Naval command and control electronic systems issues

This paper could well be titled, "Systems Engineering for Navy Platform Effectiveness," since the major decision and control issues are focused on optimizing the performance of the platform. Platform effectiveness is largely determined by the electronic systems aboard. In the past, optimizing such electronic systems usually reverted to the effectiveness of a software system contained in a general purpose digital computer. The role of the system engineer usually broke down somewhere between identification of functional requirements and transfer of these into computer instructions by programming personnel. The reasons for past failures and the challenge of new approaches are the theme of this presentation. In summary, what is needed most is unambiguous communication among all persons involved in development of Navy digital electronic systems, with the most probable solution resting in the language of mathematics, science and engineering.