Editor's corner.

U.S. military forces today are uncontested in their skills and competence. In the future, however, will America's armed services be able to avoid a "training surprise?"

That was the question posed in a study by the Defense Science Board, an expert panel that advises the secretary of defense. The study was completed before September 11, a day when suddenly the priorities at the Pentagon and the nation were turned upside down.

A training surprise occurs "when the adversary focuses efforts on a particular vulnerability and has very high-quality training to exploit that vulnerability," explained the chairman of the Defense Science Board, William Schneider. This nation's vulnerability became obvious on September 11, when thousands of people died, "not from traditional armies waging traditional campaigns, but from the brutal, faceless weapons of terror," said Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. "They died as the victims of a war that many had feared, but whose sheer horror took America by surprise."

Adapting to surprise quickly and decisively, Rumsfeld said, "must, therefore, be a condition of planning."

Homeland defense is now the most important mission for which the Pentagon must prepare. Thus, the relevancy of the DSB study. Highlights of the report, titled "Training Superiority and Training Surprise," are on page 26 of this edition of National Defense.

In a special report this month, expert analysts, government officials, current and retired military officers offer their views on how the United States should prepare its forces to fight what Bush administration officials have termed "a new kind of war."

This war, Rumsfeld noted, highlights a fundamental condition of our circumstances: "We cannot and will not know precisely where and when America's interests will be threatened, when America will come under attack, or when Americans might die as the result of aggression.

"We can be clear about trends, but uncertain about events. We can identify threats, but cannot know when or where America or its friends will be attacked. We should try mightily to avoid surprise, but we must also learn to expect it."

Our special report begins on page 18.

In this edition, we also offer a detailed look at some of the advanced technologies that have been in the works for years, but now are gaining new attention, because of the role they may play in enhancing homeland defense and national security. Modeling and simulation technologies are a case in point. An exclusive package of stories starting on page 28 covers key programs in the field of military training, weapon systems acquisition and testing, and trends in computer-based modeling. Of special notice is a report on page 46, which provides the latest developments on the flight trainer and maintenance trainer for the Air Force's newest fighter, the F-22 Raptor.