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The invention automatically detects a gunshot at a plurality of detection and response nodes distributed in an area, determines the location of the active shooter, and deploys a suppression response to the location of the active shooter from each of the plurality of detection and response nodes to prevent the active shooter from firing further gunshots.

An apparatus and method to enhance the performance of rockets engines which utilize liquid methane/oxygen propellants by injecting optimized amounts of pressurized hot helium gas into the combustion chamber with the propellants. In one embodiment, the pressurized helium gas is stored at low temperatures near those of the cryogenic propellants and is used for regenerative cooling of the combustion chamber and nozzle during rocket operation in order to raise the temperature of the helium gas before being injected into the combustion chamber.

A board game for simulating unconventional warfare. The board game of the present invention includes hexagonal territory board pieces, resource production unit markers, and infrastructure markers for representing territory, resource production units, and infrastructure in an unconventional warfare scenario. The infrastructure markers include (1) base markers that can be placed at intersections of the hexagonal pieces, where each base marker allows a player to collect double resources and build military units; (2) population influence markers that can be placed at the intersections, where each population marker allows the player to collect resources and conduct influence attacks on neighboring infrastructure; and (3) military unit markers that can be placed at the intersections, where each military unit markers allows the player to conduct military attacks on the neighboring infrastructure.

A system and method of providing metal comprising objects via additive manufacturing techniques using an RES mixture. The RES process mixes a precursor compound and a chemical agent which thermally decomposes to form typically CO, H₂, NHᵪ, or some other reducing agent. Using the RES mixture, the additive manufacturing device reproduces an object from a sliced object model file layer-by-layer. Heat is applied to the patterned RES mixture to thermally decompose the chemical agent and reduce the precursor compound to a reduced metal species. This heating and reduction transforms the RES mixture from a general paste having little to no shear strength to an solid form exhibiting a much greater shear strength, al lowing layer-by-layer generation of 3D object components.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for determining the distance between two positions are disclosed. The system includes a correlator, a first receiver, and a second receiver. The first and second receivers each include: an antenna, a steering mechanism, and a processor. The steering mechanism steers the antenna in an azimuthal direction and an elevation direction. The processor is configured to (i) control the steering mechanism, (ii) receive data recorded by the antenna from a plurality of sources, (iii) time-stamp the data recorded by the antenna, and (iv) control the transmission of the time-stamped data to the correlator. The correlator is configured to receive the time-stamped recorded data from the first receiver and the second receiver, and calculate a distance between the first receiver and the second receiver based thereon.

This research performed a gap analysis on the existing Department of Defense (DoD) program management competency standards to determine if changes are required to fully adopt product portfolio management (PPM) strategies in defense acquisition. Current DoD program management standards are compared to the Project Management Institute's Portfolio Management Professional certification standards to analyze alignment and gaps between the standards. Barrier to Implementation (BTI) scores are assigned to address the identified gaps in the DoD standard. The study found that the DoD program management competencies are on average 41% aligned with portfolio management industry standards. The DoD program management competencies are least aligned with the portfolio management domains of governance and strategic alignment. The composite BTI score indicates low to medium level of implementation barriers for most of the gaps. Results indicate that the DoD is capable of conducting PPM, and further research is needed to fully align the current competency standards with industry best practices. Defense acquisition senior leaders should consider formulating DoD portfolio management career field functional competencies to address congressional mandates for portfolio management implementation within the DoD.

The Program Management Office (PMO) is responsible for the quality and integrity of the data associated with system delivery and performance. When competing a new system or system update, the Program Manager (PM) is required to complete acquisition planning activities for a specific procurement and to develop a well-conceived acquisition strategy. This activity includes developing and validating Technical Data Package (TDP) requirements. Often, the program staff are committed to managing the current system and do not have the resources to fully review and validate the TDP for a major competition. Therefore, the TDP may not represent the best product to industry. A PMO may consider having an outside entity conduct a review of their technical data to assess the readiness and viability of the TDP. An Independent Assessment (IA) may provide significant information for understanding what technical data is available, what data is missing for a competitive solicitation, and what needs to be purchased under a new or follow-on contract. An IA can assist with conducting the first steps in the competitive process of developing requirements and conducting market research. The purpose of an IA is to provide the PMO with additional validation that the TDP is sound for a solicitation and subsequent contract.

The purpose of this research is to analyze the potential advantages, disadvantages, and risks to cost, schedule, and performance of shifting the role of operational test and evaluation (OT&E) of the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) program from a dedicated OT&E squadron at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine (AIRTEVRON NINE; VX-9) to a fleet aviation electronic attack squadron (VAQ).

