These short courses are offered in conjunction with the DE Modeling & Simulation Conference and the HEL Lethality Conference in Tampa, Florida. Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits are earned for completion of these DEPS short courses.
Course 1. Beam Control Modeling Classification: Unclassified Instructor: Duration: Half-day course, starts at 0800 CEUs awarded: 0.35 Course Description: The course is an overview of the technology and analysis needed to understand and design the beam control systems that accomplish acquisition, pointing, and tracking for a laser system. The system could be communications, imaging, or laser deposition, and the technology would still be very similar. The course also includes introductory lectures on control theory, as well as the performance equations that describe propagation of a laser beam to target. The attendees will be given the basic equations necessary to describe beam control system performance. The course will also include an introduction to adaptive optics beam control systems and a look at future beam control systems for fiber optics. Topics
Intended Audience: The students will obtain an overall understanding of the analysis needed to describe, design, and evaluate a beam control system. The course assumes that the attendee has a basic undergraduate level of engineering and mathematics. The solution of differential equations is used to describe the operation of control systems. Both technical persons and managers should benefit from the development and discussions regarding the operation of beam control systems. Technicians may find the course too analytical. The author has included references at the end of each section such that a student in the area may delve much deeper into the material if desired. No experience in the field is required; however, some experience will be helpful since the topics are covered rapidly. Instructor Biography: Dr. Merritt started working on laser systems in 1974 on the Airborne Laser Laboratory. Also in 1974, he received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico. He worked in civil service for several of the Kirtland laser organizations including the Weapons Laboratory, Phillips Laboratory, and Air Force Research Laboratory. His last civil service assignment was the Technical Advisor for the Airborne Laser Technology Division. He retired from the government in 1997 and went to work for Boeing-SVS in Albuquerque where he continued to analyze beam control systems. He was a Boeing Senior Technical Fellow. He retired from Boeing in 2003 and is now working for the University of New Mexico. He is teaching a controls class at the University and is a part time IPA with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland. Course 2. Verification, Validation, and Accreditation in a Cost Effective Manner Classification: Unclassified Instructors: Duration: Half-day course, starts at 0800 CEUs awarded: 0.35 Course Description: Verification and validation (V&V) is an integral part of any substantive system or software engineering project, and development professions recognize that you should implement comprehensive V&V efforts early in the lifecycle to provide positive results in terms of cost and productivity. However, to make V&V work productively, it has to be used correctly and effectively. This tutorial discusses how to effectively implement a V&V program that would reduce lifecycle costs, shorten development time, and increase the overall quality of the final product. The course will commence with a basic description of both verification (answering the question "Are we building the system right?") and validation ("Are we building the right system?). Sample V&V activities will also be discussed, along with a guide for how to meet V&V goals in a cost-effective manner. For each of the many V&V techniques, the costs, benefits, and implementation methodologies will be explained. After covering V&V, this tutorial will go on to discuss the need for accreditation and conclude with a coverage of the steps and options in an accreditation process. Topics
Intended Audience:
Instructor Biographies 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. Craig Kief is a Senior Software Engineer at AEgis Technologies Group, Inc. He has over 20 years of experience in modeling and simulation and operational test, and 8 years experience teaching at the Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute and the Ibero American Science and Technology Education Consortium General Assembly. He is a member of a development team creating a MATLAB model of the Airborne Laser called the ABL Performance Assessment Toolkit (ABLPAT), working as a verification, validation, and accreditation agent for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) supporting the ABL program. He is also developing a C++ based computer simulation trainer for the Active Denial System (ADS) directed energy weapon. He worked in the Policy and Procedures Directorate of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center during his military career. He has a Computer Engineering degree from the University of New Mexico, and has published and lectured on various computer-engineering related topics. He is a certified Modeling and Simulation Professional through M&SPCC and can be reached at ckief@aegistg.com.
