riptide february 2020 - bae systems...riptide february 2020 making waves in underwater vehicle...

VOLUME 28FEBRUARY 2020

RIPTIDERIPTIDE Making waves in underwater vehicle design

A new business view through augmented reality

Tactical SIGINT Payload Stories from the field

Shining a light on the importance of cross-domain operationsBy Dr. Jerry Wohletz, Vice President and General Manager, Electronic Combat SolutionsWith Kelly Hussey, Communications, Hudson, New Hampshire

© BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., BAE Systems Controls Inc., BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd. 2020 All rights reserved

Explore available digital formats: www.baesystems.com/pulse

If you have a story idea or suggestion for the magazine, please contact Pulse’s editor, Kelly Hussey. Email: [email protected].

The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for any errors or omissions. Electronic Systems Pulse is produced by BAE Systems corporate and business unit internal communications teams. Editor, Kelly Hussey. Please send any comments and feedback to [email protected] or leave a message on (607) 770 3783. Email: [email protected] or opinions expressed in this publication may not reflect company policy. All rights reserved. On no account may any part of this publication be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be made to [email protected]. Designed and produced by BAE Systems Electronic Systems Creative Services http//www.baesystems.com/es© BAE Systems 2020.

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Inside this Edition: Electronic Systems Pulse dives into the sector’s recent acquisition, Riptide, and how we’re making waves in the undersea market as part of a wider push toward cross-domain operations.

Thomas Edison didn’t invent out of boredom. He invented with the specific, calculated purpose of bringing a product to market. While most people think of light bulbs when they hear Edison’s name, his technology research and development also contributed to the phonograph, motion pictures, electric train, and even the first electric car. But he wasn’t alone. Searching the world for the brightest minds, he selected likeminded dreamers who would contribute to a new technology right out of the gate. And the results – as we can see from the 1,000-plus resulting patents – were astounding. Like Edison, BAE Systems is continuously pursuing that same level of ingenuity – and we’re finding it everywhere: our brilliant employees, who fuel our innovation engine; and externally, as we continue to build relationships with venture capitalists, accelerators, small businesses, and universities around the globe. Riptide Autonomous Solutions, which you’ll read about later in this issue, is a great example of how a small company with the right skills, drive, and passion has become an integral part of our business’s future – and a piece of a much larger, enterprise-wide shift toward multi-domain operations. Our company has been in the low-cost expendables business for decades. We have technology on the ground, underwater, in the air, and even in space. But historically, they have all been operating in silos: separate command centers, isolated networks, individual systems. The future will

integrate all of these domains, accelerating decision-making where it counts. Riptide is a part of this – we can put thousands of small unmanned underwater vehicles in the ocean and maintain custody – enabling customers to send unmanned underwater vehicles on undersea missions without risking human life. Other examples are small satellites, and semi-autonomous multi-domain mission planning that allows military operators to leverage battlespace resources across space, air, land, and sea. It’s all linked to this bigger push to have cross-domain operations meet the future battlespace. Integrating systems will be vital to out-innovate and stay one step ahead of our adversaries. Having previously led our FAST LabsTM R&D business and now leading Electronic Combat Solutions, I’ve seen the need for cross-domain operations grow rapidly. As an example, in ECS, historically we’ve been focused on next-generation radio frequency electronic warfare to protect our aircraft. Now, we need to transform our thinking to connect space, ground missions, undersea operations, and everything in between, both securely and efficiently. Our ability to defend democracy depends on the speed of our progress in this important area. Realizing we cannot do this alone, like Edison, we must continue our global search for the best and brightest thinkers. Securing a future where cross-domain operations are the norm will be challenging, but I know we’re up to the task.