Many United States Naval ships require a predetermined inventory of MAMs to troubleshoot failed equipment installed onboard. MAMs are high-value assets that require 100% inventory validity to help reduce equipment downtime. Fleet Logistics Center, San Diego, has raised concerns due to declining MAM inventory accuracy results onboard Naval ships in the Pacific Fleet.

Traditional radio frequency communication is nearing the edge of its capabilities in transmittable data per second. For this and other reasons free space optical communication is increasingly becoming important. The Space System Academic Group at the Naval Postgraduate School aims to develop their own free space optical communication abilities. To reliably conduct optical communication from space to earth an optical ground station is required. This thesis focuses on said ground station's ability to closed loop track a satellite. For this an automated tracking software written in Python was developed and tested using commercially available telescope hardware. Whilst ultimately unsuccessful in testing the final version of the software design because of hardware calibration problems, this thesis discusses the needed hardware upgrades to reliably acquire and then track satellites. Additionally, an exemplary view of the link budget required for the free space optical communication is calculated given the accessible hardware and different transmitter options.

Prepared for: Dr. Brian Bingham, CRUSER Director, The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER) provides a collaborative environment and community of interest for the advancement of unmanned systems (UxS) education and research endeavors across the Navy (USN), Marine Corps (USMC) and Department of Defense (DoD). CRUSER is a Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) initiative to build an inclusive community of interest on the application of unmanned systems (UxS) in military and naval operations. This 2019 annual report summarizes CRUSER activities in its eighth year of operations and highlights future plans., Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy PPOI, Office of Naval Research (ONR), Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

In April 2020, the DoD senior procurement executives established a new contracting competency model and a single level of certification program for the DoD contracting workforce. The new competency model is based on the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Contract Management Standard (CMS). This new DoD contracting competency model complies with the requirement in Section 861 of the FY2020 NDAA to base a professional certification on standards developed by a third-party accredited program. The purpose of this research is to conduct a competency assessment on a sample of the DoD contracting workforce using the NCMA CMS. This research will answer the following question: Based on the competency assessment results, in which contract management competencies is the workforce less proficient and less knowledgeable? Based on the competency assessment results, recommendations for competency development is provided to the assessed organization.

A coupled Delft3D and underwater munition scour burial (UnMUSB) model has been developed and evaluated to assess sea-floor environment as well as munitions’ migration and burial. The UnMUSB is a user-friendly physical based software written in MATLAB to help remediation management of the underwater munitions. This user guide documents the progress made in development of UnMUSB with coupling to the well-established Delft3D for nearshore environment during the project MR19-C1-1073 contract period (2019-2022), and includes a guide for detail and usage of UnMUSB with connection to Delft3D. The usage of coupled Deft3D-UnMUSB was demonstrated using the TREX13 data collected in the northern coastal region of the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City during the SERDP project MR-2320.

The OPNAV Lead for the 2022-2023 Navy Force Structure Review requested an interdisciplinary NPS team conduct an independent strategic risk and technical risk of the current programmed force structure and three alternatives. Two week-long efforts by thirty NPS faculty and officer scholars from various disciplines produced classified assessments and delivered them to the Navy Force Structure Review study team in narrated briefing style. This report describes the process these two risk assessments used, without providing the classified results.

Archived web page of the 2003 NPS Systems Engineering and Analysis Integrated Project, Defense of the Sea Base, as it appeared on February 24, 2005.

Archived web page of the 2002 NPS Systems Engineering and Analysis Integrated Project, Expeditionary Warfare, as it appeared on February 20, 2005.

This paper develops a planning system for depots remanufacturing components of defense assets, such as helicopters, armored cars, and so forth. These depots take in used assets, disassemble them, repair, upgrade and reassemble them to supply US troops and, occasionally, foreign military services of allied nations. Uncertainty in the supply of used components, the yield of good parts, and the demand for remanufactured products makes this a difficult process to manage. This article describes a multi-period material planning system for the process. It covers everything from collection to final delivery. The system is based on material requirements planning, a method familiar to many managers. It uses linear programming to develop purchase recommendations and to schedule the disassembly of the used components. The researcher held meetings with remanufacturing practitioners to set the system parameters and to evaluate the approach.

