Advanced space system concepts and their orbital support needs (1980 - 2000). Volume 1: Executive summary

The likely system concepts which might be representative of NASA and DoD space programs in the 1980-2000 time period were studied along with the programs' likely needs for major space transportation vehicles, orbital support vehicles, and technology developments which could be shared by the military and civilian space establishments in that time period. Such needs could then be used by NASA as an input in determining the nature of its long-range development plan. The approach used was to develop a list of possible space system concepts (initiatives) in parallel with a list of needs based on consideration of the likely environments and goals of the future. The two lists thus obtained represented what could be done, regardless of need; and what should be done, regardless of capability, respectively. A set of development program plans for space application concepts was then assembled, matching needs against capabilities, and the requirements of the space concepts for support vehicles, transportation, and technology were extracted. The process was pursued in parallel for likely military and civilian programs, and the common support needs thus identified

Using Blockchain to Track DoD Funding and Auditing

The Department of Defense (DoD) currently faces a significant problem when it comes to auditing and tracking financial transactions. The DoD has failed every audit since 2017 although it is gradually improving its auditable rating year after year. Concurrently, Blockchain is an emerging technology that has typically been used for cryptocurrencies but has slowly been adapted by private enterprises for their auditing and invoicing problems. This study investigates the value proposition of blockchain technology to improve DoD financial tracking and auditing. To test the hypothesis that blockchain is the optimal option for the DoD, this paper employs an industry blockchain adoption flowchart, requirements matrix for financial regulations and audit weaknesses, and a rigorous benchmark comparison chart between the current financial system and well-established private company’s blockchain (which DoD could replicate). The results of the flowchart and matrix demonstrate that Permissioned Private Blockchain can track government transactions in instances where contracts between a government agency and contractor could be condensed into variables and formulas. The outcome of the comparison shows that a DoD replicated blockchain system would excel at Latency, Error Rate, Time, but not Cost Metrics when compared to other established DoD financial accounting systems

Private security companies and the state monopoly on violence: A case of norm change?

The proliferation of private security companies has received increasing public and academic attention in recent years. From the involvement of private security firms in Sierra Leone and Angola to the capture and killing of Blackwater security contractors in Iraq, the emergence of an international private security industry raises new questions with regard to the legitimacy of the private use of armed force. One aspect often missed in the public debate has been the pervasiveness of private security contractors. While most reports focus on the controversial actions of private security firms in international interventions, most notably Afghanistan and Iraq, domestic private security sectors in Europe and North America have been expanding since the 1970s. The emergence of a global private security industry thus appears to be part of a broader trend that suggests the growing acceptance and use of commercial security firms at the national and international levels. The recent signing of the Montreux Document on Pertinent International Legal Obligations and Good Practices for States related to Operations of Private Military and Security Companies during Armed Conflict has been a further expression of the increased legitimacy of private security contractors. In the document, seventeen states - Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iraq, Poland, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States - have resisted pressures to strengthen the international regulation of private security firms by reiterating the applicability of existing international humanitarian and human rights law and by recommending that firms adopt a voluntary code of good practice

POSTURING SPARES FOR STRATEGIC POWER COMPETITION

As the distribution of power evolves across the world and creates new threats, the Department of Defense (DOD) must continually seek ways to maintain a competitive advantage among dimensions of power that enable us to advance our interests and values. America’s competitors are becoming more assertive and technologically sound, meaning the Navy must improve readiness and adopt innovative capabilities. In the face of strategic challenges, it is important that there is a shift from legacy platforms to novel weapon system readiness. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the survivability of a primary defense weapon system onboard Arleigh Burke Class guided-missile destroyers (DDGs), the Phalanx Close-in-Weapon-System (CIWS), under continuous operation in a contested environment based on current supply forecasting. Currently, forecast supply models do not consider the increased demand in contested environments or additive manufacturing solution-based delivery. To extend the defense operational availability (Ao) time of primary defense systems, a selection methodology was used to identify the weapon components with the highest failure rates. Through simulation-based modeling, these components were evaluated for additive manufacturing capabilities and potential production onboard. This thesis exposed a critical shortcoming of the supply capacity in a contested environment while offering potential solutions to increase the effectiveness of operational sustainment.NPS Naval Research ProgramThis project was funded in part by the NPS Naval Research Program.Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-ENABLED MULTI-MISSION RESOURCE ALLOCATION TACTICAL DECISION AID

