Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
| Edward C. Aldridge Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 9th Director of the National Reconnaissance Office | |
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In office August 3, 1981 – December 16, 1988 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Robert J. Hermann |
| Succeeded by | Martin C. Faga |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 18, 1938 Houston, Texas |
Edward "Pete" Cleveland Aldridge Jr. (born August 18, 1938) has served in many top U.S. Defense Department and defense industry jobs, including as Under Secretary of the Air Force from 1981–1986, Director of the National Reconnaissance Office 1981-1988, and as the Secretary of the Air Force from 1986-1988. From 1989-1992 he was president of the Electronic Systems Company division of McDonnell Douglas, and later, CEO of The Aerospace Corporation. He was the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics from 2001-2003.
Aldridge was a payload specialist for STS-62-A, the first scheduled Space Shuttle mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The mission was canceled after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, and Aldridge never flew.
Aldridge was confirmed as the Pentagon's top weapons buyer on May 8, 2001. As the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, he had responsibility for acquisition, research and development, logistics, advanced technology, international programs, environmental security, nuclear, chemical, and biological programs, and the industrial base.
In 2002, during his time as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, he authorized the acquisition of the F-35's before critical developmental testing was finished and stated the F-35 was "setting new standards for technological advances" and "rewriting the books on acquisition and business practices." His successor voiced a different opinion in 2012. "This will make a headline if I say it, but I'm going to say it anyway," Frank Kendall said. "Putting the F-35 into production years before the first test flight was acquisition malpractice. It should not have been done." As of 2012. The military has spent $373 million to fix planes already bought; the ultimate repair bill for imperfect planes has been estimated at close to $8 billion.
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