ADVANCED ASW WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION STRATEGY

TO OVERCOME SHORTCOMINGS OF ASW WEAPONRY, NOSC PLANS A TECH BASE PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF HIGH POTENTIAL ADVANCED ASW WEAPONS CONCEPTS. NUMEROUS CANDIDATES ARE AVAILABLE IN EACH OF THE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF PROPULSION, WARHEADS, GUIDANCE, QUIETING AND NON-TORPEDO CONCEPTS. THERE IS A NEED FOR A TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION STRATEGY. THE OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I IS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY THAT ENABLES THE INDIVIDUAL TECHNOLOGIST, TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATOR AND NAVAL OFFICER PROGRAM OR BUDGETMANAGER ALIKE TO COME TO SIMILAR CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE MERITS OF ASW WEAPON TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS. THE STRATEGY WILL BE EASY TO EXPLAIN TO PERMIT THE DEFENDER OF THE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM TO CONVINCE HIGHER OFFICIALS. THE STRATEGY CONTAINS TECHNICAL, PROGRAMMATIC AND MILITARYWORTH SUBSECTIONS IN EACH OF WHICH FACT FINDING, EVALUATION AND RE PORTING MODULES ARE USED TO EXTRACT THE RELEVANT FEATURES OF THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY AND TO MAKE CLEAR THE IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON OTHER SUBSYSTEMS, THE WEAPON, THE WEAPONS PLATFORM AND ON OTHER PROGRAMS. IN PHASE I THE EVALUATION STRATEGY FLOW CHART AND AN INTERACTIVE DECISION AID COMPUTER PROGRAM WOULD BE DELIVERED AND APPLIED TO SELECTED CURRENT ASW WEAPON TECHNOLOGY CANDIDATES. IN PHASE II AND LATER, THE METHODOLOGY COULD BE EXPANDED, APPLIED TO ALL CURRENT CANDIDATES, AND BROADENED TO APPLY TO OTHER TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION PROBLEMS AT NOSC AND ELSEWHERE.