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Sly Fox Mission 21 has all the trappings of a smash hit reality
television series with a technological innovation that may one day
save lives of warfighters across the joint services.
Although it was never filmed or broadcast, the drama, technology,
and names of the seven junior scientists and engineers are real.
Hundreds of Navy civilian and military personnel witnessed this
reality as the mission culminated with a technological capability
demonstration on the Potomac River Test Range, June 15, 2017.
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June 2017 - Navy scientist Jordan Lieberman, left, works with
engineer Jonathan Crook to install the SCAPEGOAT payload onto a
Boeing Insitu Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) prior to a
system test flight. The SCAPEGOAT system - which includes modular
interfaces to multiple chemical, biological, and radiological
sensors and UAV platforms - was developed by junior scientists and
engineers engaged in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren
Division sponsored Sly Fox Program over a six-month period. (U.S. Navy photo by Stacia Courtney)
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“One of the secrets to the Sly Fox Program's success is the
makeup of the team - using scientists and engineers with fresh
perspectives from a wide array of technical disciplines helps
identify solutions that otherwise may not be apparent,” said Kevin
Cogley, head of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
(NSWCDD) Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Detection
Branch.
Similar to reality TV, the Sly Fox members took time
to get to know each other, including their strengths and weaknesses,
as they worked to make the warfighter urgent need for an early
warning CBR detection capability – adaptable to various unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) – a reality.
“The Sly Fox program
serves as an outstanding experience accelerator for members our
workforce,” said Dale Sisson, NSWCDD deputy technical director. “By
presenting the Sly Fox teams with real world challenges and
schedules, we are able to allow them to gain valuable experience
into what it takes to support our warfighters.”
The team of
mentors – senior NSWCDD scientists and engineers – ensured a strong
focus on technical rigor as they taught the Sly Fox team how to
perform under pressure.
“The program is challenging, both to
the home organization and to the employee,” said Mary Collings, head
of the NSWCDD Gun Prototyping and Rapid Fielding Branch and
supervisor of one of the Mission 21 team members. “It enables
employees to experience the development of a system from beginning
to end. They start with requirements and finish by demonstrating a
product.”
The intensive collaboration resulted in a system
called SCAPEGOAT, otherwise known as ‘Senses CBR Agents
Pre-Engagement and Goes Over All Terrain’. The modular CBR detection
system accommodates multiple sensor modules across multiple UAV
platforms, enabling Sailors to better protect themselves from the
increasing frequency of CBR attacks by relaying threat data to
command and control assets.
Throughout the demonstration,
spectators looked at the horizon over the Potomac River and viewed
monitors to see the SCAPEGOAT system onboard a commercial octocopter
UAS platform detect and report the presence of chemical simulants.
“It directly addresses a real warfighter need for low cost,
flexible CBR early warning technologies,” said Cogley, a Sly Fox
process mentor. “While other organizations and industry have
demonstrated similar capabilities, the SCAPEGOAT's low cost and
ability to operate with multiple UAV platforms and CBR sensors is
the unique quality that sets it apart from other solutions.”
Early in the design phase, the team decided to integrate existing
CBR detection technology into SCAPEGOAT, avoiding major
modifications of CBR sensors and UAS platforms that involve strict
payload weight limitations. Their decision led to a system design
with three interchangeable mission modules – one each for the
chemical detection, biological, and radiological detection
capabilities.
Moreover, the chemical and radiological
detection modules are compatible with fielded military sensors. The
biological collection unit is a custom NSWCDD-designed module
compatible with currently fielded filter media that uses a 12-volt
fan to pull air through the system. In addition to CBR detection
systems, SCAPEGOAT features modules for communications, a global
positioning system, camera, and power.
As the demonstration
concluded, team members reflected on the reality and impact of their
Sly Fox Mission experience.
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June 2017 - Navy scientist Charles Miller and mathematician
Jessica Hildebrand perform pre-flight checks on the SCAPEGOAT
chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) detection system. The
SCAPEGOAT system - developed by a team of Naval Surface Warfare
Center Dahlgren Division junior scientists and engineers -
demonstrates the capability to deploy a modular CBR sensor system
aboard multiple unmanned aerial vehicle platforms. (U.S. Navy photo by John Joyce)
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“The primary lesson I learned from Sly Fox is the
necessity of technical rigor in concept development, design,
and testing,” said Joshua Taylor, NSWCDD physicist. “Sly Fox
connected me to people and resources around NSWCDD that left
me with a deep appreciation of the scope and rigor of the
work being done at Dahlgren. Subject matter experts that
advised the development of the SCAPEGOAT inspired me to
pursue a collaborative environment that is driven by real
and present needs of the fleet, where I can be challenged to
develop new skills.”
“To actually experience the full
development of a program in such a short timeframe, from
defining requirements to testing and evaluation, has been
enormously enlightening,” said Charles Miller, NSWCDD
scientist. “I learned a lot about the DoD acquisitions and rapid
prototyping processes. This entailed striking a balance
between the well-defined procurement process and the need
for maximum flexibility in rapid prototyping.”
“This
Sly Fox team was one of the best teams I have ever worked
on, and as an ensemble musician throughout most of my life,
I've worked in group settings quite often,” said Jordan
Lieberman, NSWCDD physicist. “I've gained valuable
experience in presenting and answering tough technical
questions, skills that will be useful for the remainder of
my career. The hardest part of this mission was developing
requirements, concepts, and early designs for a product in a
scientific field I had no previous experience in. I relied
heavily on the knowledge and expertise of our mentors and on
the members of the team with relevant experience.”
The benefit of transitioning technical, project management
and leadership knowledge to junior engineers and scientists
across organizations is reflected in the careers of Sly Fox
Mission members since the first Sly Fox Mission was launched
in 2002. The inaugural team successfully developed the
Passive Anti-Ship Missile Detection System within the
designated six-month timeframe and confirmed the Sly Fox
program was an excellent way to develop leadership skills
for young engineers and scientists.
“Each and every
one of the outcomes from the Sly Fox teams is nothing short
of impressive,” said Sisson. “The Mission 21 team is
certainly no exception. I was extremely impressed with the
level of professionalism with which the team conducted their
mission and excited to see the technical prowess that they
collectively demonstrated. I am a huge fan of the Sly Fox
Program and feel that the Sly Fox missions are absolutely
critical to our workforce development efforts.”
DoD
and government officials attending the demonstration
represented commands and agencies that included the Chemical
Biological Incident Response Force, Joint Program Executive
Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, Marine Corps
Systems Command, Marine Corps Forces Command, Office of the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and
Biological Defense Programs, Defense Threat Reduction
Agency, Naval Research Laboratory, Pentagon Force Protection
Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, Naval Sea Systems Command, and the
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
The Sly Fox
program is an NSWCDD Naval Innovative Science and
Engineering (section 219) funded rapid prototyping program
intended to develop the science and engineering workforce
while applying their talents to known technology gaps. Like
the previous 20 missions – including efforts in directed
energy, radar systems, unmanned systems, and cyber threats –
Sly Fox Mission 21 took advantage of the diverse skills of
its team members to tackle a mission that is important to
NSWCDD and its customers.
The team members gained new technical
experiences, unique perspectives on rapid development, and a
network of professional colleagues from across the command
that will guide them in their current positions and
throughout their careers.
By U.S. Navy John Joyce
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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