Editor: Kelly HusseyCover Image: Vinnie ArdizoniLayout Designers:Justin Bogart · Hailee Knadle · Tim Mattson · Loui WelbyPhotography: Vinnie Ardizoni · Justin Bogart · Tim Mattson

For more information on Electronic Systems, contact Nicole Gable, Manager, Media Relations. Email: [email protected]

Follow BAE Systems on social mediaYou can follow BAE Systems’ social media sites below:facebook.com/baesystemsinctwitter.com/baesystemsincflickr.com/baesystemsinclinkedin.com/company/bae-systems@baesystemsinc

On the cover: BAE Systems engineer Dean Schifilliti assembles an unmanned underwater vehicle at our facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Beacon

2 • Electronic Systems Pulse

Electronic Systems Pulse

www.baesystems.com/pulse

Section • 3

Tech Corner

18 Thinking small to solve big problems Focused ion beam microscopy

Contents

1204

08

Explore available digital formats: www.baesystems.com/pulse

Features04 Boots on the ground Tactical SIGINT payload

08 A new view How augmented and virtual reality are bringing our business into focus 12 Into the deep Making waves in underwater vehicle design

Departments02 The Beacon Shining a light on the importance of cross-domain operations

10 Virtual Mentoring Trust and teamwork are everything

20 Turning up the HEAT

Employee Spotlight

06 Professional growth on the horizon Talent development programs preparing future leaders

15 A new approach to community investment

16 Multiplying expertise The Gold Tag program

23 Embracing our Cultural Principles

Endicott, New York

Table of Contents • 3

4 • In the Key Markets


Boots on the groundFor more than half a century, BAE Systems has provided some of the most advanced signals intelligence capabilities available on the market. Our Tactical SIGINT Payload is the latest in a family of products, providing the next generation of airborne signals intelligence fielded by the U.S. Army. Learn how one team dug deep to deploy this technology and protect those who bravely serve.

By Ali Flewelling, Communications, Hudson, New Hampshire


In the Key Markets • 5

When Andrew Hung and Paul Nuccio were called to help deploy our TSP technology – an advanced sensor system capable of processing commercial and military signals from a single payload – overseas in early 2019, they didn’t think twice about the task before them. Away from their families and friends, away from their safe and familiar workspace, and away from the comforts of home, the pair would spend nearly five months living and working in the field in barracks with the U.S. Army.

With a skilled and dedicated team of BAE Systems employees supporting them from afar, Hung and Nuccio led TSP’s deployment on the Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle, an unmanned aircraft system, in several of the military’s combatant commands. According to Nuccio, a systems engineer at BAE Systems, this included consulting, training, and mentoring numerous Army personnel on how to use the system. This was a critical and necessary step for adoption, as similar technologies used in the field operate on manned aircraft with short mission times, while TSP is different in several ways. The technology goes on an unmanned aircraft, keeping a pilot out of harm’s way and allowing for maximum data collection due to its extended mission time.

For Hung, a software engineer at BAE Systems and a U.S. Army veteran who deployed in support of the global war on terror, using his expertise as an operator of TSP was a small token of appreciation for his former brothers and sisters in uniform. “Sometimes you’re not able to directly help the warfighter, so whenever you get the chance to work on something that allows you to do that, you’re very grateful,” he said. Hung added that

for many projects, deployment is not always feasible, so getting out to the field is a unique and rewarding experience.

Nuccio couldn’t agree more. Having worked on the project for nearly six years before deployment, and remembering a time when its future was uncertain, he said the Army’s support of the technology really carried it to the next level.

“It’s very humbling to see people’s acceptance of the product,” he said. “Once they saw the data, and we were able to make them feel comfortable that this was going to give them a better capability, things looked up.”

Now with more than 2,500 operational flight hours, the team has received praise from the U.S. Army units they’ve deployed with as well as some of the branch’s top officials.

Both Hung and Nuccio also credit the team, including Finley Teal, Terri Heaton, Dave Wardwell, Ernesto Romero, and others for their efforts in making TSP’s deployment happen. They noted quality, exceptional decision making, and engineering rigor as a few of the success factors. “Deploying the product wouldn’t have been possible without the people in the factory,” Nuccio said. “They brought it to the one yard line, and we brought it over to get the touchdown. They carried the ball for a long time and continue to support anything that’s needed for deployment.”

With Hung and Nuccio both back in the states, the team continues to support a second wave of TSP deployment, a testament to the product’s unique ability to be a game-changer in the field for the U.S. Army.

To learn more, visit baesystems.com/tspOUR TSP TECHNOLOGY GETS READY TO TAKE OFF ON THE MQ-1C GRAY EAGLE IN 2019. THE TEAM OFTEN PREPARED FOR FLIGHTS LIKE THIS IN THE DARK, SO THEY COULD BE WHEELS UP AS SOON AS THE AIRFIELD OPENED.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ANDREW HUNG, PAUL NUCCIO, AND ERNESTO ROMERO STAND IN FRONT OF THE MQ-1C GRAY EAGLE WHILE DEPLOYED WITH OUR TSP TECHNOLOGY IN 2019.

