The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center announces the selection of Brian J. Smith, Ph.D., as the senior research scientist, known as ST, for the Weapons Development and Integration Directorate, or WID, Radio Frequency Sensors Technology Division.
Smith joins a select group of less than 50 other Army STs charged with guiding new science and engineering programs across the Army science & technology, or S&T, enterprise. They serve as scientific reviewers and advisors to Department of Defense S&T leadership, engaging key stakeholder support and mentoring young scientists and engineers. ST positions involve performance of high-level research and development in the physical, biological, medical, engineering sciences or a closely-related field.
Smith, who has worked at AMRDEC for 32 years, was the chief of the WDI Radio Frequency Sensor Technology Division, bringing solutions to numerous Army missile systems for air defense sensor roadmaps.
“Dr. Smith possesses a comprehensive knowledge of the radio frequency, known as RF, sensors applications, both inside and outside the DOD. He has proven performance in the research and development of solutions for RF sensor techniques within missile and aviation platforms. Smith is a recognized leader in the field of RF sensor technology solutions and possesses a modern technical vision for the advancement of critical RF sensor technology challenges facing the Army,” said Jeff Langhout, AMRDEC acting director.
Smith served as the radar Subject Matter Expert lead for the Army Tactical Missile System program and has completed numerous technology maturity assessments for long-range fires and missile defense programs.
“Early in my career it became clear to me that I was working with some exceptional people at AMRDEC. It also became clear that many of the technical experts were mature individuals and that if I were to step up at some point in the future and be a SME, I needed additional education and a broader view of weapon system design along with management training,” said Smith.
He earned a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Engineering and holds a doctorate in Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Alabama, Huntsville. Smith also holds a Master of Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a Sloan Fellow.
Smith will be responsible for developing, fielding and exploiting new technologies for detecting, locating and engaging military targets. The technology will be using radar, Millimeter Wave seekers, and passive RF sensors. Key areas of his research will be in Active Electronically Scanned Arrays, advanced MMW seekers for air defense and ground target suppression and Electronic Protection for Army radars and missile seekers.
“The research and development phase is critical in determining the eventual readiness rate of Army systems. My team and I assess the impact of system design trades and their impact on readiness during all of our research and development work,” Smith said.
The overall goal of his research will be the integration of advanced technologies into Army weapons system designs. “I will be working with the other services, government agencies, industry and academia to look for resource leveraging and to insure we are working at the cutting edge of technology. I enjoy the ability to working on actual Warfighter requirements with cutting edge technology and powerful teams.”
Smith actively mentors and serves as an advocate for the U.S. Army Career Program-16 Engineering career field. “A fundamental component of being a ST is mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers, which I am currently doing and plan to expand,” Smith said.
Smith joins three other STs, allowing AMRDEC to have STs in Group Leader and Flight Control Technology, Optical Sciences, Aviation Advanced Design and Radio Frequency Sensors.
Filed Under: Aerospace + defense