The Department of Defense supports many military platforms that execute multiple missions simultaneously. Platforms such as watercraft, aircraft, and land convoys support multiple missions over domains such as air and missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, strike operations, fires in support of ground operations, intelligence sensing and reconnaissance. However, major challenges to the human decision-maker exist in allocating these multi-mission resources such as the growth in battle-tempo, scale, and complexity of available platforms. This capstone study seeks to apply systems engineering to analyze the multi-mission resource allocation (MMRA) problem set to further enable artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools to aid human decision-makers for initial and dynamic re-planning. To approach this problem, the study characterizes inputs and outputs of a potential MMRA process, then analyzes the scalability and complexity across three unique use cases: directed energy convoy protection, aviation support, and a carrier strike group. The critical findings of these diverse use cases were then assessed for similarities and differences to further understand commonalities for a joint AI-enabled MMRA tool.Civilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Cybersecurity for Manufacturers: Securing the Digitized and Connected Factory

As manufacturing becomes increasingly digitized and data-driven, manufacturers will find themselves at serious risk. Although there has yet to be a major successful cyberattack on a U.S. manufacturing operation, threats continue to rise. The complexities of multi-organizational dependencies and data-management in modern supply chains mean that vulnerabilities are multiplying. There is widespread agreement among manufacturers, government agencies, cybersecurity firms, and leading academic computer science departments that U.S. industrial firms are doing too little to address these looming challenges. Unfortunately, manufacturers in general do not see themselves to be at particular risk. This lack of recognition of the threat may represent the greatest risk of cybersecurity failure for manufacturers. Public and private stakeholders must act before a significant attack on U.S. manufacturers provides a wake-up call. Cybersecurity for the manufacturing supply chain is a particularly serious need. Manufacturing supply chains are connected, integrated, and interdependent; security of the entire supply chain depends on security at the local factory level. Increasing digitization in manufacturing— especially with the rise of Digital Manufacturing, Smart Manufacturing, the Smart Factory, and Industry 4.0, combined with broader market trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT)— exponentially increases connectedness. At the same time, the diversity of manufacturers—from large, sophisticated corporations to small job shops—creates weakest-link vulnerabilities that can be addressed most effectively by public-private partnerships. Experts consulted in the development of this report called for more holistic thinking in industrial cybersecurity: improvements to technologies, management practices, workforce training, and learning processes that span units and supply chains. Solving the emerging security challenges will require commitment to continuous improvement, as well as investments in research and development (R&D) and threat-awareness initiatives. This holistic thinking should be applied across interoperating units and supply chains.National Science Foundation, Grant No. 1552534https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145442/1/MForesight_CybersecurityReport_Web.pd

Human Judgment and Autonomous Weaponry: What Does it Mean?

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard Colleg

Air Traffic Management Blockchain Infrastructure for Security, Authentication, and Privacy

Current radar-based air traffic service providers may preserve privacy for military and corporate operations by procedurally preventing public release of selected flight plans, position, and state data. The FAA mandate for national adoption of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) in 2020 does not include provisions for maintaining these same aircraft-privacy options, nor does it address the potential for spoofing, denial of service, and other well-documented risk factors. This paper presents an engineering prototype that embodies a design and method that may be applied to mitigate these ADS-B security issues. The design innovation is the use of an open source permissioned blockchain framework to enable aircraft privacy and anonymity while providing a secure and efficient method for communication with Air Traffic Services, Operations Support, or other authorized entities. This framework features certificate authority, smart contract support, and higher-bandwidth communication channels for private information that may be used for secure communication between any specific aircraft and any particular authorized member, sharing data in accordance with the terms specified in the form of smart contracts. The prototype demonstrates how this method can be economically and rapidly deployed in a scalable modular environment

Parallelizing the Simulation of Shipboard Power Systems

As a result of this research the Navy has a simulation approach for ship power systems that is computationally effective enough to permit efficient simulation. In addition to simulating the basic power system, significant progress has been made in the simulation of the control system.United States Office of Naval ResearchCenter for Electromechanic