Research Results: Developing Systems Engineers

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The Spring 2007 issue of Crosslink Magazine focuses on the state of the US Aerospace industry’s technical workforce – but many of its articles’ topics and conclusions could easily apply to the defense industry as a whole:

“As aerospace systems grow in complexity and interdependence, there is an increasing need for engineering professionals who can successfully plan, develop, manage, and evolve these systems. Yet, the national security space community is facing a growing shortage of senior systems engineers, as the number of systems positions increase and older workers leave the workforce. Organizations commonly lure skilled systems engineers away from each other or try to fill these roles with junior personnel who lack the requisite skills and/or experience, but these efforts fail to address the underlying problem. The question is, how can the national security space community expedite the development of the next generation of senior systems engineers? The type of thinking required by systems professionals is sometimes referred to as “systems thinking…”

A recent study sheds light on what it takes to grow senior systems engineers – and suggests some ways to accelerate that process in today’s engineering population. Key takeaways include…

$52.3M for FADEC Upgrades to F100-PW-220 Jet Engines

F100-PW-220

United Technologies subsidiary Pratt and Whitney Incorporated of Hartford, Conn. received a contract for $52.3 million, in exchange for 1,051 Digital Electronic Engine Controls VI for the F100-PW-220/220E engine fleet which powers many of the USAF’s F-15 and F-16 aircraft. OC-ALC at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. issued the contract (F33657-98-D-0018).

So, what is a “Digital Engine Control VI”, anyway?

USN: $8M to Make Journeyman Engineer Courses e-Learning

Logistic Systems International Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla. received an $8 million modification to a previously awarded $10 million firm-fixed-price contract for instructor-led training (N61339-06-C-0166, announced Aug 30/06). the modification exercises the options to re-engineer, revise/enhance, and migrate the current Journeymen-level engineer instructor-led training classes at the Center for Naval Engineering in Norfolk, Va., into self-paced instruction courses.

Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla. and is expected to be complete in January 2009. All contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, Fla. issued the contract.