Classification
Unclassified
Distribution
Distribution A: Approved for public release
Instructor
Dave Kiel
Duration
Half-day afternoon course runs 1300-1700
Credits awarded
2 CLPs
Course Fee
Standard Registration*: $300 (includes Government Registrations)
Current Full-Time Students*: $100
* $50 Discount on two courses
Course Description
This introductory course is designed to provide an appreciation of Systems Engineering in the pursuit of the Directed Energy (DE) Weapons revolution. After many decades of Research & Development, emerging DE weapons systems must navigate the technology's "valley of death" through thoughtful application of Systems Engineering principles to successfully field new warfighter capabilities.
The course will introduce the principles of Systems Engineering, define DE's High Energy Lasers (HEL) and High-Power Microwave (HPM) Systems, then review DoD guidance and tools in the context of the warfighters' missions. Conceptual HEL/HPM applications will provide instantiation examples and enable interactive discussions.
At the end of the course, attendees will be better able to craft their programs to leverage proven DoD SE processes and effectively integrate into existing and future DoW weapons systems/networks. The course will cover the Systems Engineering Process throughout the Lifecycle. Topics include:
- The Big Picture/Overview
- First, SE Principles
- DE Weapon Systems Definitions: HEL & HPM
- Military Requirements and User Interactions
- DoD SE Guides to include Mission Engineering (ME), Digital Engineering, System-of-Systems (SoS), Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA), Software Engineering (SWE), and The Software Acquisition Pathway
- Systems Architecture and its application to DE Systems
- Tools to Enable Engineering Success: Modeling & Simulation (M&S) and How M&S supports DoD Processes
- Testing as an Integral Part of SE: the Different Types of Test & Evaluation (T&E)
- SE for High Energy Laser Weapon System Integration and T&E
- SE for HPM Weapon Systems and T&E
Intended Audience
This course is open to the public and requires no specific background as it is general in nature, but rich in helping to understand the fundamental concepts of DE Weapon Systems and how to apply System Engineering processes.
Instructor Biography
Capt. David Kiel (retired) entered the Navy in 1982 and served on various ships as a Surface Warfare Officer. After his initial sea tours, he attended the Naval Post Graduate School and received his M.S. in Physics, specializing in Optics and Laser Physics. After graduation, he transferred out of the Surface Warfare community and became an Engineering Duty Officer specializing in weapons development and acquisition. Subsequently, he served at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, doing research in High Power Microwaves, managed Electronic Warfare development programs in PEO IWS, Program Manager for the Surface Navy Directed Energy and Electric Weapons program, where he retired from the Navy. He then worked for DoN as a civil servant with multiple jobs in the DE field. He retired from the Office of Naval Research and is enjoying retirement and part-time consulting for Directed Energy programs.