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| Commander Frank Ault | |
|---|---|
| Name | Frank Ault |
| Birth date | c. 1920s |
| Death date | 2003 |
| Birth place | Portsmouth, Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Rank | Commander |
| Battles | Korean War, Vietnam War |
Commander Frank Ault Commander Frank Ault was a United States Navy officer and analyst whose work in the 1960s reshaped United States Navy carrier aviation doctrine and influenced United States Air Force and NATO air combat thinking. Best known for leading the study that produced the Ault Report, he evaluated aircraft performance, tactics, and procurement, impacting programs such as the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, and F/A-18 Hornet. His analyses intersected with figures and institutions across Pentagon planning, Naval Air Systems Command, and international allies.
Ault was born near Portsmouth, Virginia and raised in a milieu shaped by World War I veterans and Great Depression era communities. He attended naval preparatory programs and completed studies at the United States Naval Academy pathway before entering flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. His technical education included advanced coursework associated with Naval Postgraduate School curricula and interactions with researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and Stanford University defense-related programs.
Ault served as a naval aviator during periods overlapping the Korean War and early stages of the Vietnam War, flying carrier-based operations from carriers deployed in the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan. His operational assignments connected him with squadrons active in Carrier Air Wing composition and with leaders from Office of Naval Intelligence and Naval Air Systems Command. Ault’s postings brought him into contact with contemporaries such as officers involved with Carrier Strike Group tactics, planners associated with Chief of Naval Operations, and technologists engaged with programs like Naval Aviation Depot modernization and Grumman and McDonnell Douglas contractors.
In the late 1960s, Ault chaired a comprehensive study at the direction of senior leaders in the Department of Defense and the United States Navy to assess air-to-air combat performance against contemporary threats. The resulting Ault Report analyzed results from Combat Air Training and fleet engagements, comparing U.S. aircraft and tactics to those of adversaries studied by analysts from Central Intelligence Agency assessments, Defense Intelligence Agency reports, and allied services including Royal Air Force and French Air Force observers. The report evaluated parameters such as maneuverability, acceleration, radar performance, and pilot training vis-à-vis platforms like the Soviet-designed MiG-21, MiG-19, and NATO fighters such as the English Electric Lightning. Recommendations influenced procurement decisions affecting the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, and F-16 Fighting Falcon, and reinforced the importance of training programs including Topgun and the Navy Fighter Weapons School. The Ault Report’s emphasis on dogfight capabilities intersected with debates in Congress, testimony before the United States Congress and interactions with defense industrial firms including Boeing, Northrop, General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin.
Following the study, Ault held positions that bridged operations, analysis, and procurement, working with offices such as Naval Air Systems Command, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and advisory boards linked to Armed Services Committee (United States Senate). He collaborated with test centers like Naval Air Warfare Center and with allied research establishments including Royal United Services Institute and NATO Science and Technology Organization. His advisory roles touched on programs overseen by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and interservice initiatives that paired United States Air Force test pilots and United States Navy aviators.
Ault’s service was acknowledged by naval and defense institutions; he received commendations from entities such as the Department of the Navy and recognition in professional forums like the Tailhook Association and Aerospace Industries Association. His contributions were cited in analyses by think tanks including RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Honors reflected the impact of his recommendations on platforms manufactured by companies such as Grumman and McDonnell Douglas and on tactics promulgated in Naval Aviation doctrine manuals.
Ault maintained connections with veteran organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion and engaged with academic institutions including Naval War College and the United States Naval Academy as a lecturer and mentor. His legacy persists in the emphasis on air combat training exemplified by TOPGUN and in the procurement and design philosophies that informed later generations of fighters like the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and discussions leading toward the Joint Strike Fighter program. Tributes to his analytical rigor and operational insight appear in histories of United States naval aviation and in retrospective examinations by publications such as Naval Aviation News and archival collections maintained by the National Naval Aviation Museum.
Category:United States Navy officers Category:Naval aviators Category:1920s births Category:2003 deaths