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This report focuses on the mission engineering process for a hybrid force in 2025. Updated tasking from OPNAV N9I emphasized the necessity of focusing on the benefits of using cost-conservative unmanned systems. Specifically, the focus was placed on the near-peer competitor China and the problems that could be expected in an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) situation in the South China Sea. The Naval Surface Warfare Center mission engineering approach was used to identify specific vignettes for proposed alternative fleet architectures and then analyzed using combat simulation and optimization models. Research on performance characteristics and cost were compiled on current unmanned systems, specifically those in development at a high technology readiness level. Proposed unmanned systems architectures were developed as solutions to the A2/AD problem and proposed vignettes. The unmanned systems architectures were then run through an optimization model to maximize system performance while minimizing cost. The results of the architecture optimization were then input into modeling and simulation. The overall effectiveness of each architecture in each vignette were then compared to find the most effective solution. An analysis of the results was performed to show the expected mission effectiveness and proposed cost of utilizing the proposed solution unmanned architectures. The most effective architectures included search, counter swarm, delivery, and attack systems.

Navigation systems of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are heavily dependent on the availability of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Although inertial navigation systems (INS) can provide position and velocity of an aircraft based on acceleration measurements, the information degrades over time and reduces the capability of the system. In a GPS-denied environment, a UAS must utilize alternative sensor sources for navigating. This thesis presents preliminary evaluation results on the usage of onboard down-looking electro-optical sensors and image matching techniques to assist in GPS-free navigation of aerial platforms. Following the presentation of the fundamental mathematics behind the proposed concept, the thesis analyzes the key results from three flight campaign experiments that use different sets of sensors to collect data. Each of the flight experiments explores different sensor setups, assesses a variety of image processing methods, looks at different terrain environments, and reveals limitations related to the proposed approach. In addition, an attempt to incorporate navigational aid solutions into a navigation system using a Kalman filter is demonstrated. The thesis concludes with recommendations for future research on developing an integrated navigation system that relies on inertial measurement unit data complemented by the positional fixes from the image-matching technique., Outstanding Thesis, Civilian, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

This report explores the extension of the conventional “kill chain” in a counterintuitive manner. Utilizing lessons learned from the SEA29 work in “Logistics in a Contested Environment,” the “kill chain” is re-defined backward from warhead detonation to “metal bending and metal delivery.” This process provides a more well-rounded examination of Department of Defense (DOD) efforts to maintain supply lines in a major conflict, specifically, those supply lines that provide key rare earth elements (REE) to DOD weapons contractors. Using linear programming and optimization, this report documents a design of three alternatives for the mining, refinement, and production of REEs. By defining a production equation around our Measures of Effectiveness and Performance (MOE/MOP), we maximized the weighted MOPs while minimizing damage to convoys. From the analysis of results, we found REE components produced remotely (OCONUS) and near CONUS had the best results while using medium and large convoys. Finally, the diverse background of the team, professionally and academically, allowed for a combination of perspectives during the research and modeling process, which ultimately led to the creation of this final report., Director, Warfare Integration (OPNAV N9I), Captain, United States Marine Corps, Seren, Israel Defence Forces, Civilian, Singapore Technologies Electronics, Singapore, Military Expert 5, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Military Expert 5, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Military Expert 5, Singapore Army, Military Expert 5, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Major, United States Army, Captain, United States Marine Corps, Captain, Singapore Army, Military Expert 5, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Civilian, Singapore Technologies - Engineering Land Systems, Singapore, Military Expert 5, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Captain, Singapore Army, Civilian, Singapore Technologies Engineering Land Systems, Singapore, Major, Singapore Army, Civilian, DSO National Labs, Singapore, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) poses a threat to soldiers operating in mission areas, but current UXO detection systems do not provide the required safety and efficiency to protect soldiers from this hazard. Recent technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) present an opportunity to explore a novel concept for a UXO detection system. The system proposed in this study integrates a sUAS with an onboard single- or multiple-spectrum (MS) electro-optical (EO) sensor. The major contributions of this thesis include the development of an AI-based algorithm for reliable UXO detection using a Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network, execution of experiments to validate the proposed system’s performance, and analysis of the proposed system’s feasibility. To that end, the thesis describes the development of the UXO detector for a single-spectrum sensor, followed by the development and integration of five UXO detectors for the MS sensor. The field experiment conducted using a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sUAS equipped with a standard EO sensor is also described. This thesis concludes that AI-based UXO detection using a single-spectrum or MS sensor flown on a COTS sUAS is a feasible solution. The thesis also proposes the steps for further enhancement and improvement of the developed system and lays out additional test and evaluation strategies to fully test the developed capability.