This thesis covers parts of the development of a new open-source hardware Floating Spacecraft Simulator for teaching and research purposes, named MyDAS, standing for Mini Dynamic Autonomous Spacecraft Simulator. A Floating Spacecraft Simulator (FSS) is an autonomous robotic vehicle which floats via air bearings on a smooth surface, is actuated by thrusters and controlled by an on-board computer. The use of FSS is advantageous as a cost-effective ground-test tool providing a level of fidelity between numerical simulations and orbital flight. Research has shown that physical of validation is important for advancing autonomous spacecraft maneuvers. Even though many FSS are in use worldwide in universities, research centers and industries, they are typically custom developed and expensive items. In this thesis for the first time, to the best knowledge of the author, a FSS is introduced which is designed to be as small and as inexpensive as possible, while maintaining a high level of spacecraft-emulation fidelity. By introducing MyDAS, the author aims at a broader utilization of spacecraft simulators for research and education at university level, and possibly also high-school level. In addition to being small and inexpensive, MyDAS shall use off-the-shelf and 3D-printed components to allow for customization and improvement. The preliminary design of MyDAS addresses three primary systems necessary to develop a miniature, simplified FSS. These systems include pneumatics, electronics, and structure. The fundamentals, the state of the art, as well as the conceptual design of this specific FSS are presented in this thesis.

The Navy is taking advantage of advances in computational technologies and data analytic methods to automate and enhance tactical decisions and support warfighters in highly complex combat environments. Novel automated techniques offer opportunities to support the tactical warfighter through enhanced situational awareness, automated reasoning and problem-solving, and faster decision timelines. This study will investigate how game theory and prescriptive analytics methods can be used to develop real-time wargaming capabilities to support warfighters in their ability to explore and evaluate the possible consequences of different tactical COAs to improve tactical missions. This study will develop a conceptual design of a real-time tactical wargaming capability. This study will explore data analytic methods including game theory, prescriptive analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate their potential to support real-time wargaming.