Course 3. Directed Energy Weaponization Classification: Unclassified Instructor: Duration: Full-day course, starts at 0800 CEUs awarded: 0.7 Course Description: This course is meant to describe and quantify the methods commonly used to predict the probability of successfully attacking ground targets. The initial emphasis will be on air launched weapons and then weapon systems for ground engagements will be analyzed. These weapons include guided and unguided bombs, air-to-ground missiles, LGB's, rockets, guns, artillery, mortars, and direct fire weapon systems. The course will outline the various methodologies used in operational products used widely in the USN, USAF, and Marine Corps. The main products in use today are the Joint Air-to-Surface Weaponeering System (JAWS) and the JMEM Weapon Effectiveness System (JWES), and the course explains the underlying methodologies developed for these products. Extension of these methods to DE weapon systems will be discussed. Topics
Intended Audience: Civilian and military analysts, engineers and operational users of conventional weapons against ground targets and those interested in applying standardized weapon effects methodologies to new weapon systems. Instructor Biography: Professor Morris Driels has taught at universities in the United Kingdom and the United States for over thirty years. Since 1995 his research has been into various aspects of conventional weapon effects, with particular emphasis on the topic of Weaponeering. In 1998 he began to collate information about the complete field of Weaponeering with a view to providing a graduate-level course on the subject. Professor Driels' Weaponeering course at the NPS is the basis for the 2.5-day Weaponeering Short Course he has taught many times to military and civilian personnel throughout the country and overseas, and is supported by his recently published book on the subject.
Course 4. SHARE/HELEEOS Scaling Law Models Classification: Unclassified, For Official Use Only, Export Controlled Instructors: Duration: Half-day course, starts at 1300 CEUs awarded: 0.35 Course Description: This short course provides an introduction to both the Scaling for HEL and Relay Engagement (SHARE) toolbox for MATLAB developed by ATK Mission Research Corporation and the High Energy Laser End to End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) scaling law engagement model developed by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Center for Directed Energy. The class will consist of an overview of general issues involved in developing scaling law models and the assumptions underlying the calculations followed by discussions of the major features of each of the models. HEL performance for a common example scenario will be estimated in class using each of the models. SHARE was developed for the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate to address diverse HEL system concept modeling, including the application of high-altitude or tactical relay systems. Examples will illustrate the process of establishing atmospheric model assumptions, system parameters, and engagement geometries from which target irradiance characteristics are computed by the SHARE functions. Methods for performing parametric analysis of systems and target engagements will be reviewed. Interfacing of SHARE functions and calculations with other toolbox or custom MATLAB functions/scripts will also be discussed. HELEEOS has been developed, under sponsorship of the HEL Joint Technology Office, to support a broad range of analyses applicable to the operational requirements of all the military services. The model's results can be presented as interactive nomographs allowing the user to explore the parameter space in detail. Probability of kill (Pk) is the HELEEOS' primary metric. A key feature is the ability to evaluate uncertainty in low-altitude engagements due to geographical spatial-temporal variability in all major clear-air atmospheric effects. Atmospheric parameters available for investigation include correlated profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapor content, relative humidity, aerosols, and optical turbulence. Students should bring their laptops to class for installation of the model software and user guide. Topics
Intended Audience: This course is intended for technical staff and technical managers desiring a working knowledge of the nature of scaling-law models for concept exploration, system design studies, and performance evaluation. Students will be introduced to the process of performance modeling for tactical high-energy laser systems using both the HELEEOS and SHARE codes. It is the intent of the instructors to make both models available in advance to qualified persons registered for this class. The instructors recommend that the software be installed on a student-owned laptop prior to the class date. Computer workstations will not be provided by DEPS. Students without laptop computers and installed software may attend the course, but will not be able to follow the code examples in a "hands-on" manner. Instructor Biographies Matt Whiteley has worked for the past 14 years in concept generation, design, analysis, testing, and operation of directed energy laser weapons, laser radar terminal seekers, and electro-optical sensors. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology (1998), specializing in atmospheric propagation and adaptive optics modeling for laser weapon and imaging systems. Dr. Whiteley is a former Air Force officer who spent several years of his active duty career working on beam control and atmospheric compensation issues related to the Airborne Laser. He currently works as a Senior Research Scientist and Group Leader for ATK Mission Research, and is the principal author of the SHARE toolbox. Eric Magee received his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University (1998). He was commissioned into the Air Force in 1988 and has worked as an avionics engineer, laser imaging research engineer, and as an assistant professor at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Dr. Magee is currently working at ATK Mission Research as a Senior Research Engineer. He is actively involved in research topics in the areas of wave-optics simulation, laser radar, atmospheric propagation, and optical communication. Mr. Bartell (BS US Air Force Academy, MS University of Arizona Optical Sciences Center) is currently a Research Physicist with the Engineering Physics Department of the Air Force Institute of Technology where he leads the development of the High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) model. Prior to his affiliation with AFIT, Mr. Bartell was employed with Veridian Systems Division (formerly ERIM) where he supported several state-of-the-art tactical and strategic reconnaissance research and development programs. He led the development of HySim, the Hyperspectral System Image Model. Earlier as a senior engineer with LaserMike Inc., Mr. Bartell was responsible for product specification development, comprehensive electro-optical design, and prototype development and testing for new lines of laser scanners. Mr. Bartell served as an Instructor Weapons Systems Officer in the F-111D and F-111F from 1980 to 1986. Lt Col Fiorino (BS, MS, Ohio State University; MMOAS, Air Command and Staff College; BS, Ph.D., Florida State University) is currently an assistant professor of atmospheric physics at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. During his career, he has served as wing weather officer, 319th Bomb Wing, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota; officer in charge, Weather Flight, 806th Bomb Wing (Provisional), during Operation Desert Storm; acquisition systems meteorologist, Wright Laboratory (now Air Force Research Laboratory), Wright-Patterson AFB; Weather Flight commander, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia; and joint meteorological and oceanographic officer, joint task force, Southwest Asia. Lt Col Fiorino is a graduate of Squadron Officer School and Air Command and Staff College.
Course 5. Modeling and Simulation using WaveTrain Classification: Unclassified Instructors: Duration: Half-day course, starts at 1300 CEUs awarded: 0.35 Course Description: For years wave optics simulation has been a crucial technology for the design and development of advanced optical systems used in directed energy. Until recently, it has been typically been carried out by a handful of specialists because the available codes were extraordinarily complicated, difficult to use, and they often required supercomputing resources. Advances in computing power and software engineering techniques have now made complex optical simulation and modeling techniques much more accessible to a broader range of researchers. This course will provide an introduction to the use of WaveTrain, a generalized modeling tool for complex optical systems. Information about WaveTrain can be viewed at http://www.mza.com. Topics
Intended Audience: Technical professionals and managers interested in modeling and simulation of directed energy systems. Most researchers with a background in computing, engineering, math, and/or physics will be able to follow the material. Instructor Biographies: Mr. Bob Praus is co-founder and President of MZA Associates Corporation, a small company that has distinguished itself in adaptive optics and atmospheric propagation simulation and analysis. Mr. Praus was stationed at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in 1981 where he specialized in data analysis and programming for the Airborne Laser Laboratory (ALL) and development of the Wavefront Control System Simulation (WCSS). He continued his involvement in end-to-end wave optics simulation at the BDM Corporation and RDA. From 1989 to 1991, he served as software manager of the National Test Facility (NTF), now called JNIC. Since founding MZA, he has provided technical management and analysis and simulation support to a number of atmospheric characterization and compensation experiments including HABE, ABLEX, ABLE ACE, and the ABL-ACT North Oscura Peak facility. He is currently the principal investigator for MZA's Airborne Laser (ABL) modeling effort in support of the ABL SPO.
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