This thesis aims to reduce the safety risks for warfighters in an area of operations where unexploded ordnance (UXO) may be present, and lessen the number of training opportunities due to malfunctioning munitions in a controlled environment. The thesis leverages the advancement in unmanned technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) development to complete dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks more effectively. Specifically, the thesis attempts to improve a trained AI detector's performance using different data-labeling methods as applied to the electro-optical images. The thesis describes the efforts conducted to train a UXO detector for a proposed deep learning convolutional neural network followed by validating its performance. To further enhance UXO detection capabilities, the research explores how the optimal target classification method developed and verified for a single-spectrum sensor can also be applied for a multispectral sensor. As such, the thesis outlines a development of a prototype of a real-time UXO detection system composed of a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) multi-spectral sensor and a small COTS unmanned aerial system.

The military’s installations on remote islands have the highest power costs and demand resilient and reliable power for mission assurance. These installations have no electrical connection to an external utility provider and encounter numerous challenges in incorporating renewable energy, and there is a pronounced gap in both defining resilience and measuring it for off-grid islanded microgrids at islanded naval installations (INIs). This work’s research objective was to develop a methodology to choose renewable energy microgrid designs that maximize resilience and minimize costs on remote islands with applications for INIs. The deliverable is a tool that incorporates the methodology to identify the cost of resilience using a measure that captures the area under the resilience curve. The tool uses the models developed in this research to create the resilience and cost trade-off curves for different microgrid design and maintenance options to enable decision makers to choose an optimal microgrid design primarily for remote islanded military installations like San Nicolas Island. The research concluded that resilience can be improved by using optimal power capacity ratios for a renewable energy microgrids, that redundancy improves resilience for less costs, and that more maintenance only improves resilience when the generation capacity is closer to the demand and for microgrids with less redundancy., Civilian, Department of the Navy, Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

Machine-to-machine teaming is the trend of future warfare aiming at maximizing effectiveness of heterogeneous assets while performing a specific task or mission. Currently, modern militaries employ autonomous systems such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and unmanned ground systems (UGS) independently with separate missions. This study explores the possibility of utilizing an autonomous swarm composed of UAS and UGS working in tandem in the improvised explosive device (IED) clearance mission in the urban environment. In this mission, the UAS serves as the "eyes" to detect IED within a specific area assigned by an operator, while the UGS as the "hands and legs" to respond and neutralize the IED detected by the UAS. The thesis uses Cameo Systems Modeler, an industry-leading cross-platform collaborative model-based systems engineering (MBSE) environment, to model the joint UAS and UGS mission and then integrate it with a domain-specific MATLAB/Simulink environment where high-fidelity UAS and UGS models were developed., Outstanding Thesis, Captain, Singapore Army, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is becoming the industry standard for systems engineering activities. To avoid design flaws and reduce rework and cost, the descriptive models developed using the modern MBSE tools need to be integrated with other engineering discipline models. The co-simulation approach envisioned for current MBSE tools facilitates the use of external solvers to solve mathematical expressions within the model. Indeed, integrating complex simulations to couple descriptive and physics-based models is a challenging task requiring quite a few adjustments to both models to produce an executable MBSE model. This thesis aims to enhance the use of one of the most advanced MBSE tools—Cameo Systems Modeler (CSM)—to be able to execute high-fidelity models of combat systems running in the Simulink development environment. Such an executable model should greatly improve and enhance feasibility of analysis of any combat mission during early system design phases. As an example, this thesis models a co-orbital engagement (COE) of two satellites and walks through all steps of the CSM-Simulink integration process. A shared workspace of MATLAB serves as a critical enabler for dealing with the data transfer. The thesis provides an example of how the developed integrated model can be used to analyze the COE mission and explore an effect of reshaping the design space via varying a set of mission requirements., Outstanding Thesis, Capitao-Tentente, Brazilian Navy, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

