Editor's corner.

• Position: Editorial

In a drastic departure from tradition, the U.S. Navy is moving forward with plans to change the way it maintains and keeps warships ready for combat. The reforms were spurred by escalating commitments around the world coupled with a shrinking fleet. Under the so-called "fleet response concept," the Navy will commit to having two-thirds of the fleet in war-ready status.

Even though the fleet response concept is viewed as a common-sense approach to meeting growing demands, Navy officials concede they have serious concerns about its potential unintended consequences, which could affect the health of the industrial base and the morale of the sailors. For more details on the fleet response concept and its possible implications, turn to page 50.

The Marine Corps, meanwhile, increasingly is hopeful that its controversial V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft will successfully pass upcoming tests. Based on encouraging trials, the Marines are planning to stand up the first V-22 squadron in December. For a detailed update on the program, go to page 38.

Among the Army's latest initiatives to modernize the force is the Objective Force Warrior. With the recent selection of a contractor to manage this complex program, Army officials say they have reasons to be optimistic about the future of the OFW. But the technical hurdles ahead are formidable, as the Army learned painfully trying to develop the Land Warrior program, now on a path to rehabilitation. To find out more about the Army's plans for OFW, turn to our package starting on page 46.

The Army's Future Combat System appears to be progressing toward the next phase of development and engineering. But it is yet not clear what the Army will do about its truck fleet. The plan was to field the Future Tactical Truck System--a family of high-tech trucks--alongside the FCS. But funding cuts and undefined requirements have delayed the FTTS program by at least five years.

The slip means that the Army will...