

Dr. Merrill L. Minges
F-16 Technical Director, 1992 - 1995
Merrill Minges, a member of the Senior Executive Service, was technical director of the F-16 program office, Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC), director of Strategic Planning and Programming, Air Force Research Laboratory headquarters and Technical Director, Planning & Programming Aeronautical Systems Center headquarters.
Entering the Air Force in 1960, Lt. Minges established a new high-temperature thermal group and laboratory to develop and transition new ML thermal protection system (TPS) technologies to Gen. Barnard Schriever’s new US ICBM system and the high-performance rocket systems required at the dawn of the space age to reach and return from orbit. The thermal group established an important ‘trusted agent' partnership with the AF Ballistic Missile Division, supplying vital high T performance/design information on new ML carbon-carbon TPS composite materials. The thermal group also conducted unique hypersonic re-entry aerodynamic measurements, combining these with thermal evaluations in new system engineering design tools, tailoring and improving the tools originally developed by NASA. The thermal group also achieved international prominence leading international efforts to improve the accuracy and dependability of high T thermophysical measurement techniques. Dr. Minges hosted the principal international conference in the arena in 1966, received the principal award from the community in1982 and chaired the International Council of Scientific Unions thermo-physics task force of 47 laboratories from 21 European and Asian nations standardizing these techniques worldwide. The developments were documented in the leading international technical journals of the field.
In early 1970s, returning to ML from the Stanford Graduate School of Business as a Sloan Executive Fellow, he served as chief of the ML organization developing new materials for AF spacecraft. He established a technology partnership with NASA for Skylab, the first US space station, and partnerships with the European Space Agency leverage international developments. Concurrently, this ML group developed new IR coatings which eliminated surface-to-air missile vulnerability for A-10, C-130 and other close air support aircraft engaged in Viet Nam combat operations. For this work Dr. Minges established a second new and unique inhouse infra-red measurements laboratory, still in operation today for low observables testing. Later in this period as chief of the Systems Support Division he established a third new ML laboratory for electronics failure analysis laboratory which also remains in operation today.
In the early 1980s as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) began, he was appointed director of the ML Electromagnetics Division which provided critical new technologies for missile defense. Most important were unique new IR sensor materials for ultrasensitive space surveillance/missile warning and lethality & survivability performance measurements on new high power laser weapons. Protecting US weapons systems from laser threats – ‘laser hardening’ – was an important element of this work. The key strategy was refocusing and expanding the unique ICBM high temperature thermal laboratory expertise/capabilities on missile defense. The SDI director, Gen. James Abrahamson, authorized new manpower for the Division and invested $30 - $50M in new laser facilities, still operating today to support national Missile Defense & AF Space Systems Programs.
In the early 90s Dr. Minges was appointed Director of Engineering/Tech. Director of the F-16 program office, the largest in the AF, with a staff of over 1200 at WPAFB and at the Ogden Utah Air Logistics Center. In this period, the F-16 was engaged in combat operations in Desert Strom & Southern Watch and the Bosnian War. His primary responsibility was focusing the multi-billion-dollar F-16 engineering/sustainment programming to meet the combat readiness requirements of US Air Combat Command. A concurrent responsibility was oversight of the multibillion-dollar engineering programming for the 22 countries acquiring and flying F-16, including joint program strategy for the new Japanese F-16. Dr. Minges edited the new F-16 Strategic Plan outlining overall strategy.
For two decades after his retirement Dr. Minges served as a principal technology advisor in AFRL Headquarters for missile defense and for sustainment technologies - ‘Aging Aircraft’- including the launch of a new & successful corporate-wide sustainment technology transition program.
Education
B.Sc.& M Sc, Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Ohio State University
Air Force Alfred P. Sloan Executive Fellow, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville Va.
International Security Policy Program, Kennedy School, Harvard University
Career Chronology
1960 - 1972 Thermal Group Lead/Branch Chief, Systems Support Division, AF Materials Laboratory
1972 - 1976 Chief, Coating/Elastomers/Fluids Materials Branch, AF Materials Laboratory
1977 - 1979 Director/Assistant Director, Systems Support Division, AF Materials Laboratory
1979 - 1985 Director, Electromagnetic Material Division, AF Materials Laboratory
1986 - 1991 Director, Non-Metallic Materials Division, AF Materials Laboratory
1991 - 1993 Director, Strategic Planning and Programming, AFRL Headquarters/XP, WPAFB
1993 - 1996 Technical Director, F-16 Program Office, AF Aeronautical Systems Div., WPAFB
1997 - 2018 Technical Consultant, AFRL Headquarters, Missile Defense Sustainment - Aging Aircraft
Awards, Honors & Advisory
Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Pi Science & Engineering Honorary Societies
Ohio & New York of Academy of Sciences; AIAA Associate Fellow
Outstanding Engineer, Affiliate Societies Council, Dayton Ohio
International Thermal Conductivity Award
Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award /AF Commendation Medal
AF Sloan Executive Fellow, Stanford University
Chairman, International Thermal Conductivity Conference
US National Committee: International Council of Scientific Unions – CODATA
International Advisory Boards
International Journal of High Temperatures/High Pressure
International Organizing Committee, European Thermo-physics Conference
International Journal of Thermo-physics
Chairman, Dayton Area United Way/Combined Federal Campaign
NASA/AF/Industry: SKYLAB Achievement Award/ LDEF Advisory National Board
Chairman International Council of Scientific Unions Task Force
High Temperature International Thermo-physics Reference Standards
US National Bureau of Standards Advisory Board, National Academy of Sciences
University of Dayton School of Engineering Advisory Board
Editor F-16 Strategic Plan
Chairman NATO AGARD Task Force on Ceramic Composites
US DoD National Team: Japanese Materials Technology Assessment
National Academy of Sciences – National Research Council
Role of Small Business Innovation in AF Aging Aircraft
Desert Storm, Battle Damage Assessment: Commander, USAF Air Combat Command