Office Of Secretary Of Defense Research Articles

Pre-conceptual high temperature gas-cooled microreactor design utilizing two-phase composite moderators. Part I: Microreactor design and reactor performance

In this work, an approach is demonstrated for designing a microreactor based on a High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) platform intended for use in remote regions or for emergency response. The pre-conceptual microreactor design generated in this study is based on the Idaho National Laboratory's High Temperature Gas-Cooled Test Reactor (HTGTR) point design. Major design changes to the HTGTR were made to transform the design to a microreactor based on constraints inspired by open literature information from the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD)/Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) Pele Program. The primary purpose of this study is to compare reactor performance by evaluating key figures of merit for systems employing two-phase composite moderators (magnesia matrix with either an entrained beryllium or hydride containing moderating phase) relative to a reference graphite moderated case. Design parameters were selected to maximize reactor cycle performance for a given microreactor design with additional performance metrics such as natural resource requirement and fuel cycle costs also calculated. Our results demonstrate that a microreactor design based on the HTGR can be achieved by implementing a high fuel density. By using two-phase composite beryllium- or hydride-based moderators instead of graphite, substantial improvements can be realized in the reactor cycle performance, natural resource utilization, and fuel cycle cost.

A Counter-WMD Strategy for the Future

past year has witnessed a renewed emphasis by US government agencies addressing threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In December 2009, Obama Administration released its second presidential policy directive, a National Strategy to Counter Biological Threats, which addressed challenge of combating infectious diseases, regardless of whether they were natural or manmade. In February 2010, Quadrennial Defense Review stressed how proliferation of WMD continues to undermine global In April, Nuclear Posture Review was released for first time as an unclassified document, along with a newly signed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, reducing deployable number of Russian and US nuclear weapons. In May, representatives from across globe met to renew Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which attempts to reduce (and eventually eliminate) total number of nuclear-owning weapon in world. It has been a busy spring. During talks related to these initiatives, President Barack Obama directly connected threat of nuclear terrorism to success of nuclear proliferation efforts. He declared, The greatest threat to US and global security is no longer a nuclear exchange between nations, but nuclear terrorism by violent extremists and nuclear proliferation to an increasing number of states. (1) current focus on nonproliferation activities, however, does not stop terrorists from seeking and potentially obtaining nuclear and biological materials, technology, and devices. For that matter, emphasis on combating terrorism has not resulted in a reduction of terrorist ambitions to obtain these materials, either. US government, and Department of Defense (DOD) in particular, needs to review its strategy to combat weapons of mass destruction. combating WMD framework is based on a counterproliferation strategy developed in response to threat of nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons to military forces in 1990s, however, its scope was broadened after September 2001 to address concerns relating to homeland security. For talk about the most dangerous weapons in hands of most dangerous people, there has been little discussion on whether combating WMD strategy is adequate against current and future threats. This article will review development of combating WMD strategy from its initiation in 1990s, as a result of post-conflict analysis of Persian Gulf War in 1991. It will outline creation of combating WMD strategy during George W. Bush Administration. article focuses on challenges in interpretation, largely due to thesis that terrorists were actively seeking WMD materials and technology from rogue states that had developed this capability (or were in process of doing so). Last, it will offer suggestions on how to improve framework, largely by defining strategy to counter nation-state WMD programs as distinct from strategy to counter terrorist pursuit of WMD. If US government clearly articulates these two strategies as separate but related, as opposed to being one single strategy to counter WMD, agencies responsible for executing these strategies will be much more effective. Genesis of DOD's Combating WMD Strategy In 1993, Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) initiated a Defense Counterproliferation Initiative with image of ill-prepared US forces facing Iraq's chemical and biological (CB) weapons still fresh in its mind. There was some initial concern by nonproliferation community that DOD was attempting to usurp its role that a focus on developing offensive and defensive capabilities to counter adversarial use of CB weapons would come at cost of reducing nonproliferation efforts. (2) After a few years of discussion, OSD tasked Joint Staff in 1996 to develop a counterproliferation strategy, stating in Defense Planning Guidance that all US forces must be prepared to conduct wartime operations against adversaries armed with chemical or biological weapons. …