An increase in technology and software capabilities has led to an increase in computer modeling to better understand systems. There are many methods of modeling and various software programs created for this purpose. By exploring a program called Cameo Enterprise Architecture (Cameo), made by the software company No Magic Incorporated, the goal is to utilize this state-of-the-art software, used for model-based systems engineering (MBSE) by the DOD research labs, to drive a standalone physical model of the weapon system. Cameo provides a variety of tools for in-depth system modeling and architecture, and the goal of this thesis is to explore different applications of Cameo and techniques involved in using it to model real systems. This thesis presents a physical model of the Mk 15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) built using the Lego Mindstorms kit and then develops a routine to control it from Cameo. Such an integrated model is thought of as a useful tool to verify the requirements of the system at the early stages of its design. The developed integral model is tested using realistic scenarios to determine the effectiveness of the diagrams and models created in Cameo.

The objective of this research was to quantify the undesired pitch and heave motions caused by wave-induced loads on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operating near the surface. Accomplishing this objective will help to inform system design requirements necessary to ensure desired performance during operations. An experimental study was conducted utilizing a towing tank with wave-making capability and a commercially available ROV. The ROV was tested in the tank at near-surface depths using both single-component and two-component waves for zero speed and forward speed conditions. Pitch, depth, and thruster data were collected from the ROV and compared against control runs to determine the effect of the wave-induced loads on the ability of the ROV to control pitch and maintain depth. For pitch, the results showed that the response had components from linear loads, nonlinear loads, and natural system frequencies. Linear loads resulted in a pitch response that increased with wavelength and ROV speed. Low-frequency nonlinear loads resulted in a measurable pitch response at the wave component frequency differences used. Natural system frequencies resulted in a pitch response at frequencies specific to the ROV, and this response increased with speed. For depth, little response was seen due to the control authority of the ROV; however, the vertical thruster response showed that wave-induced loads have the potential to affect depth if sufficient control authority is not present., Outstanding Thesis, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

This report examines the transport and delivery of logistics in contested environments within the context of great-power competition (GPC). Across the Department of Defense (DOD), it is believed that GPC will strain our current supply lines beyond their capacity to maintain required warfighting capability. Current DOD efforts are underway to determine an appropriate range of platforms, platform quantities, and delivery tactics to meet the projected logistics demand in future conflicts. This report explores the effectiveness of various platforms and delivery methods through analysis in developed survivability, circulation, and network optimization models. Among other factors, platforms are discriminated by their radar cross-section (RCS), noise level, speed, cargo capacity, and self-defense capability. To maximize supply delivered and minimize the cost of losses, the results of this analysis indicate preference for utilization of well-defended convoys on supply routes where bulk supply is appropriate and smaller, and widely dispersed assets on shorter, more contested routes with less demand. Sensitivity analysis on these results indicates system survivability can be improved by applying RCS and noise-reduction measures to logistics assets., Director, Warfare Integration (OPNAV N9I), Major, Israel Defence Forces, Civilian, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, Singapore, Commander, Republic of Singapore Navy, Commander, United States Navy, Captain, Singapore Army, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Major, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Captain, United States Marine Corps, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Captain, Singapore Army, Lieutenant Junior Grade, United States Navy, Captain, Singapore Army, Lieutenant Colonel, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