OPNAV N834 (Expeditionary Readiness) presently uses an N81 accredited Capability Costing Model (CCM) to inform the annual sustainment requirements for the Navy Expeditionary Combat Enterprise (NECE). The CCM is dated, limited in capability, and lacks adaptability for incorporating measures such as readiness. The lack of a readiness cost model limits proper programmatic assessments on force readiness issues, including costs of readiness achieved and impacts to readiness based on "what-if" drills. The objective of this research is to analyze execution data, phases of Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP), readiness, and other relevant unit and OFRP phase data to identify the cost drivers of the annual sustainment requirements of NECE. We will dissect the existing CCM, assess the importance of factors in accurately predicting sustainment spending, and explore avenues for model enhancement.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This project is a broad study of strategies for Naval forces to achieve net-zero global emissions by 2050 to comply with Executive Order 14008 and to enhance mission readiness. The Navy uses fuel for jets, vehicles, ships, equipment, and for generating electricity for forces in the field. In 2019, DoD consumed 682 trillion BTUs, which represents up to 77% of federal government energy use. DoD operational energy use represents approximately 70% of DOD energy use. Operational use demand depends on the type of fuel available in local markets, the tempo of operations, long logistical tails, and need for energy reserves. Given these factors and because operational energy users are less likely to have access to 100% carbon-free energy sources, multiple pathways to net-zero must be analyzed and understood. The Executive Order, 'Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad' includes a U.S. goal of net-zero emissions by mid-century and makes this goal an essential element of U.S. national security. DoD and DoN must move from a focus on high-level goals to identifying achievable pathways that can lead to net-zero emissions. NPS will evaluate current DoN emissions to understand energy needs to support mission. The study will identify and evaluate current and proposed green energy sources as solution pathways for shifting DoN to net-zero by 2050. The project will conduct cost-benefit and risk analyses based on the pathways and leverage research and net-zero strategies developed by the public and private sectors. Based on findings of the study, the team will develop a roadmap for the DoN to implement strategies and pathways to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This study will include a multi-disciplinary team of NPS researchers and will offer educational and research opportunities for NPS students. Deliverables include a report, analyses of net-zero pathways, and briefs., N9 - Warfare Systems, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The objective is to review requirements created within the DoD Requirements process and identify those that create excessive cost growth, and rank programs with significant cost growth. The research questions are: ' What are common elements of requirements that create excessive cost growth in Navy systems? ' Assuming the elements are identified, determine the risk (likelihood and magnitude) of cost growth from common elements for both procurement and sustainment costs. We propose structured and unstructured data sciences and business intelligence to address the research questions: ' Apply text analyses to the DoD programs requirements data from the operational requirements documents and previous processes. Locate the cost growth risks (likelihood and magnitude) in terms of characteristics including capability requirements (unstructured), key performance parameters (structured data), key systems attributes (structured data), keywords, themes, and entities. Tools include lexical link analysis, spaCy (https://spacy.io/), Orange, and https://prodi.gy/ (for classification). ' Apply Network/graph tools: visualize the risks and capabilities in terms of relations. Prioritize capability, program, system, or product using centrality analysis and correlate with the cost growth risk. ' Apply the integrated deep analytics of leveraging AI for learning, optimize, and wargame (LAILOW) framework, derived from the ONR funded projects. Patterns are learned from big data (if any) and used for the optimization of what if analysis. New operation and capability requirements anticipate uncertainty, unknowns, and unexpected situations when there is no or rare data. This motivates using wargame simulations to coevolve risks and capabilities using coevolutionary algorithms of selection, mutation, and crossover. The tasks include scoping the data and demonstrating the proposed methods. The deliverables include reports, a demonstration, and a paper approved by the sponsor., N8 - Integration of Capabilities & Resources, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The Navy uses simulation-based campaign analysis to help measure risk for investment options for how best to equip, organize, supply, maintain, train, and employ our naval forces. The Synthetic Theater Operations Research Model (STORM) is a stochastic simulation model used to support campaign analysis by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Building, testing, running, and analyzing campaign scenarios in STORM can be a complex, time-consuming process. The goal of this research is to apply Design Of Experiment (DOE) methods in the selection and creation of Design Points (DPs) to minimize the number of modeling runs required for meaningful comparisons. Another objective is to understand how best DOE methods can complement traditional baseline and excursion modeling. In addition to regular reviews, the research deliverables will include: (1) a final brief and/or technical report, in addition to student theses (if applicable); (2) all findings, methods, and data used in the study; and (3) appropriate conference or journal papers related to this research., N8 - Integration of Capabilities & Resources, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, Fuels with high efficiency and energy densities are needed to maximize the range and speed of future air-breathing systems such as solid fuel ramjets (SFRJ). The performance of the fuel mixtures that include large amount of metal additives suffer due to the poor combustion efficiency of the metal powders as they often do not burn completely during the short residence time in the combustor. Recent research has improved the reactivity of these fuels, but introducing them into a binder at high loading densities is a challenge due to the poor rheology. In order to develop and maximize the energy density and performance of SFJR fuel grains, advancements in additive manufacturing (AM) systems will be leveraged. This study will utilize vibration-assisted printing (VAP) and liquid metal printing (LMP) with the Xerox ElemX system to print fuel grains with metal powders and aluminum alloys, and use spray dried nanocomposite mesoparticles as additives. The research will test the physical limits of these approaches and determine optimal printing parameters for producing high quality printed fuels. The