DIRECTED ENERGY PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY


2008 Directed Energy Test & Evaluation Conference
Short Courses
29 July 2008 Albuquerque, New Mexico

These short courses were offered on 29 July 2008 in conjunction with the Directed Energy Test and Evaluation Conference held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits were earned for completion of these DEPS short courses.


 


Course 1.  Introduction to High Energy Laser Systems

Classification: Unclassified

Instructor: Dennis Boesen, Northrop Grumman

Duration: Half-day course 0800-1200

CEUs awarded: 0.35

Course Description: This course will provide an introduction to High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon systems. At the end of the class, the student will have been introduced to the major characteristics, capabilities, and limitations of HEL weapons and the current state of development. Topics include:

  • HEL attributes
  • Lethality
  • Propagation
  • Adaptive optics
  • HEL devices
  • Beam control
  • Test and evaluation issues
  • Brief history of HEL systems
  • The future of HEL

Intended Audience: The course is appropriate for anyone who wants to understand something about High-Energy Lasers. It is particularly appropriate for someone who is working in another science or engineering field or in technical program management. The course assumes some science or engineering background at the bachelor's level, but not necessarily in lasers or optics.

Instructor Biography: This course was originally developed by Mr. John Albertine, who has over 30 years of experience in the field and has served in roles from engineer to manager with the Navy PMS-405 organization. He currently serves as a consultant or advisor to various HEL and related programs. He is a past Director of DEPS.

The course will be taught by Mr. Denny Boesen. Mr. Boesen also has over 30 years in HEL systems in the Air Force and industry. His specialty is HEL beam control and system engineering. He has participated in and led many HEL and related programs, he was selected as Payload Specialist for the Strategic Defense Initiative Office's Starlab program on the space shuttle, and he is a founder and Director of DEPS.


Course 2.  Introduction to High Power Microwave Systems

Classification: Unclassified

Instructors:
    -  Bob Antinone, Northrop Grumman
    -  Bob Richer-Sand, Northrop Grumman

Duration: Half-day course 0800-1200

CEUs awarded: 0.35

Course Description: This course will provide an introduction to High Power Microwave (HPM) systems. At the end of the course, the student will have been introduced to the principle of operation and major characteristics of sources, propagation, target interaction, and target response. Topics include:

  • HPM attributes
  • Narrowband and wideband sources
  • Propagation mechanisms
  • Target coupling mechanisms
  • Target failure modes and probability of effect
  • Target system responses
  • Test methods and instrumentation
  • System hardening

Intended Audience: The course is appropriate for anyone who wants to understand something about High Power Microwaves (HPM). It is particularly appropriate for someone who is working in another science or engineering field or in technical program management. The course assumes some science or engineering background at the bachelor's level, but not necessarily in microwaves or electromagnetics.

Instructor Biographies: Bob Richer-Sand and Bob Antinone are Associate Chief Scientists with Northrop Grumman. Each has over 30 years experience with high power electromagnetic systems and effects including nuclear EMP and HPM. They are both EMP Fellows, an award given to about 100 individuals worldwide for their contributions to high power electromagnetic technology.


Course 3.  Introduction to the DoD T&E Process

Classification: Unclassified

Instructor: Bill Decker

Duration: Half-day course 0800-1200

CEUs awarded: 0.35

Course Description: This course discusses the fundamentals of testing DoD systems, with an emphasis on directed energy systems. Topics include:

  • Overview of Defense Acquisition System
  • Where do we start? - Good requirements
  • The role of the Systems Engineering process
  • Test Planning - when and what do we do it?
    • Test Development Strategy
    • Test & Evaluation Master Plan
  • Types of testing/when started/finished
    • Developmental Testing
    • Initial Operational T&E
    • Live Fire T&E
  • Test execution and reporting
  • Directed energy testing issues
    • Instrumentation
    • Safety
    • Training

Intended Audience:

Instructor Biography: Mr. Decker is currently a Professor of Systems Engineering at the Huntsville Campus of the Defense Acquisition University. His experience includes over 25 years in electro-optics with ten years experience in high energy laser systems, including THEL, ABL, ATL and HELLADS, all while employed by Brashear (a division of L-3 Communications) in Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Decker holds a MS in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and a BS in Engineering from Cornell University.


Course 4.  The Credible Use of Modeling and Simulation in T&E

Classification: Unclassified

Instructor: David Cook, AEgis

Duration: Half-day course 1300-1700

CEUs awarded: 0.35

Course Description: Modeling and simulation (M&S) can productively be used to provide financially-attractive options during test and evaluation (T&E) of comples hardware and software systems. However, to make M&S work productively, it has to be used correctly and effectively. This tutorial will show how M&S should be used in T&E situations. The appropriate use of M&S and the areas where M&S make most sense will be covereed. This tutorial will also cover the proper methods to perform Verification, Validation, and Accreditation (VV&A) once M&S has been integrated into T&E. Topics include:

  • Background and definitions
    • VV&A
    • Types of M&S
    • Types of Validity
  • Process of M&S
    • Building a model
    • Defining the System Under Test
    • What is and is not a simulation
    • Defining
  • Making credible models and simulations - the process
    • Establishing Validity
    • Creating a VV&A Plan
    • Accreditation essentials
    • Process for M&S development
    • VV&A Taxonomy and methods
    • Creation of a VV&A Plan and Accreditation Report
  • Lessons learned in large-scale M&S

Intended Audience: This class is a beginning tutorial, designed for any software developer, tester, or engineer who has an interest is building a credible M&S program. It will be of use to T&E professional and to software developers. It does not delve into technical details of actual M&S development.