With the evolving requirements of future mine countermeasure (MCM) operations, the operational capabilities of next-generation platforms must be sufficiently flexible to meet these changing needs. As the U.S. Navy's current and leading platform solutions to address rising threats continually evolve, their operational capabilities are either directly derived from or influenced by the platforms' architectural design parameters. Because of this mapping, traditional approaches of configuring operational systems around a vessel's architectural design may have limited flexibility to accommodate design revisions and may make such revisions costly and time consuming. Approaches centered around Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering have seen success as simulation and modeling tools to better link architectural vessel designs to operational requirements of various types of vessels. To further extend on the MBSE approach to MCM operational requirements, this thesis considers steps necessary to establish a relationship between MCM capabilities and platform design parameters. This thesis explores potential related trade-offs by conducting a sensitivity study of the MCM vessel design parameters and their effects on the operational capabilities of the vessel. Such an approach can serve as the basis for a methodology influencing early-stage vessel design choices, as dictated by mission operational requirements.

This thesis builds on previously conducted experiments which measured the wave-induced loads that acted upon rectangular unmanned undersea vehicles of three different aspect ratios. Travis Turner, a graduate of Naval Postgraduate School, showed in his thesis in 2018 that the aspect ratio strongly influences specific loads, particularly the heave force. However, due to the limited number of aspect ratios tested, the functional relationship between the loads and the aspect ratio is unknown. This thesis identifies that relationship by numerically examining a broad range of aspect ratios by employing the Large Amplitude Motion Program (LAMP). The suitability of using LAMP is first confirmed by comparing the simulation results to the previously collected experimental results.

The military’s installations on remote islands have the highest power costs and demand resilient and reliable power for mission assurance. These installations have no electrical connection to an external utility provider and encounter numerous challenges in incorporating renewable energy, and there is a pronounced gap in both defining resilience and measuring it for off-grid islanded microgrids at islanded naval installations (INIs). This work’s research objective was to develop a methodology to choose renewable energy microgrid designs that maximize resilience and minimize costs on remote islands with applications for INIs. The deliverable is a tool that incorporates the methodology to identify the cost of resilience using a measure that captures the area under the resilience curve. The tool uses the models developed in this research to create the resilience and cost trade-off curves for different microgrid design and maintenance options to enable decision makers to choose an optimal microgrid design primarily for remote islanded military installations like San Nicolas Island. The research concluded that resilience can be improved by using optimal power capacity ratios for a renewable energy microgrids, that redundancy improves resilience for less costs, and that more maintenance only improves resilience when the generation capacity is closer to the demand and for microgrids with less redundancy.

In view of increasing urbanization worldwide, it is expected that many future military operations will occur in urban environments. To conduct an urban operation effectively, the dismounted warfighter requires real-time situational awareness. Yet, delivering this information during such an operation can be difficult as communication links are weakened by infrastructure and transmission distance is reduced. To address these challenges, the research applies a system architecture process approach to investigate the problem space and recommend a potential solution. An integrated system is designed and built by utilizing small aerial vehicles and a wireless mesh network system to establish a constant and reliable communication network for the exchange of real-time information. In this thesis, field testing is conducted to verify the integrated system's performance, using three scenarios to simulate building heights found in a city. Test sites were selected to provide a realistic urban environment, which matched the test environment requirements. Field test results revealed that the noise floor value increases when the integrated system propels to a higher altitude and travels farther from the ground control station. Based on the results, a wireless mesh network signal strength matrix table was introduced as a reference aid to determine the optimal configuration (i.e., altitude versus distance) for deploying the integrated system.In view of increasing urbanization worldwide, it is expected that many future military operations will occur in urban environments. To conduct an urban operation effectively, the dismounted warfighter requires real-time situational awareness. Yet, delivering this information during such an operation can be difficult as communication links are weakened by infrastructure and transmission distance is reduced. To address these challenges, the research applies a system architecture process approach to investigate the problem space and recommend a pote