fuels will be evaluated mechanically and optimized using fly out calculations and they will be characterized with small scale combustion studies., Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), ASN(RDA) - Research, Development, and Acquisition, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The objectives of this study is to research and assess the initial stages of the evolution of Human-Machine Teaming (HMT) mission workflows which is focused on transitioning of automation tasks from humans to machines using a technique to digitize mission workflows. Also, study the advanced stage(s) of the evolution of HMT to include Courses-of-Action (COA) in Wargaming and how decision-making (DM) AI functions play what role natural language processing (NLP) plays. In addition, this study will explore the viability of NLP in HMT peer-to-peer COAs generation. Finally, this study will leverage complex Joint Naval Force EABO scenario (UNCLASS) designed by MCWL to explore NLP and distributed agents managing the decision making of operators using various modes of HMT interface of AI run-time execution agents thereby enriching digital workflows. The research questions that will be address will include: 1) What is the best approach for a cognitive assistant to learn mission workflows so that recommendations can be made to a human operator?, 2) How can cognitive assistants switch between modes of automatic, advisory, or monitoring?, 3) What are the key parameters for switching?, 4) How does the CA learn to switch to make appropriate recommendations?, 4) What is the cognitive intersection between domain specific environment awareness and situation awareness?, and 5) What happens when a target switches context? The methodology will use quantitative research methods. The methodology for this study will be based on SME input to gain an understanding of mission workflows and tasks, MCWL-developed Joint Force EABO scenario leveraged for a case study and collaboration with the Wargaming Center in Quantico, VA. Based on a scenario, the independent variables will be the inputs into the cognitive assistant. The dependent variable(s) are the output of the system such as if the system recommends the role of automatic, advisory, or monitoring. The plan for this study is to leverage a c, HQMC Plans, Policies & Operations (PP&O), This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This research will examine the implications of the rise of two near-peer, nuclear-armed adversaries for the United States, with an emphasis on the Russian role as a pivotal player in this rising configuration. The focus on Russia will account for the fact that while China's rise makes it potentially the most significant long-term threat, the current scale of Russia's arsenal and its strategic posture make it the most immediate existential threat to the United States and its allies, as well as a key potential spoiler in the U.S. strategic pivot to the Indo-Pacific. The research will proceed along three parallel tracks. The first track will analyze how the different motivations and capabilities of Russia and China to challenge the United States structures their incentives for strategic cooperation, and will review the key debates among Russian elites on these topics. The second part will analyze Russian elite perceptions of the opportunities and limits of cooperation with China in boosting each other's strategic capabilities and their employment strategies. The third track of the research will examine the role of arms control and confidence-building measures in the emerging trilateral context, with the United States facing two near-peer adversaries. This research will be conducted through a combined team effort of subject-matter experts on Russian, U.S., NATO, and Chinese strategic doctrines, capabilities, and behavior. The researchers will perform a rigorous analysis of the debates in the Russian literature, complementing and contextualizing this information through discussions with subject matter experts in Washington, USSTRATCOM, NATO Headquarters, SHAPE Headquarters, and in key European allies. The final report will provide a combined analytical assessment on the topic, and discuss the implications for the USN, DoD, and U.S. national security more broadly., N3/N5 - Plans & Strategy, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This proposed research has the goal of proposing novel, reusable, extensible, adaptable, and comprehensive advanced analytical process and Integrated Risk Management to help the (DOD) with risk-based capital budgeting, Monte Carlo risk-simulation, predictive analytics, and stochastic optimization of acquisitions and programs portfolios with multiple competing stakeholders while subject to budgetary, risk, schedule, and strategic constraints. The research covers topics of traditional capital budgeting methodologies used in industry, including the market, cost, and income approaches, and explains how some of these traditional methods can be applied in the DOD by using DOD-centric non-economic, logistic, readiness, capabilities, and requirements variables. Stochastic portfolio optimization with dynamic simulations and investment efficient frontiers will be run for the purposes of selecting the best combination of programs and capabilities is also addressed, as are other alternative methods such as average ranking, risk metrics, lexicographic methods, PROMETHEE, ELECTRE, and others. The results include actionable intelligence developed from an analytically robust case study that senior leadership at the DOD may utilize to make optimal decisions. The main deliverables will be a detailed written research report and presentation brief on the approach of capturing risk and uncertainty in capital budgeting analysis. The report will detail the proposed methodology and applications, as well as a summary case study and examples of how the methodology can be applied., N8 - Integration of Capabilities & Resources, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This research aims to identify current advanced battery requirement (baseline) and project anticipated battery requirements for the operating force in 2035 and 2050. The research may consider other forms of energy storage as appropriate and based on sponsor interest. The research may use a mission engineering perspective to determine the battery requirements. The analysis may include battery chemistry, energy density, charge/discharge rate, safety concerns, etc. of the battery. The research will attempt to answer the following questions: What is the current advanced battery requirement (baseline)? What is the projection for batteries required by the operating force by 2035? What is the projection for batteries required by the operating force by 2050? The research plan is: 1) Conduct lit review, 2) Identify existing battery systems aboard operational systems and near-term developments, 3) Identify/develop CONOPS and mission scenarios for future battery uses, 4) Conduct targeted lit review on battery technologies that may be viable in 2035 and 2050, 5) Conduct analysis of current power converter and control hardware/software, and battery energy management, 6) Analysis of future battery techs for safety, 7) Develop predictions and recommendations for future