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Short Courses
The short courses listed below are being offered on Monday, 26 February.
Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits are awarded by DEPS for completion of the short courses.
Registration for the
short courses requires payment of a fee. See Course Registration & Fees at the end of this page.
Registration for a short course does not require registration for the Symposium.
Not all courses are open to all registrants. All of the classes are unclassified, but some have additional participation requirements,
which are listed below and are identified in the Classification field in the course descriptions.
See also the Security section,
available here.
- Distribution limitation A - Any registrant may participant.
- Distribution limitation C - Restricted to U.S. citizens who are employees of the federal government or its contractors.
- Distribution limitation D - Restricted to U.S. citizens who are employees of the Department of Defense or its contractors.
Course 1. Introduction to High Energy Laser Systems
Classification: Distribution limitation A
Instructor: Matthew Leigh, DE JTO
Duration: Half-day course, 0800 to 1200
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description:This lecture will introduce the field of HEL weapons and their associated technologies
using an interweaving of technical requirements, history, and accomplishments. The basic attributes of HEL weapons will be
covered, leading into discussions of laser-material interaction, lethality, potential weapon applications, system requirements,
laser power scaling, propagation, and beam control. DoD interest in tactical applications, current technical issues, and areas
of research emphasis will be highlighted.
Intended Audience: This course is geared to those with a technical background who seek an overview of HEL
technology and the current state of the art. Individuals who are beginning to work in the field or technical managers who
wish an integrated overview would benefit from the class.
Instructor Biography:
Course 2. Introduction to High Power Microwave Systems
Classification: Distribution limitation C
Instructor:
- Samuel Gutierrez, AFRL
- Sterling Beeson, AFRL
Duration: Half-day course, 0800-1200
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description: This course will provide an introduction to RF Directed Energy weapons, also known as
High Power Microwave (HPM) weapons. The course consists of five parts: 1) a general introduction to the basic terms
and concepts, 2) prime power and pulsed power systems needed to drive HPM devices, 3) HPM sources to include concepts
and examples, 4) HPM narrowband and wideband antennas, and 5) design and fabrication of HPM systems.
At the end of the class, students will know what RF-DEWs are and how they differ from classical Electronic Warfare
and nuclear EMP. Students will learn the various ways to design and develop HPM subsystems to include the fundamental
concepts through the practical construction of such systems (science and engineering). Technology discussions will
show the difference between narrow band (NB) and ultra-wide band (UWB) sources, antennas and diagnostics, as well as
the principal elements of the power systems needed to support them. The course concludes with a examples of HPM systems
developed in the recent years.
Topics to be covered include:
- Definitions, motivation, notional concepts
- Technology - Power Sources and Power Conditioning, Microwave Oscillators, Antennas, Diagnostics
- System level design for multiple application
Intended Audience: Newcomers to the field of RF-DEW or managers with some background in science and engineering
will benefit the most from this course.
Instructor Biographies:
Sam Gutierrez has over 30 years of experience in directing and performing RDT&E programs. He has worked extensively in
Simulation, Effects, Test, and Prototyping of both HPM and High Energy Laser systems. He has had assignments in HPM, Optics,
HPC, Test, and as Staff Specialist for DEW at the ASD/R&E. He is currently a Principal Engineer and Program Manager in the
AFRL/RD HPM division. He holds an MSEE from the New Mexico State University, a BSEE from the University of New Mexico,
DAU level 3 Ratings in SE and S&T management, and FAA Pilot ratings in airplane and rotary wing aircraft.
Sterling Beeson is currently a Research Electronics Engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque, NM, USA.
He works in the Directed Energy Directorate under the High Power Electromagnetic Division where he conducts research on
HPEM sources and systems. He received a BS in Applied Physics from Angelo State University and a PhD in Electrical
Engineering from Texas Tech University for his work on pulsed RF generated plasmas with an emphasis on pulsed power, low
temperature plasma physics, and microwave engineering.
Course 3. Phased Array HEL Systems CANCELLED
Classification: This course has been cancelled.