How can the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy minimize repetitive requirement changes while maintaining a low cost in its battleship design? This question pivots around the complexity of the ship design process. Although a naval vessel is a single unit, it incorporates a large collection of various systems that range from weapons and navigation systems to habitability and support elements. Interoperability concerns persist within the design phase, which reflects the reality that a naval vessel is part of a larger system, the country’s naval force. Complexity and interoperability add to other challenges in the ship design process including high costs and lengthy schedules. Depending on the type of design procedure implemented, requirement changes increase, thereby extending the schedule and delaying operationalization. The need to establish and practice effective design methodologies has become imperative for achieving efficient naval ship acquisition with reduced costs and condensed timelines. Using the set-based design method—first implemented in U.S. Naval Ship Designs—this thesis explores the prospects of reducing repetitive requirement changes in the ROK Navy’s ship acquisition process., http://archive.org/details/setbaseddesignin1094562264, Lieutenant Commander, Republic of Korea Navy, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

The proliferation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has contributed to the asymmetric threat of malevolent actors exploiting this technology for mischief or harm. Existing ground-based solutions are limited by line of sight, while human-operated responder drones can be less responsive and more labor-intensive. Hence, there is a capability requirement for autonomous vision-based pursuit and interception of unauthorized drones. To address this, the author developed a computer vision (CV) algorithm to detect, track and estimate the relative position and range of a hovering and moving airborne small UAS target in field conditions. CV-based measurements were compared against GPS data, to assess the range and angular estimation performance of the CV algorithm. Then, the CV-estimated range and angular information was processed by a flight control algorithm utilizing simple angular guidance principle to pursue and intercept the target. Field tests of the algorithm were done using a prototype drone. This research will inform the conceptual design and choice of hardware implementation for a commercial-off-the-shelf-based counter-UAS capability. More broadly, the research contributes to the body of knowledge in autonomous object tracking applications., http://archive.org/details/visionbasedrelat1094563509, Outstanding Thesis, Major, Republic of Singapore Air Force, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Naval vessels are subjected to underwater explosions that impart a mechanical shock onto the ship structure, its subsystems, equipment and crew. This violent shock loading, although not in direct contact with the ship hull, seeks to cause significant damage and even failure of critical components, potentially rendering vital systems inoperable. To ensure deployment of robust systems, shock hardening of surface ships is established in part through shock qualification of mission-essential shipboard equipment. Current shock qualification methods predominantly rely on demonstration of satisfactory performance under prescribed physical testing schedules using standardized shock test machines. A pass/fail rating is assigned based on post-test operational evaluation and visual inspection of structural elements, not from measured response values. An updated shock failure assessment approach is found through numerical experimentation of standard shock platform models, full ship simulations and reduced order equipment models approximating various shock testing scenarios. Introduction of a simple functional failure representation provides a definite means by which to assess the response severity and time at failure. Threshold values for the peak velocity response and change in displacement are thusly established and proposed as deterministic shock failure criteria in order to reduce uncertainty in the shock qualification of shipboard equipment.

This thesis analyzes the validity of using linear superposition to accurately predict the forces and moments on a shallowly submerged vessel in a complex seaway. Linear superposition implies that the forces and moments due to the complex seaway are simply the summation of the forces and moments of the single regular waves that combine to create the complex seaway. The forces and moments are measured on a UUV-shaped model in the tow tank with wave making capability at the Naval Postgraduate School with the aid of various data collection processes. First, the forces and moments due to single regular waves are studied. Single regular wave results are then combined to predict what complex waveform loads would be and the accuracy is assessed. The results show that linear superposition is a valid assumption over the wave heights and frequencies tested, especially for wavelengths greater than the length of the submerged body when the submerged depth is twice the diameter of the body.

