing. There is no point short of the President's desk that a lot of these important decisions, purely technical, dealing with navigational facilities, can be, and have the authority for being, resolved.

And if these matters of adoption of different technical aids have to cross the President's desk for final decision, and there is not authority there to say "This is the decision, we are going to implement it, we are going to put it in force," I am afraid you are going to further complicate the already overwhelming task the President has in running this

country.

Mr. CURTIS. Senator, may I finish this statement because there is a point in here which bears exactly on what Senator Monroney is talking about.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. Go ahead and then we will come back to the question.

Mr. CURTIS. Yes, sir.

The possible cost to the Government of establishing the Airways Modernization Board and in carrying out the program authorized by the bill is naturally a matter of major concern to this committee and to the Congress. It is now estimated that the Board's expenditures during the 1958 fiscal year would be approximately $7 million. Of this amount at least $52 million will be transferrable from the Air Navigation Development Board, which is to be abolished upon enactment of this legislation. Although additional sums may be transferred from the Departments of Commerce and Defense it is not yet possible to determine precisely how much money will be involved. In later years, the expenditures of the Board will naturally increase as its full program gets underway. During the fiscal year 1960, it is anticipated that expenditures will remain below $30 million, of which the net additional cost will be a considerably smaller sum.

Thus, while it must be frankly stated that some additional cost will accrue to the Government from the enactment of this legislation, that cost will be modest and will be more than offset by the substantial savings to the public and to the Government from the systematic development and selection of a single system of aviation facilities serving both civil and military needs.

Senator SMATHERS. May I ask right there

Mr. CURTIS. Yes, sir.

Senator SMATHERS. You arrive at that conclusion, but are you supported in arriving at that conclusion by the fact that this Board has no actual final authority? You say it is going to be saved by the public and by the Government, "by the systematic development and selection of a single system of aviation facilities serving both civil and military needs."

That is what you hope to have done. But again, as the Senator from Oklahoma has pointed out, you have no authority to see that such a thing is done, though, do you?

Mr. CURTIS. The Board has authority for the selection of the system. Senator. I would like to point out right there I believe if we had had a Board of this kind with a chairman appointed by the President, with