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| Frank Ault | |
|---|---|
| Name | Frank Ault |
| Birth date | 1922 |
| Death date | 2008 |
| Occupation | Naval officer, defense analyst |
| Known for | Ault Report on aircraft carrier air wing readiness |
| Rank | Captain |
| Allegiance | United States |
Frank Ault Frank Ault was a United States Navy officer and defense analyst noted for leading a pivotal 1970s study of carrier aviation readiness. His work influenced United States Navy procurement, Carrier Air Wing organization, and aviation safety reforms during the Cold War and post‑Vietnam era. Ault's report catalyzed changes across Naval Air Systems Command, Bureau of Naval Personnel, and Congressional oversight of defense acquisition policy.
Ault was born in 1922 and raised in an era shaped by the Great Depression and the lead‑up to World War II. He attended naval preparatory programs before commissioning and pursued professional military education at institutions including United States Naval Academy‑affiliated courses and Naval War College‑style curricula. His technical grounding included training in naval aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola and advanced studies that intersected with programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and civilian defense laboratories such as Naval Research Laboratory.
Ault's naval career spanned World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War eras, with assignments afloat and ashore across Atlantic Theater and Pacific Theater operations. He served in carrier squadrons under commands associated with United States Seventh Fleet and United States Atlantic Fleet, working alongside leaders from Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and collaborating with Naval Air Development Center units. His postings included time on aircraft carriers and at shipyards such as Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and he coordinated with program offices in Naval Sea Systems Command and Naval Air Systems Command. Ault interacted with figures tied to Secretary of the Navy administrations and engaged with congressional staff on matters linked to the Armed Services Committees and defense budgeting with Congressional Budget Office involvement.
In the early 1970s Ault led a comprehensive review—commonly called the Ault Report—into carrier air wing readiness, maintenance practices, pilot training, and aircraft procurement. The study evaluated interactions among F‑4 Phantom II, A‑6 Intruder, A‑7 Corsair II, F‑14 Tomcat development programs, and logistics chains managed by Defense Logistics Agency. Findings prompted reforms in naval aviation maintenance cycles, training pipelines linked to Naval Air Training Command, and revision of readiness metrics used by the Chief of Naval Operations and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The report influenced acquisition decisions involving Grumman, McDonnell Douglas, and Pratt & Whitney, and it shaped doctrine adopted by Carrier Air Wing One and other carrier groups. Congressional hearings with members from Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee amplified the report's recommendations, resulting in changes to shipbuilding plans at Newport News Shipbuilding and aircraft procurement schedules overseen by the Department of Defense and Office of Management and Budget.
After publishing the report, Ault held senior advisory roles interacting with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Science Board, and civilian contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. He contributed to interagency reviews involving Federal Aviation Administration interfaces for naval aviation and consulted on programs tied to Strategic Air Command integration and NATO carrier interoperability with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. Ault retired from active duty and later from federal service, receiving recognition from veteran and naval organizations including United States Naval Institute forums and symposiums hosted by RAND Corporation and Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Ault's personal life included family ties and participation in naval associations that connected him to communities around Norfolk, Virginia and Pensacola, Florida. His legacy persists in modern carrier readiness standards, training syllabi used by Naval Aviation Schools Command, and policy analyses cited in histories of post‑Vietnam United States Navy reform. Researchers reference his report in studies at institutions such as Naval War College, National Defense University, and academic works published by Johns Hopkins University and Georgetown University presses. Memorials and retrospectives in naval periodicals and conferences by organizations like Surface Navy Association and Tailhook Association commemorate his influence on carrier aviation reform.
Category:United States Navy officers Category:Naval aviators