battery use across the fleet in 2035 and 2050., N9 - Warfare Systems, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This project will review the Navy performance evaluation system and make recommendations to the Navy for changes. The assessment will involve two parts. The first part will be an analysis of the current performance evaluation research literature and Department of Defense (DoD) Service-level policies to identify a set of best practices. The second part will involve focus groups with Navy subject matter experts (SME) and stakeholders, namely past and current board members, to get their impressions of the Navy Performance Evaluation System, their opinions on how other services do Performance Evaluations, and their top recommendations to address current issues in the Navy Performance Evaluation System. The PIs will use the focus group recommendations as inputs in a survey where Navy personnel quantify/rank the recommendations to arrive at the top recommendations selected by the surveyed population. This three-pronged approach will provide the Navy a unique set of recommendations for change based on qualitative and quantitative data. This project supports the Task Force One Navy LOE#2: Talent Management, in particular LOE #2.5 and 2.6 on selection board processes., N1 - Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This study examines stigma and related factors that reduce help-seeking in the Navy across the N17 program enterprise. The intended outcome will be to measure effectiveness of changes in language related to the DoD's Integrated Primary Prevention Policy (DoDI 6400.09) and to identify language that encourage help-seeking among Sailors. The research will consider effects of message framing alongside broader influences such as organizational culture and structure, individual differences (e.g., gender, rank, personality) and openness to coaching about life skills. This research plan allows for the possibility that effects of language on stigma and help-seeking may vary among persons and communities within the socio-cultural environment of the Navy. Research methods include review of current literature, conduct of focus group meetings, and surveys of Naval community members. The literature review will establish known principles about how to encourage help-seeking and support formulation of discussion questions, message frames, and scenarios for further exploration via focus groups. The focus groups will include members of various communities within the Navy, inviting their assessment of current practices and attitudes, and their consideration of alternative approaches to encourage help-seeking. Following analysis of focus group data, the survey will collect quantitative data about attitudes toward help-seeking, socio-cultural factors in the environment that may affect stigma and help-seeking, and individual differences that might impact personal attitudes. An interim report following the focus group meetings will identify issues that frequently arise, message frames that participants see as positive or negative, and qualitative assessments of alternative ways to discuss help-seeking. The final report will explain results of the surveys and include recommendations to further support help-seeking among Navy personnel., N1 - Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) has been successfully implemented in private-sector operations to reduce maintenance costs and asset downtime. USMC is currently transitioning to a CBM+ approach to maintenance, addressing its unique organizational and operating environment. This project identifies private-sector best practices and lessons learned most applicable to USMC as well as important hurdles for USMC adoption. It identifies maintenance and readiness metrics changes that may be relevant in future USMC and joint sustainment operations, taking into account both CBM and maintenance in an expeditionary environment., HQMC Installations and Logistics (I&L), This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The Navy invests substantial resources to fleet maintenance in terms of part supply, corrective maintenance, maintenance availabilities, and overhauls. In order to measure and prioritize weapon systems investment decisions, an endurance supply metric (Es)is being developed to ensure these systems are ready for tasking across the full spectrum of operations. This research project will attempt to extend the endurance supply concept beyond a single ship by determining what would be the endurance supply for a given group of ships within line of sight of each other and assuming they could transfer parts from one ship to another. The effort will also determine the endurance supply for a single ship assuming resupply from the wholesale system is allowed. The research will provide guidance to what data should the Navy capture to make better decisions using the Es metric., N4 - Fleet Readiness & Logistics, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This research will investigate the implications of China as a peer nuclear armed adversary and how this effects US deterrence strategy that has traditionally been concerned with bilateral deterrence between the USA and Russia. The introduction of a third peer nuclear armed nation adds significant complexity and dynamics that were not present before. China has not been party to previous nuclear arms control agreements and they have been developing their nuclear capabilities at a faster pace than any other nation. However, they have committed to the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty and a policy of no first use. It is vital to understand what motivates Chinese leadership, and what would cause them to voluntarily engage in arms control agreements with the purpose of adding stability to nuclear deterrence between the three nations. This research will help understand these issues, as well as offer recommendations to modify US nuclear deterrence to better deter and stabilize deterrence between the US and China while maintaining effective deterrence between the US and Russia. Also, the power dynamics between China and Russia must also be understood to help implement policies to support, and avoid mistakes that could undermine, deterrence between them., N3/N5 - Plans & Strategy, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The PRC and Russia are the greatest miners in the world and are prepared to employ mines to tilt the Great Power Competition (GPC) in their favor. Mines are inexpensive, easily deployed, and put Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) at high-risk. Countering mines within acceptable risk levels and mission timelines is required to support DMO operational requirements. Although the development and integration of autonomous vehicles should improve DMO, research and development of new tools for optimizing distributed search effort are required to minimize risk to the force. These tools must consider the constraints placed on mine countermeasures (MCM) by the challenges of GPC. Today's MCM systems, for example, rely on surface and airborne assets, with associated force protection burdens required to establish and maintain a permissive environment. In the future, naval forces must be prepared to operate in contested environments where overt operations are denied and supporting technologies (GPS, communications, etc.) are severely limited. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have potential to conduct clandestine MCM operations, but new approaches for conducting collaborative search with multiple AUVs are needed to fully realize their potential. Research is required to identify and assess new methods for conducting entirely clandestine MCM., N8 - Integration of Capabilities & Resources, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The purpose of this research is to consider four major areas for designing and analyzing an ontology, and conceptual data model (CDM) that can be applied across the Land Domain. Focus area 1 considers the importance of designing a generic (simple) ontology that comprehensively represents the system across the lifecycle. As such, an ontology that will serve as the foundation of the Land Domain will be described. Focus area 2 analyzes the relationships between entities defined within the ontology. System structure identifies the elements of the system that connect and interact with each other to achieve the system's purpose, and depicts how behavior will emerge within the system. A previously developed generic CDM will be analyzed, and further defined where needed, to serve as the basis of a common terminology and structure for the Land Domain. Focus area 3 considers the ontology as a foundation for an authoritative source of truth. This research will demonstrate the utility of having authoritative data within a defined structure, and validate the generic ontology and CDM using an example mission thread. Finally, focus area 4 will design a roadmap (modeling plan) depicting the recommended path to transition from document-based systems engineering to a true MBSE-based Land Domain., Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM), This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, Navy networks and infrastructures are under frequent cyberattack. One developing area of application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is cybersecurity. However, some weakness of machine learning, such as the lack of interpretability and the susceptibility to adversarial data, are important issues that must be studied for reliable and safe applications of AI tools. The robustness of deep learning (DL) techniques used in computer vision and language processing have been extensively studied. However, less is currently known about the vulnerabilities and robustness of DL methods suitable in cybersecurity applications. The goal of this research is to investigate mathematical concepts and quantitative measures of robustness and vulnerability to adversarial data for cybersecurity DL and to create computational algorithms capable of quantitatively evaluating the robustness and vulnerability of DL tools. The tasks of the project include literature review, an innovative study of mathematical concepts, the development of computational algorithms, the validation of the concepts and algorithms through examples. The deliverables of the project include technical reports, student thesis, and technical papers for publication. This work will enhance understanding of vulnerabilities of deep learning systems that could be incorporated in future DoN networks, and provide the US Navy with computational tools capable of measuring the robustness of the AI enabled systems., Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command, N2/N6 - Information Warfare, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This research, working in conjunction with ongoing NPS and MCWL efforts examining Expeditionary Advance Base Operations (EABO), will examine SOF-MAGTF Capabilities Integrations in a future Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO). This effort will focus on exploring, assessing and identify mechanisms that will allow MARSOC to better serve as a bridge for capabilities integration with SOF and deployed MAGTFs to fully maximize the complementary capabilities of each formation. This research will be conducted with multiple Joint Campaign Analysis and Wargaming Applications courses., Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), Marine Corps Forces Command (COMMARFORCOM), This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, Navy and Marine Corps planners developed the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept of operations to provide maritime commanders with more options for future sea control operations. Additionally, Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment (LOCE) is the concept for logistical support to multiple EABO sites. Finally, NAVPLAN 2020 and the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy detail the importance of unmanned systems capabilities to future warfighting. Many unmanned undersea and aerial systems currently in development are looking to alternative energy sources, including hydrogen, to maximize operational reach and persistence. The picture is clear, the future combat environment demands risk-worthy platforms to perform sea denial as a low-signature "inside force' that is untethered from a large petroleum supply chain. This study will assess hydrogen requirements for use as a fuel in an EABO environment to inform development of a capability evolution plan. This work will apply a holistic, systems engineering approach to develop a finite set of scenarios for hydrogen use as a fuel in an EABO environment. One scenario will be modelled to determine short, mid, and long-term requirements for: hydrogen generation and storage, fuel-cell numbers and capabilities, facilities, and safety or other '-ilities' of relevance. The goal is to investigate benefits and system of systems trade-offs with the objective of delaying fuel resupply to the greatest extent possible. This will inform identification of DOTMLPF gaps to hydrogen adoption as an enabler of EABO in LOCE and support development of a capability evolution plan. This work directly supports technology assessment & transition in support of ONR S&T objectives, as well as the analysis & assessment needs of OPNAV N-94, MCWL, and NECC. An interdisciplinary team of students and faculty from Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Operations Research will contribute. Systems Engineering will lead the study., N9 - Warfare Systems, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The United States Navy must address how it will integrate conventional and nuclear weapons across the full spectrum of conflict, ranging from non-kinetic, gray zone-type encounters all the way up the escalatory chain to a nuclear exchange. At present the conception of warfare is considered in discrete areas: conventional, chemical, biological, cyber, and nuclear. It is imperative that the Navy develop a coherent conceptual framework that recognizes the linkages between all these domains of warfare. This study will develop a conceptual framework for the Navy to address the integration of conventional and nuclear weapons., N3/N5 - Plans & Strategy, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The U.S. Navy's capabilities regarding the entire sequence of ships and shipboard systems acquisition (research, development, testing, production, deployment, and