Virginia Tech professor received “real world knowledge” at

NSWC Dahlgren Division this summer

TaftCoghill

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division

As Virginia Tech professor Dr Justin Kauffman reflected on the 10 weeks he spentatNavalSurfaceWarfareCenterDahlgren Division (NSWCDD) for the Office of Naval Research Summer Faculty Research Program(SFRP),therewereseveralenlighteningmoments

The one that stood out above others, however,cameduringtheNSWCDDModelingandSimulationSummit

There were several presentations about mission-based modeling that demonstratedtoKauffmanthedistinctdifferences betweenacademiaandbeingattheforefront ofimpactingthewarfighteronadailybasis.

“It was about looking at the entire problemend-to-endandhowithastoberelevant for the warfighter,” Kauffman said. “That is somethingthattheacademicsidedoesn’tget exposed to regularly unless you’re involved in something like this. That was the most eye-opening experience and really drove homethelargerbenefitsofthisprogram.”

The SFRP involves professors from several different universities conducting researchatNSWCDD

This year the program more than tripled its participation with 10 professors joining theprogram.

In addition to Virginia Tech’s Kauffman, threeprofessorshailedfromOldDominion University and one each from North CarolinaStateUniversity,UniversityofTexas-Arlington,NorfolkStateUniversity,University of Mary Washington Virginia CommonwealthUniversityandVirginiaStateUniversity

“I think the summer program is great for facultytogetsomeofthatrealworldknowledge,”Kauffmansaid

Kauffman,whoworkedintheIntegrated Engagement Systems Department during hisstintatNSWCDD,isaresearchassistant professor in the Intelligent Systems Division at the Virginia Tech National Security Institute(NSI)

Before Kauffman arrived at the NSI in Arlington, Virginia, he was a mathematician in the High Performance Computing andVisualizationGroupundertheApplied and Computational Mathematics Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

He earned a doctorate in engineering science and mechanics from Penn State University, which is also where he earned a master’sandtwobachelors.

Kauffman spent his time at NSWCDD in the Hypersonics Design Integration and SystemsAnalysisBranch.HestartedMay25 andworkedmostlyonhypersoniceffectson hydrometeorsandhowthosehydrometeors affecthypersonicprojectiles.

“Sincemybackgroundisinmodelingand simulation,Iwasmorefocusedontryingto developmodels,”Kauffmansaid.

The relationships Kauffman developed were equally as important as his hands-on activities JoelMejeur,ascientistintheHypersonic Design Integration and Systems Analysis Branch,workedcloselywithKauffman.

“The SFRP provides an opportunity to establish continuing research relationships with the research and development personnel of the host laboratories,” Mejeur said. “Dr Kauffman supported the branch throughanalysisofmethodsusedforhypersonic weather interactions and also leveragedhistimemakingconnectionswithother groups at NSWCDD to further develop its relationshipwiththeVirginiaTechNational SecurityInstitute.”

Kauffman said he’s hopeful the connectionshemadeatNSWCDDwillbemutually beneficial.HesaidthereareongoingdiscussionscenteredonNSWCDDandtheuniversityestablishingastrongerrelationship Kauffman’s position at Virginia Tech doesn’t require him to teach. However, there are other ways to use the knowledge hegainedthissummer.

“I think there will be opportunities to write proposals to the Office of Naval Researchorotherentitiesandpartnerwith Dahlgren,” Kauffman said. “I now have a muchbroadernetwork.Icansendresumes ofgoodstudentstomorepeopleatDahlgren. Hopefullywecanestablishapipeline.”

Global Exercise tests 25,000 Sailors and Marines in a live, virtual, and constructive training environment

ByIanDelossantos

Navy Warfare Development Center

The Large Scale Exercise (LSE) 2023 is underway LSE 2023 is a massive exercise conducted by U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), and U.S.NavalForcesEurope-Africa(NAVEUR/ NAVAF),integratedwithrespectiveMarine, numbered fleet forces and staffs, and supported by available joint and combined enablers The exercise is designed to stimulate global operations at the operational-to-tactical levels of war and to refine how the Navy and Marine Corps synchronizes maritime operations across multiple fleetsinsupportofthejointforce LSE2023 will simulate a massive global conflict that combines both live and virtual training to test key warfighting concepts across U.S. navalforces LSE 2023 bolsters the combined firepowerof25,000SailorsandMarinesacross 22 time zones seven fleets and six U.S. combatantcommands LSE was first started in 2021 by Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Michael Gilday to evaluate the preparedness of the Navy’s globally dispersed commands in the event of a global conflict. During a 24 July USFF media event, Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command announced that he and Lt Gen Brian Cavanaugh, Commander Marine Forces Command (MARFORCOM) will lead the exercise

The primary objectives of LSE 2023 are to assess Distributed Maritime Operations

(DMO)capabilitiesandsupportingconcepts of Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment (LOCE) and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), synchronize global U.S. naval operations and improve warfighting effectiveness against strategic competitors in support of Geographic Combatant Commands These combined efforts are designed to support the CNO’s initiative by integrating fleet operations with emerging technologies andimproveandvalidateDMOcapabilities whileadvancingnavaldoctrineandtactics

“What you have to do is you have to fight with the force you have and then adjust its ability and its capabilities and its training and how you posture it and how you train to it and teach the Sailors and Marines to fightintheenvironment,”Caudlesaid “Our abilitytodistributeourmaritimeforces,and abilitytocommandandcontrolthat,because distributing that allows us to actually do morewiththatforce Sothatpunchesabove its weight.But also I’ve got aMarineCorps thatIcanbringtobear.”

LSE 2023 is the second iteration of this exercise building upon and informed by lessons learned from LSE 2021 and warfightingconceptsrefinedthroughfleetbattle problems with the goal to drive toward an all-domainnavalforce

Participating units will include: USFFC USPACFLT, NAVEUR NAVAF, MARFORCOM, U.S. Marine Corps Forces EuropeandAfrica,U.S.MarineCorpsForces Pacific,sevenU.S.numberedfleets:Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth

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