Instructor: Mikhail Vorontsov, University of Dayton
Duration: Half-day course, 0800-1200
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description: This class will include an overview of existing beam control technologies and will look
at beam control systems envisioned for the future. The class starts with the development of performance equations of a
propagated laser beam and shows how disturbances, like jitter, degrade performance. Supporting technologies that
include random data processing techniques and control system design will be reviewed prior to discussing beam
control designs. Pointing and tracking beam control components and systems will be discussed. The topics of gimbal
systems and alignment systems will be described and math models developed. Controls modeling for adaptive optics
will be presented. The concepts for future fiber laser beam control systems will be introduced.
Topics include:
- System performance equations
- Use of random data to characterize a control system
- Classical design of a control loop
- Small angle jitter control
- Large angle pointing control, gimbals
- Tracking algorithms
- Adaptive optics controls modeling and introduction to fiber systems
- Analysis of a complete beam control system
Intended Audience: The class assumes the students have an engineering background and understand the use
differential equations. The class is aimed at persons who will be analyzing beam control system performance, but also
should be of use to managers who desire to understand the techniques available for analysis of beam control systems.
The class will cover the necessary introductory material, but will progress through this material at a fast pace.
Instructor Biography:
Course 4. Introduction to Beam Control
Classification: Distribution limitation A
Instructor:
- Paul Merritt, Consultant
- Mark Spencer, AFRL
Duration: Full-day course, 0800-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.7
Course Description: This class will include an overview of existing beam control technologies and will
look at beam control systems envisioned for the future, both hardware and analytical tools. The class starts with the development of performance equations
of a propagated laser beam and shows how disturbances, like jitter, degrade performance. Supporting technologies that
include random data processing techniques and control system basics will be reviewed prior to discussing beam control
designs. The development of estimation techniques will include Least Squares and Kalman filters.
Pointing and tracking beam control components and systems will be discussed. The topics of gimbal systems and
alignment systems will be described and math models developed. Controls modeling for adaptive optics will be presented.
The second edition of the book, Beam Control for Laser Systems will be provided for all students. This book will serve as a
reference for the discussed topics. The students should obtain a basic understanding of the primary beam control topics,
and should be familiar with the supplied book so they can later study the topics in more detail
Topics to be covered include:
- System performance equations
- Aero-optical analysis
- Use of random data to characterize a control system
- Classical and modern designs of a control loop
- Least squares technique
- Kalman filter basics
- Small angle jitter control
- Large angle pointing control, gimbals
- Tracking algorithms
- Adaptive optics controls modeling
Intended Audience: The class assumes the students have an engineering background and understand the use
differential equations. The class is aimed at persons who will be analyzing beam control system performance, but also
should be of use to managers who desire to understand the techniques available for analysis of beam control systems.
The class will cover the necessary introductory material, but will progress through this material at a fast pace.
Instructor Biographies:
Dr. Paul Merritt worked in an inertial guidance laboratory at Holloman AFB for 8 years after
a tour in the Air Force. He obtained his PhD from UNM in 1974 and started working at Kirtland AFB on beam control for the
Airborne Laser Laboratory. He worked on several beam control systems including the ABL. After retiring from the Civil Service
he worked for the Boeing Aircraft Co. for 6 years and then taught controls classes at UNM for 7 years. He has taught beam
control classes for DEPS for many years.
Mark F. Spencer is a Research Physicist at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate. He is also
an Adjunct Assistant professor of Optical Sciences and Engineering (OSE) at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT),
Department of Engineering Physics. Mark received his BS in physics from the University of Redlands in 2008 and his MS
nd PhD in OSE from AFIT in 2011 and 2014, respectively. In addition to being a Senior Member of SPIE, he is a Regular
Member of the Directed Energy Professional Society and the Optical Society of America.
Course 5. Introduction to Tri-Service Lethality Science
Classification: Distribution limitation C
Instructor:
- Robert Ulibarri, AFRL
- Darren Luke, AFRL
Day/Time: All day course, 0800-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.7
Course Description: The short course consists of two distinct sessions as described below.
The Lethality Testing/Equipment Session will provide a discussion of all elements of HEL Lethality testing. The course will address data
collection standards to be applied during the planning and execution of the test to assure meaningful and accurate data is collected. It will
describe techniques for measuring laser parameters such as power and beam profile during the execution of the test. Experimental test setup and
processes will be described along with data acquisition requirements for targets, facility and test conditions as well as the instrumentation and
equipment necessary to acquire those measurements. The testing session will conclude with a discussion of testing strategy for successful
conducting remote testing. This will include development of test matrices to describe all the key test parameters as well as techniques
and methods to execute HEL Lethality full scale target testing.
