Short Courses
Short courses and tutorials are being offered by DEPS and by ITEA on 16 January 2018 in Albuquerque.
Five tutorials associated with the Engineering Workshop
are being offered. More information and registration for these ITEA tutorials is available
here.
The tutorial titles are listed below:
- Critical Thinking in Test Design and Analysis
- TENA and JMETC for Distributed Systems Engineering
- T&E in Support of Prototyping and Experimentation
- Cybersecurity Test & Evaluation
- Identifying Requirements and Vulnerabilities for Cybersecurity
The directed energy short courses listed below are being offered by DEPS. Continuing Education Unit
(CEU) credits are awarded by DEPS for
completion of the short courses. Register for the DEPS
short courses in Course Registration & Fees at the end of this page.
Course 1. Introduction to the Directed Energy Test & Evaluation Process
Classification: Open, public release, distribution limitation A
Instructors:
- Sean Ross, U.S. Air Force
- Steven Alderete, DE JTO
Duration: Half-day course, runs 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
- Role of Test Lead manager
- 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
- Best practices and lessons learned
- Some important test parameters of laser systems
Intended Audience: While the primary audience for the course remains DoD staff, DEPS shares the course broadly, not
as a blueprint, but in a spirit of collegiality and an interest in contributing to others' efforts and continuing our collective
dialogue about Directed Energy. As a basic introduction to T&E, it is suitable for personnel in other technical acquisition
management and program management positions who want to understand more about T&E and the critical role it plays in DE system
acquisition.
Instructor Biographies:
Dr. Sean Ross has worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, since 1994. Since July 2017 he has
been the directed energy deputy at the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and
Engineering. He is the author of “Laser Beam Quality Metrics” textbook and frequently teaches courses on the subject. Dr. Ross
led the creation of the Environmental Laser Test Facility to test high-energy laser systems and components in simulated
flight environments prior to flight testing. He has been involved in power, thermal, structural and other high-energy laser
integration issues for over a decade. Dr. Ross holds a BS and MS in Physics from Brigham Young University and a PhD in Optical
Science and Engineering from the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, College of Optics and Photonics.
Mr. Steven M. Alderete has worked with the US Department of Defense since 1989 including providing engineering expertise
to the Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, since 1994. He has 29 years’ experience in Defense
Acquisition, Engineering and DoD Test and Evaluation. In 2009, Mr. Alderete volunteered with the US Army Corps of Engineers
and deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan as the Brigade Engineer for the Brigade Task Force, Civil Military Operations in support
of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Past positions include Test Engineer/Project Manager with national and international
experience managing over thirty successful field deployments, to include deployments to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Japan, Korea,
Philippines, Germany, Poland, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands for the National Assessment Group. Since 2015, Mr. Alderete
has been assigned to the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office as the Test and Evaluation Lead Engineer. Mr. Alderete holds a
BSEE from New Mexico State University. He is a member of the Acquisition career force certified in DAU Level III Acquisition
Professional Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering (SPRDE) and DoD Test and Evaluation.
Course 2. Tri-Service HEL Lethality CANCELLED
Classification: Unclassified, distribution limitation D
Instructor: TBD
Duration:Full-day course, runs 0800-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.7
Course Description:
Intended Audience: .
Instructor Biography:
Course 3. T&E of HEL Systems
Classification: Unclassified, distribution limitation C
Instructor: Larry McKee, American Systems
Duration: Half-day course, runs 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 to be covered 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 40 years of 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. He joined American Systems Corporation in 2012 and is
currently a subject matter expert supporting the Directed Energy Test Technology Area under the Test Resource Management
Center. He has also developed and presented High Energy Laser T&E short courses for the Electronic Warfare Directorate at
Edwards AFB, CA.
Course 4. T&E of HPM Systems
Classification: Unclassified, distribution limitation C
Instructor: Jeff Schleher, American Systems
Duration: Half-day course, runs 1300-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description: The short course is an introduction to the testing of high power radio frequency weapons. The
course contains a short introduction to the fundamentals of these high power microwave (HPM) weapons to establish a common
vocabulary. The focus of the course is on test practices as they apply to HPM weapons for U.S. system testing and susceptibility
testing as specified in MIL STD 464C. HPM instrumentation, test measures, and analysis make up a section of the course. Various
presentations address military applications of HPM weapons and how fielded systems have been tested. Substantial new HPM test
equipment has been recently made available to military test ranges and developmental laboratories. The course will address the
availability, location, and procedures for these test capabilities as well as the process used to determine what test equipment
was needed. A portion of the course will address the specialized requirements of these systems for safety considerations and
permitting required for testing to proceed.
Topics include:
- HPM Fundamentals
- Testing Fundamentals as Applied to HPM
- Test and Evaluation HPM Environment
- Sources for HPM Testing and Where to Find Them
- HPM Test Locations
- HPM Test Instrumentation and Setup
- Safety and Spectrum Management
Intended Audience: This course is appropriate for managers and analysts requiring an overview of HPM
weapons and how they are tested in addition to new HPM field test engineers. A background in science and engineering
at least to the technicial level is required to understand the technical portion of the course.
Instructor Biography: Jeff Schleher has spent 40-years in military test and is an early member of ITEA, participating
in concept, developmental, and operational test. Mr. Schleher's early test activities focused on large radar and space system
testing, but since the 1990's he has engaged in high power microwave test support. Mr. Schleher's current activities are as a
subject matter expert for the Test Resource Management Center science and technology efforts to provide military test ranges
with necessary equipment and capabilities to support testing of high powered microwave weapon and modern electronic warfare
systems. Previously, he supported the acquisition of high power microwave sources and sensors through the Directed Energy Test
and Evaluation Capability. Mr. Schleher is retired from the Air Force and is the current president of the Albuquerque Chapter of
the Association of Old Crows.
Registration
Please complete this form to register on-line for
a short course at the 2018 DE T&E Conference. Note that on-line registration does not require on-line payment.
Some organizations have installed web filters that prevent on-line registration
from inside their facilities. If this appears to be true for you, please try again off-site
or contact the DEPS office to register.
Registration for the Conference itself is done through the ITEA website.
Last updated: 15 December 2017
