Graduates from Tufts' college of engineering will soon have a new application for their skills, former Boeing engineer Ron Carter told students assembled in Barnum 008 on Tuesday night. As the US develops elements of what Carter calls "wartime engineering" in the post-Sept. 11 era, engineers will be called upon to develop the next generation of military hardware.
Carter spent much of his speech emphasizing the contributions that Boeing has made to the USAF's superiority in recent air wars, including the continuing conflict in Afghanistan. He said that engineers are designing technology that makes fighting wars more efficient and cost-effective, not to mention reducing the number of casualties.
"Two hundred airplanes required for one mission in the Gulf War is now limited to 20 or 30," he said. "That is an awesome ability we did not have five years ago."
The US has also been forced to adapt Cold War technology to handle today's anti-anti-terrorist missions. The B-2 Stealth Bomber, originally designed to carry nuclear payloads into the USSR, has now been modified to serve as a frontline bomber in Afghanistan.
"Make no mistake, America and her allies are at war with terrorism," Carter said of the US's current conflict. Reiterating the significance of the war, he pointed out that unlike any conflict in history, American civilians have been more directly affected than the nation's armed forces.
"Engineers are being called up daily," Carter said.
Carter added that the army is actually sending Boeing engineers to Afghanistan to fix equipment, rather than recalling equipment to the US for repairs.
Students in the College of Engineering say that the job outlook for Tufts' engineers is very strong. "It's going to play an important part in the future of our country," freshman Jeff Martin said.
The difficulty of sending new technology into the field was also discussed. According to Carter, it takes an average 20 or 30 years for the average plane to go from technical drawing to the field. He cited the now-famous Stealth bomber, which was created in 1970 but did not take to the skies until the late '80s, as an example
Carter received his Bachelor degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Parks College in 1996, and from there went on to work for Boeing until January 1999. He then worked with the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) before returning to Boeing to work as a liaison between the company and the USAF.
Boeing is one of the largest contractors for the USAF, designing and building the newest B-2 Stealth Bomber and the F-22 Stealth Fighter. The company has recently moved its head office from Seattle to Chicago.
After Boeing aircraft were used in the Sept. 11 attacks, Boeing stock collapsed by nearly 50 percent. However, since the war on Afghanistan began, the stock has steadily regained ground.