operations/maintenance of ships and shipboard systems) needs continuous improvement to counter advancing threats. Engineering Duty Officers (EDOs) have long been associated with these capabilities in both technical and leadership positions. Over the years, the range and complexity of these professional areas have increased, and some of the developmental leadership opportunities have become diluted. This study will conduct a focused analysis of the current fundamental leadership and professional development for EDOs in comparison with those of other Navy communities and Department of Defense (DoD) agencies and with private best practices. It will then focus on determining the leadership experiences required to prepare EDOs to successfully take command and lead the Navy's large, complex civilian organizations such as shipyards or regional maintenance centers. Based on findings, we will make recommendations for improving the EDO community talent management practices to successfully prepare EDOs for command and leadership of major shore acquisition commands. The study's findings will impact the Navy's capabilities regarding the research, development, testing, production, deployment, and operations and maintenance of ships and shipboard systems., N1 - Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, In his planning guidance, the Commandant states "We will... accelerate our transformation from disconnected legacy systems to an integrated data architecture that treats data as it should be - a critical resource." This project is a bold step in support of that transformation for Manpower & Reserve Affairs (M&RA). M&RA possesses numerous mathematical models that support the management of the Human Resources Development Process (HRDP). Our approach will demonstrate how M&RA can leverage the latest technology in data architecture and decision support models to overcome these deficiencies. We will formulate modernized versions of models to fill the roles currently held by the Total Force Planning Model (TFPM) and the Enlisted End-Strength Planning Model (ESPM). In addition, we will formulate a model to analyze changes in structure that currently has no legacy counterpart. Finally, we will thoroughly plan and describe the data architecture in which they reside. We will answer the following questions: 1. To what extent may we integrate a group manpower models into a family of interconnected modern models that share a data architecture scheme in order to improve planning and the human-machine teaming with analysts? 2. To what extent may the answer to (1) provide a template to modernize the rest of the system?, HQMC Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA), This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The SECNAV disperses Navy forces in a deliberate manner to support DoD guidance, policy and budget. The current SLD process is labor intensive, takes too long, and needs AI. The research questions are: - How does the Navy weight competing demands for naval forces between the CCMDs to determine an optimal dispersal of operating forces? - How does the Navy optimize force laydown to maximize force development (Fd) and force generation (Fg) efficiency? We propose LAILOW to address the questions. LAILOW was derived from the ONR funded project and focuses on deep analytics of machine learning, optimization, and wargame. Learn: When there are data, data mining, machine learning, and predictive algorithms are used to analyze data. Historical Phased Force Deployment Data (TPFDDs) and SLD Report Cards data among others, one can learn patterns of what decisions were made and how they are executed with in the past. Optimize: Patterns from learn are used to optimize future SLD plans. A SLD plan may include how many homeports, home bases, hubs, and shore posture locations (Fd) and staffs (Fg). The optimization can be overwhelming. LAILOW uses integrated Soar reinforcement learning (Soar-RL) and coevolutionary algorithms. Soar-RL maps a total SLD plan to individual ones used in excursion modeling and what if analysis. Wargame: There might be no or rare data for new warfighting requirements and capabilities. This motivates wargame simulations. A SLD plan can include state variables or problems (e.g., future global and theater posture, threat characteristics), which is only observed, sensed, and cannot be changed. Control variables are solutions (e.g., a SLD plan). LAILOW sets up a wargame between state and control variables. Problems and solutions coevolve based on evolutionary principles of selection, mutation, and crossover., N3/N5 - Plans & Strategy, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, Modern submarines have smaller acoustic signatures that require new search planning approaches in short timeframe environments. In a typical scenario, the search assets are destroyers, maritime patrol aircraft, UUVs, and submarines (two or three of each), and the decision space of a commander comprises command and control, asset allocation, asset employment, and operation planning. Of these, the last three are germane to this project. The novel planning study should take advantage of past observations and intelligence to guide the employment of assets at the tactical level. The study also should account for targets that behave strategically -- for instance, where Red behaves in a certain way so that Blue believes they will continue doing that in the future, but then at some later point Red behaves differently. The starting point of our work will be a spreadsheet already developed by the sponsor., Naval Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC), U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, This project will provide an assessment of the prospects for war in the Indo-Pacific to inform the Navy strategy in this theater. The project will examine how regional actors assess the prospects for war, specifically their attitudes towards deterrence, escalation management on the use of force at sea, and the implications for possible conflict with Indo-Pacific competitors. The findings in this study will be used to assess the implications for US maritime strategy throughout the region. The study will highlight the need for the Navy to rediscover long-forgotten writings on deterrence, coercion, and strategy to analyze the dimensions of the strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific., N3/N5 - Plans & Strategy, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, A valid and credible performance evaluation system is critical for identifying and managing talent in the US Navy. Yet, while multiple performance trait item banks have been developed to rate promotion candidates based on the quality of their candidacy, a systematic study of the validity of such trait items has not been conducted. The objective of this research is to assess the construct validity of draft performance trait/value statements recently developed to assist with promotion board decisions. This study aims to provide N1 with a set of unbiased, validated performance trait/value statements for performance evaluation efforts across the Navy, offering leadership an informed perspective on the potential benefits and risks associated these new metrics., N1 - Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.