Unmanned systems are gaining popularity in many modern-day applications, and their growth potential in unmanned technologies is infinite. These systems have created research and development opportunities for enabling autonomous behavior to reduce human workload and involvement in tedious operations. This thesis assesses autonomy-enabling technologies for conducting search-and-rescue (SA) operations and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions using a small unmanned system (sUAS). These technologies include an electro-optical sensor, onboard processor, and computer-vision (CV) algorithms. In a previous master’s thesis by Wee Kiong Ang, a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) quadcopter sUAS was integrated with a suite of hardware and multiple-moving-target-detection software. Building upon that work, this thesis aims to advance the system’s capabilities by exploring the applicability of the aforementioned three technologies on an sUAS. Using the systems engineering approach, the baseline system deficiencies are identified first. Next, a technology enabler review is conducted to explore the relevant COTS products and paradigms. Then, through the implementation of a set of changes, the baseline system architecture is reassessed and consequently redesigned, followed by an assessment of state-of-the-art CV algorithms. After being tested in a field experiment based on SA/ISR-type mission scenarios, the developed prototype was found to be successful., http://archive.org/details/advancingcotsuav1094560353, Outstanding Thesis, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

The level of unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology provides an opportunity to improve productivity and at the same time increase safety in airport operations. This thesis aims to study the requirements of a system of Group 1 UAS swarm to perform foreign object debris (FOD) management at an airport. A concept of operations of the Automated FOD Detection System (AFDS) was designed, and the graphical user interface (GUI) was developed to prove the concept. A variety of image processing algorithms was developed in MATLAB to perform the functions of AFDS. FOD parameters such as its color and size, as well as the operating altitude of UAS and the image processing filter window size, were varied to determine the optimal AFDS configuration. This research involved hands-on experience of assessing the developed algorithms on board a commercial-off-the-shelf DJI UAS in a series of experiments conducted over a real runway at Camp Roberts, CA. The performance of the system in a large airport was assessed and the costs involved in implementing the system were determined. The results showed that FOD management using Group 1 UAS is feasible, with future work required in developing control algorithms of the UAS and testing them to eventually operationalize the AFDS., http://archive.org/details/assessmentoffore1094560426, Outstanding Thesis, Air Force, Singapore, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Due to its complexity, an urban area is a challenging multi-dimensional environment for ground warfare. Recent technological advancements have enabled militaries to utilize different-size unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) to support a variety of missions. This thesis presents guidance algorithms for a search and kill mission developed for some generic UGV swarms, which may be an attractive application, particularly for smaller UGVs operating in an urban environment. Through a series of computer simulations, the research evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithms in executing such a mission in indoor and outdoor urban environments. The developed simulation allows varying many parameters, thus achieving closeness to the real-world situation when different environments, platforms, sensors, and weapons are used. Computer simulations presented in this paper may also assist military leaders in choosing key mission parameters to maximize the outcome of potential future engagements., http://archive.org/details/assessingtheeffe1094560354, Outstanding Thesis, Army, Singapore, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Current International Maritime Organization (IMO) and U.S. Coast Guard regulations require inclining tests of vessels to use three heel-measuring devices, one of which must be a pendulum. This is a problem since pendulums are required to be at least 10 feet in height and newer vessel designs are constrained by overhead clearance and deck space. To investigate this problem, this thesis examines five different stability test results that were submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center (MSC). The author identified and inputted random error into the independent variables used to calculate each vessel’s metacentric height (GM). The independent variables were then used in a Design of Experiment (DOE) to examine which factors had the strongest effect on GM. Of the factors analyzed, the device used to measure heel angle proved to be the most significant. The author then constructed three different miniature models to conduct inclining experiments in a controlled environment. The heel-measuring devices used during these experiments were a smartphone and pendulum. In all three miniature model experiments, the smartphone demonstrated better precision over the pendulum. This thesis recommends keeping current standards and regulations intact until further data and research are gathered., http://archive.org/details/testingstability1094559662, Lieutenant, United States Coast Guard, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