The Modeling & Simulation Session will describe the key physics associated with laser-material interaction modeling as it applies to
laser lethality. The fundamental equations, boundary conditions, input data, analytical and numerical modeling approaches will be reviewed.
A summary will be provided of various models, codes and tools used to analyze and predict target effects during HEL engagement. In addition,
an overview of the target vulnerability assessment process will be provided in the context of generating target effects data for mission
level simulations.
Intended Audience: Students attending this course should have an undergraduate degree in science or engineering. The course is tailored for the system
program manager, system designer, and the lethality analyst who are interested in learning the full gamut of HEL lethality and target vulnerability analysis and
testing. Experience in the field would be helpful but not necessary.
Instructor Biography:
Course 6. Beam Directors 101
Classification: Distribution limitation D
Instructor: Bill Decker, DE Consultant
Day/Time: All day course, 0800-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.7
Course Description: The course will cover beam directors from the requirements and parameter that determine the
overall approach to the development of a strategy to acquire and integrate a beam director into an HEL system. Subjects include:
- Performance requirements that drive the design.
- Laser parameters and how they affect the beam director.
- Optical design issues, including aperture, F/#, optical materials and HEL coatings.
- Mechanical design issues, including on-axis and off-axis designs, materials.
- Beam director design basics, including gimbal performance requirements, jitter and tracking rates.
- Other considerations, including stray light, off-axis sensors, control systems.
- Beam director systems engineering - balancing performance with cost, schedule and risk.
- How to get the best beam director for your budget.
Intended Audience: Program managers, lead engineers, systems engineers of HEL systems that will include a beam
director. A technical background is useful, but not required.
Instructor Biography: Bill Decker’s 45 year career includes active duty, industry, university and now DAU experience.
He received a BS in Engineering from Cornell University and a MS in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School.
After retirement from the Army, he spent three years with ITT Night Vision as the Manager of Advanced Technology Programs;
two years as a program manager with the University of Texas Applied Research Laboratory; and eleven years with Brashear,
a Division of L-3 Communications where he was a program manager, product line manager and business developer.
At DAU, Bill Decker taught courses in Systems Engineering Management, Information Systems Management and Science & Technology
Management. Additionally, he has been invited to lead seminars and give numerous lectures on intellectual property/data
rights and open systems architecture. Bill is an active member of the Directed Energy Professional Society(DEPS), where
he was a member of the Board of Directors for six years, and Secretary of the Board for two years. Bill has presented numerous
short courses at DEPS meetings on Technology Transition, Systems Engineering, IP/Data Rights, High Energy Laser Beam Directors
and Optical Materials and Coatings for DE applications.
Course 7. Atmospheric Laser Propagation
Classification: Distribution limitation C
Instructor:
- Steven Fiorino, AFIT
- Jaclyn Schmidt, AFIT
Duration: Half-day course, 1300-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description: This course addresses how to characterize and quantify the major effects of the atmosphere
on directed energy weapons propagation. A first principles atmospheric propagation and characterization code called the Laser
Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) is described and demonstrated. LEEDR enables the creation of
climatologically- or numerical weather prediction (NWP)-derived vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapor
content, optical turbulence, and atmospheric particulates and hydrometeors as they relate to line-by-line or band-averaged
layer extinction coefficient magnitude at any wavelength from 200 nm to 8.6 m. Applying those atmospheric effects to High
Energy Lasers (HELs) is addresses by introducing and demonstrating a high-fidelity scaling-law HEL propagation coded called
the High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation HELEEOS.
The course outline is as follows:
- Intro to atmospheric structure and constituents
- Atmospheric boundary layer
- Aerosol / fog / clouds
- Atmospheric radiative / propagation effects
- Extinction, refraction
- Optical turbulence, scintillation
- Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR)
- HEL thermal blooming effects in the atmosphere
- Optics, beam control: turbulence / thermal blooming compensation
- Coherent beam combining
- High Energy Laser End to End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS)
Intended Audience: US Government personnel and their direct contractors who have program requirements for or are
interested in methods and tools to assess realistic environments and environmental effects for HEL modeling and simulation,
HEL mission planning, and/or military systems operations. The course assumes the students have some technical background in
radiative transfer through the atmosphere--either via an undergraduate degree or career experience.