Advances in Aircraft Carrier Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Acquisition and Ownership Decision‐Making

ABSTRACT The U.S. Navy recently conducted an analysis of alternatives (AOA) to set the stage for determining the characteristics and acquisition strategy for its next generation aircraft carrier. The platform design selected is expected to be in service throughout the 21st century. The parameters under consideration for change in the new carrier design lie in the areas of propulsion and electric power generation, aviation, survivability, service life, and total ownership cost (TOC) reduction. The issue of affordability is paramount This paper focuses on the need for the program management office and its supporting cost analysis staff to understand the life cycle cost (LCC) of the existing and proposed future aircraft carriers and to then translate these LCC's into meaningful information for cost‐conscious decision making. The challenge is to relate the LCC in terms the key decision‐makers and the engineering team can use to satisfy their respective roles. Thus, it is necessary to translate the results of the given ship design alternative LCC's into the paradigms of the respective stakeholders: Fleet User (operators of aircraft carriers) Ship Designers (translators of the fleet operator requirements) Program Sponsors (providers of the funding resources) Program Management Office, Shipbuilder and Supporting Industry (executors of the acquisition and construction of the ship) Navy and OSD decision‐makers (overseers of program execution) The paper describes the aircraft carrier LCC breakdown structure that has resulted, in part from a recent navy/shipbuilder integrated product team effort to capture total ownership costs. The structure has been used in the AOA as a tool to identify cost drivers and to add the time element to the cost equation in order to perform return on investment and program affordability analysis. The expanded ship work breakdown structure (ESWBS) has emerged as the central backbone of the cost work breakdown for AOA work. The ESWBS structure is a natural choice as it is the framework within which the design and engineering community works, it forms the basis of weight estimating for ships, and it has been widely used in ship acquisition cost estimating for years. In addition, the ESWBS provides perhaps the best framework from which to relate to program requirements, as it describes the ship by ship system. The approach, for the first time, provides a breakdown of the operating and support (O&S) cost elements by ESWBS. From this nucleus structure, it is possible to present costs in other required formats such as the: Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) cost analysis improvement group (CAIG) summary level LCC categories, by ship capability or design feature, and by cost driver hierarchy.

Eisenhower's Pentagon

After long delay, the Historical Office of the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) has published the third volume in its series of histories of OSD (the last volume was published in 1988).1 Whatever caused the delay – whether the study’s sheer magnitude,2 the inter-agency declassification process, or the Historical Office’s internal review – the result is an important study of a formative period in Cold War history. During the late 1950s, the Eisenhower administration presided over the development of a huge “overkill” nuclear weapons capability epitomized by the “triad” of U.S. nuclear-delivery forces of strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). Paying for the “triad” would be enormously expensive, and the annual budgetary process that financed nuclear weapons systems and the U.S. military generally is at the heart of Watson’s narrative. His story, however, is also about national security planning, centralization of policymaking authority, nuclear strategy, arms control, U.S.–European and U.S.–Japanese relations, and, not least, Cold War crises. Indeed, this study’s scope is so broad that a brief review cannot do it justice.

Department of Defense Procurement Policy Reform: An Evolutionary Perspective

Abstract : The Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) was established in 1947 and evolved into the Department of Defense (DOD) in 1949. At least part of the reason for forming DOD was to coordinate, rationalize, and increase the efficiency of the defense sector's procurement process. Since its inception, DOD's procurement policies have been studied extensively, a multitude of reforms have been recommended, and many reforms have been implemented. However, after almost 40 years, analysts are still recommending reforms to improve coordination and rationality, and to increase the efficiency of DOD's procurement policies. This paper will trace the evolution of DOD's procurement policies over the last forty years. It will concentrate on five major reform efforts: the McNamara era; the Packard initiatives; OMB Circular A-109; the Acquisition Improvement Program (Carlucci); and the President's Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management (Packard Commission). Procurement policy, DoD procurement policy reform.