This study evaluated the feasibility of swapping a system of small multi-rotor unmanned aerial systems during flight for persistent perimeter surveillance. The systems engineering processes, such as requirement analysis and functional analysis, were followed by designing the overall concept of system and identifying high-level requirements for it. The research also included system prototyping. The developed system prototype consisted of three COTS products: multiple quadcopters, a single router, and a laptop running Python code. Quadcopters were programmed to fly in different predefined patterns over the Military Operation at Urban Environment Training site at Impossible City, CA, and McMillan Field at Camp Roberts, CA. Videos were recorded during the tests. While one quadcopter was flying, the remaining two stayed on stand-by. Once the airborne quadcopter depleted its battery life to the predetermined level, one of the standby quadcopters was activated as a replacement. The process can be repeated continuously, assuring an uninterrupted video stream. By monitoring the battery level and autonomously swapping quadcopters, the system showed that endurance can exceed the capability of a single quadcopter and possibly perform 24/7 persistent surveillance, or until the system fails mechanically.

With the evolving requirements of future mine countermeasure (MCM) operations, the operational capabilities of next-generation platforms must be sufficiently flexible to meet these changing needs. As the U.S. Navy's current and leading platform solutions to address rising threats continually evolve, their operational capabilities are either directly derived from or influenced by the platforms' architectural design parameters. Because of this mapping, traditional approaches of configuring operational systems around a vessel's architectural design may have limited flexibility to accommodate design revisions and may make such revisions costly and time consuming. Approaches centered around Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering have seen success as simulation and modeling tools to better link architectural vessel designs to operational requirements of various types of vessels. To further extend on the MBSE approach to MCM operational requirements, this thesis considers steps necessary to establish a relationship between MCM capabilities and platform design parameters. This thesis explores potential related trade-offs by conducting a sensitivity study of the MCM vessel design parameters and their effects on the operational capabilities of the vessel. Such an approach can serve as the basis for a methodology influencing early-stage vessel design choices, as dictated by mission operational requirements., Captain, Singapore Army, Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

This thesis builds on previously conducted experiments which measured the wave-induced loads that acted upon rectangular unmanned undersea vehicles of three different aspect ratios. Travis Turner, a graduate of Naval Postgraduate School, showed in his thesis in 2018 that the aspect ratio strongly influences specific loads, particularly the heave force. However, due to the limited number of aspect ratios tested, the functional relationship between the loads and the aspect ratio is unknown. This thesis identifies that relationship by numerically examining a broad range of aspect ratios by employing the Large Amplitude Motion Program (LAMP). The suitability of using LAMP is first confirmed by comparing the simulation results to the previously collected experimental results., Lieutenant, United States Navy, Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

Includes supplementary material. For those interested in obtaining the supplemental documents for review, please contact the NPS Dudley Knox Library., Naval vessels are subjected to underwater explosions that impart a mechanical shock onto the ship structure, its subsystems, equipment and crew. This violent shock loading, although not in direct contact with the ship hull, seeks to cause significant damage and even failure of critical components, potentially rendering vital systems inoperable. To ensure deployment of robust systems, shock hardening of surface ships is established in part through shock qualification of mission-essential shipboard equipment. Current shock qualification methods predominantly rely on demonstration of satisfactory performance under prescribed physical testing schedules using standardized shock test machines. A pass/fail rating is assigned based on post-test operational evaluation and visual inspection of structural elements, not from measured response values. An updated shock failure assessment approach is found through numerical experimentation of standard shock platform models, full ship simulations and reduced order equipment models approximating various shock testing scenarios. Introduction of a simple functional failure representation provides a definite means by which to assess the response severity and time at failure. Threshold values for the peak velocity response and change in displacement are thusly established and proposed as deterministic shock failure criteria in order to reduce uncertainty in the shock qualification of shipboard equipment., http://archive.org/details/updatedapproacht1094564136, Civilian, Department of the Navy, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.