Instructor Biography:
Course 8. Thermal Management Technologies
Classification: Distribution limitation D
Instructor: John Vetrovec, Aqwest
Day/Time: Half-day course, runs 1300-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description: This course offers an overview of current major challenges in thermal management of
lasers/electro-optical components/systems and it describes prospective solutions. Students will learn how to approach
thermal management from the system engineering point-of-view, become familiar with prospective solutions, and will be
introduced to techniques for conducting trade analyses. Significant portion of the course will be devoted to enduring
challenges in thermal management, namely handling of high-heat flux loads, dealing with high-power momentary loads,
cryogenic cooling, and thermal management on military land/air vehicles. Numerous examples from specific projects and
lessons learned will be described. Methodologies, solution toolbox, and extensive references to in-depth information
will be provided in printed course material.
Topics include:
- Requirements for thermal management lasers/electro-optics on military platforms
- Thermal management principles
- Applicable thermal management technologies and their limitations
- Exemplary cases (requirements, what was done, what did / did not work and why)
- System engineering approach to thermal management
- Enduring challenges and paths to solutions
- Future perspectives
Intended Audience: This course is aimed at systems engineers, project engineers/managers/planners, and
electro-optical engineers /scientists, but thermal management experts will also benefit from attending. Undergraduate
education in science and engineering is beneficial.
Instructor Biography:
Course 9. HPM Modeling and Effects
Classification: Distribution limitation C
Instructor:
- John Tatum, SURVICE
- Peter Mardahl, AFRL
Day/Time: Half-day course, runs 1300-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description:
This course is an introductory course to High Power Radio Frequency/Microwave (HPM) Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) and their
effects. The course will cover what HPM weapons are, the type of weapons – Narrowband and Wideband, how the weapons are
like, but different from traditional Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), how the HPM energy couples
in to a target’s electronics and their effects. The course will also cover some of the basic modeling and simulation tools
for computing estimating the probability of target failure as a function of weapon power density and range. Finally, we
will show an example of how to determine hardening requirements for a notional helicopter against an HPM weapon.
Some topics include:
-ICEPIC capabilities and features (at a high level with theory/algorithm instruction as necessary)
how to build an HPM source (nuts and bolts of putting an input file together)
pitfalls
newest capabilities
Intended Audience: This course is intended for those individuals that are looking for an introduction to
High Power Microwave Directed Energy Weapons and their effects on target systems. The course assumes that the student has
some science/engineering background and understands Radio Frequency/microwave theory and techniques.
Instructor Biographies: John T. Tatum is an electronic systems engineer working for the SURVICE Engineering
Company as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the areas of Electronic Warfare (EW) and Radio Frequency Directed Energy
Weapons (RF DEWs). He also acts as a SME for the Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) and provides
information on RF DEW technology and effects. Before SURVICE he worked 36+ years at the US Army Research Laboratory
(ARL) in Adelphi, Md. {formerly Harry Diamond Laboratories (HDL)} in ARL’s RF Electronics Division where he directed
and participates in High Power RF/Microwave (HPM) effects investigations on military systems and supporting infrastructure.
Mr. Tatum also investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of RF DEW for Army applications. Mr. Tatum was the Army
chairman of the RF DE JMEM Working Group and chaired RF Effects Panel for the OSD Technology Panel on DEW. He is a fellow
of the Directed Energy Professional Society (DEPS) and has published several papers on RF susceptibility assessments,
system effects investigations and effects data bases in both DoD and IEEE conferences.
Peter J. Mardahl holds two B.S. degrees from University of California, Berkeley, in Electrical Engineering and Nuclear
Engineering, awarded 1992. In 2001 he finished his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Berkeley, and in 2002 joined the Air
Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, NM. His research has included simulated laser-plasma interactions, high power
magnetron design, and PIC code development. He is now working as a computational physicist designing high power microwave
devices.
