David Brown plenary talk: Emerging Research and Engineering Capabilities for NextGen Warfighters

In this plenary talk, David Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Developmental Test and Evaluation, discusses how photonics technologies, in particular sensors, will provide crucial research and engineering capabilities needed for next-generation warfighters.

Brown notes that challenges today include modern electronic warfare, ballistic and cruise missile defense, precision navigation and timing, communications, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, integrated air defense, cyber threats, and weapons of mass destruction. Highly sophisticated sensors of several types -- electro-optical and infrared, acoustic, seismic, and magnetic, and radio frequency -- could provide valuable capabilities.

David Brown is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Developmental Test & Evaluation (DASD(DT&E)). He serves as the principal advisor on developmental test and evaluation to the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) and the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)). Brown is responsible for DT&E policy and guidance in support of the acquisition of major Department of Defense (DoD) weapons systems, and providing advocacy, oversight, and guidance to the DT&E acquisition workforce.

He has a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Delaware, and a MS in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University Industrial College of the Armed Forces.