Instructor Biography: Dr. David Cook is a Senior Research Scientist at AEgis Technologies Group, Inc., working as Verification, Validation, and Accreditation agent in the Modeling and Simulation area. He is currently supporting verification, validation, and accreditation for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Airborne Laser (ABL) program. Dave has over 30 years experience in software development and software management. He was formerly as Associate Professor of Computer Science at the U.S. Air Force Academy (where he was also the department research director), and also a former deputy department head of the Software Professional Development Program at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He was also a consultant for the USAF Software Technology Support Center (STSC) for over six years. Dave has published numerous articles on software process improvement, software engineering, object-oriented software development, programming languages, configuration management, and requirements engineering. He has a Ph.D. in computer science from Texas A&M University, and is an authorized Personal Software Process (PSP) instructor. He is a certified Modeling and Simulation Professional through M&SPCC and can be reached at dcook@aegistg.com.


Course 5.  Test and Evaluation of High Energy Laser Systems

Classification: FOUO. Attendance limited to U.S. citizens who are employees of the federal government or its contractors. See Security on Conference page for details.

Instructor: Larry McKee, SAIC

Duration: Half-day course 1300-1700

CEUs awarded: 0.35

Course Description: An introduction to fundamental considerations for the test and evaluation (T&E) of High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon systems. Students will be given an overview of the various distinct types of HEL testing, including example test concepts/configurations, considerations for test instrumentation, and key testing issues, such as safety and environmental concerns. Topics include:

  • HEL employment/testing challenges
  • Types of HEL testing
  • Lethality phenomenology testing
    • HEL effects
    • HEL lethality testing types and test diagnostics
  • System output testing
  • System performance testing
    • HEL examples of static ground testing, dynamic OT, OT/Live
    • HEL test measures
  • Instrumentation Considerations
    • HEL instrumentation summary
    • Instrumentation protection
    • Non-intrusive measurements
  • HEL testing considerations
    • HEL testing issues
    • HEL testing safety
    • Test planning tools

Intended Audience: T&E engineers who may be responsible for planning, supporting, and/or executing range tests that involve HEL weapon systems.

Instructor Biography: Dr. Larry McKee has over 30 years experience directing and performing RDT&E programs in directed energy weapon (DEW) T&E, distributed testing, nuclear weapon effects, system survivability, neutral particle beam interactive discrimination, and high energy laser effects. This experience includes 20 years as an Air Force officer with duties in management of advanced R&D programs in DEW technology, R&D leadership as the Air Force Branch and Division levels, development and instruction of advanced graduate courses, and technical direction of underground nuclear tests. He joined SAIC in 1989 and is currently the Chief Scientist for the Directed Energy Test and Evaluation Capability Lead System integrator and also develops and presents High Energy Laser T&E short courses for the Electronic Warfare Directorate at Edwards AFB, CA.


Course 6.  Test and Evaluation of High Power Microwave Systems

Classification: FOUO. Attendance limited to U.S. citizens who are employees of the federal government or its contractors. See Security on Conference page for details.

Instructor: Mark DelGrande, SAIC

Duration: Half-day course 1300-1700

CEUs awarded: 0.35

Course Description: This short course reviews high power microwave (HPM) or radio frequency weapon fundamentals as an introduction to HPM systems. Using this background, the instructor steps through different types of testing and test facilities for HPM systems. HPM test instrumentation and sources are addressed as an introduction to a more extensive discussion of equipment shortfalls and the Government's efforts to address these shortfalls. Other HPM issues addressed are safety, permitting and unclassified countermeasures. Topics include:

  • HPM introduction
  • HPM basics
    • Power and switching
    • HPM sources
    • Antenna and propagation
    • Targets
    • Effects
  • Testing HPM
    • Test and evaluation overview
    • Test venues
    • Component testing
    • System integration testing
    • Target testing
    • Instrumentation
    • Reporting results
  • Necessary others
    • Safety
    • Permitting
    • Countermeasures

Intended Audience: This is a non-technical presentation focusing on testing HPM systems and system susceptibility to HPM. The course is appropriate for both technicians and managers interested in the scope of HPM testing and associated reporting. The emphasis is on testing practices and procedures for HPM system development or effects on other systems.

Instructor Biography: Dr. J. Mark DelGrande has over 22 years experience with HPM and related technologies. Mark is Chief Scientist at SAIC in Electro Magnetic Effects Research and Development and serves as a HPM Subject Matter Expert for DETEC and the DET S&T program. As Chief Scientist at SAIC, Mark develops software solutions for modeling electromagnetic propagation and effects, directs multidisciplinary HPM effects experiments for both indoor chamber and outdoor testing, and designs and builds HPM weapon systems.

 
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Last updated: 28 October 2008