Course 10. Beam Control Technology Assessment Report
Classification: Distribution limitation D
Instructor:
- Paul Berger, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
- Keith Bush, Belcan
- Amanda Clark, SMDC
- David Loomis, DNL Consulting
- Dan Marker, AFRL/RD
- Don Wittich, AFRL/RD
Day/Time: Half-day course, runs 1300-1700
CEUs awarded: 0.35
Course Description:
The purpose of the Beam Control Technology Assessment (BCTA) report is to provide an updated assessment of beam control
technologies involved in the Services’ tactical HEL missions and identify a prioritized list of beam control technology
advancements that would improve the execution of these missions or enhance these missions. As part of this work, a
top-level roadmap was assembled that incorporates the main elements of the Services’ roadmap. This document also
identifies technology efforts funded by the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office (HEL JTO), now designated the
Joint Directed Energy Technology Transition Office (DE JTO) that have potential for transition to military departments
and defense agencies.
This course will describe an assessment of beam control technology conducted under
the auspices of Beam Control TAWG for the DE JTO. The objectives of the assessment are to understand the capabilities
of current beam control technologies and compare them to the requirements of potential tactical HEL missions,
identify any shortfalls, and develop a recommended investment plan for the DE JTO and the Services.
The course will include the following material:
- Outline of the assessment methodology
- Potential tactical HEL missions, Services’ needs and roadmaps
- Mission Environments, including atmospheric phenomena and base disturbances
- Aero-effects, including platform aero buffeting and tilt and wavefront disturbances on beam propagation.
- Target and scene models, wave-optics codes, and scaling law codes used in performance modeling.
- Beam Control Technology, including Target Acquisition and Coarse Tracking, HEL Beam Pointing, Precision Tracking, Aimpoint Selection and Maintenance, Wavefront Compensation, and HEL Target Engagement
- HEL Phased Array Beam Control Architectures.
- Transition of JTO-funded beam control technology to the Services.
Intended Audience: This course should benefit HEL Weapons System program managers and engineers engaged in
designing or analyzing HEL Weapons Systems. A science or engineering degree and some knowledge of tactical missions, beam
control technology, and atmospheric propagation will be useful. After attending the course, the student should have a
better understanding of the current status of beam control technology, emerging developments in the field, and
opportunities to contribute to future technology developments.
Instructor Biographies:
Dr. Paul J. Berger is a Senior Staff member at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. He has a background in atmospheric
propagation, beam-control technology, and HEL systems analysis. He was the project leader for several beam-control field
tests, including the high-power MIRACL local-loop compensation tests and the Atmospheric Compensation Experiments conducted
over long paths to sounding rockets. He was the Beam Control lead for the Airborne Laser program from 1992 to 1995.
Berger has a B.S. in physics from MIT and a Ph.D. in applied physics from Harvard University.
Keith A. Bush is a Senior Scientist with Belcan Government Services and supports the DE JTO with Beam Control analysis
and technical consulting services. He has a background in modeling, simulation and analysis of lasers, optical imaging
systems, atmospheric propagation, adaptive optics, and satellite optical scattering. Bush has a B.S. in Applied Physics
from Georgia Tech and has pursued graduate work in optical sciences through the University of New Mexico.
Mrs. Amanda Clark has supported High Energy Laser research and development for the U.S. Army Space and Missile
Defense Command since 2008. She has worked on all aspects of HEL technology from laser spectroscopy research to
adaptive optics and tracking field testing. She is currently the technical lead over the HEL division's Advanced
Concepts group and is serving as the HEL JTO Beam Control TAWG chair.
Mr. David N. Loomis is a Senior Scientist / Consultant and supports the DE JTO with Beam Control analysis and technical
consulting services. He has a background in program management, system engineering, test and evaluation of Navy Missile
Systems and High Energy Lasers. Loomis has a B.A. in Physics from William Jewell College and a Master’s Degree in Systems
Management from the University of Southern California.
Dan Marker has been the portfolio manager for AFRL / RD, Phased Array Program since 2002. Two advancing technologies
have evolved from that program; Digital Holography and Tiled arrays.
Donald (D. J.) Wittich is the principal investigator for Aero-Effects and Beam Control at AFRL’s Directed Energy
Directorate in New Mexico. Dr. Wittich is an aerospace engineer with over 13 years of experience in aero-effects
research for directed energy applications. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and his
Master’s and PhD from the University of Notre Dame.
Persons requesting cancellation through 29 January will receive a full refund. Cancellations after 29 January
are subject to a $100 cancellation fee. There will be no refunds after 23 February.
Last updated: 20 March 2018
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