6 • Employee Spotlight

A strong leadership bench is critical to continued business success. At BAE Systems, talent development programs like Horizon help ensure individuals are ready to step up to the plate to lead when the time is right.

The opportunities for talent development range from early career, such as the Leadership Development programs, to mid and advanced career opportunities, like Horizon. While Horizon started with an Operations focus, it is now open to high potential future leaders in each business area and function of Electronic Systems.

“At the end of day, we are all working toward the same goal: providing products and services that make a difference. Regardless of the function, we all bring our expertise to the table. Having that cross collaboration and insight make for better leaders,” said Vice President of Operations Kim Cadorette.

In 2019, the program was expanded and launched two cohorts with Cadorette and Dave Logan, C4ISRS VP/GM as the executive sponsors. “The Horizon Program provides unique opportunities to ‘live the life of a senior leader,’ navigating the decisions that are required and how to make those decisions with the information at hand. This is all done in a safe environment where the participants can critique, but also be the best supporters,” said Cadorette.

The Horizon program is yearlong, consisting of three multi-day offsite modules to develop leadership skills: leading business, leading self, and leading organization.

Horizon graduates Colin Fischer, Tom D’Onofrio, and Lori Lucy shared their experiences with the program. “The Horizon Program offers a great opportunity to further develop strategic thinking skills, leadership insights, business awareness and acumen, and the opportunity to grow your network,” said Colin Fischer, a project engineering manager. “[Horizon] definitely guided me outside of my comfort zone without the fear of being criticized, but rather


encouraged and supported by leadership and my peers,” said Tom D’Onofrio, a quality director in the Power and Propulsion Solutions business area.

Horizon graduate and supply chain director Lori Lucy says the training is well worth the investment on the part of leadership and the employees. “It forces you to get away from your day job and focus on developing your own skills to support business growth going forward,” said Lucy.

The program takes a lot of commitment and hard work. Beyond the three off-site modules, Lucy says her cohort also held meetings every Thursday to work on the yearlong project. “You study the problem, you interview the people who were directly involved in the problem, you basically write your conclusions and you deliver that to the team. And you present the learnings to the team in a way that spurs conversation,” said Lucy. Beyond leadership lessons, the graduates say networking and understanding the variety of resources across the company were enormous benefits of the program. “Across the enterprise there are a huge number of resources. Many times these resources could be trying to solve some of the same challenges that you are facing. Understanding the larger enterprise and having points of contacts to reach out to when facing different issues could make a huge difference in the strategy employed for solving those challenges,” said Fischer.

Professional growth on theBy Michaela Macdonald, Communications, Hudson, New Hampshire

To learn more about career development and training opportunities, speak with your Human Resources business partner or visit: www.baesystems.com/en-us/publications/pulse/es-ldp-guide

Talent development programs preparing future leaders


Section • 7Employee Spotlight • 7


HORIZON

PICTURED BELOW IS ONE OF TWO 2019 HORIZON COHORTS WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE SPONSOR, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, KIM CADORETTE.

PICTURED ABOVE IS ONE OF THE 2019 HORIZON PROGRAM COHORTS WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE SPONSOR, C4ISRS VP/GM DAVE LOGAN.


8 • In the Key Markets

A new view:

By Shelley Walcott, Communications, Nashua, New Hampshire

How augmented and virtual reality are bringing our business into focus

In the Key Markets • 9


“Augmented and virtual reality-based experiences can really compress that timeline of human understanding, appealing to the visual form of storytelling of human beings,” said John Kelly, director of the Empower Innovation Center. Empower is a program designed to encourage employee submission of transformational ideas, concepts, and technologies for potential R&D funding. The program plays a key role in developing immersive AR experiences, with the goal of replacing the complexity of PDF files, PowerPoint presentations, or thousand-page operator’s manuals with a 3-D animated and narrated experience.

At tradeshows, a cinematic-quality application can be used to demonstrate how BAE Systems’ products provide critical capabilities on the battlefield. A user puts the headset on, and watches an animated scene on a miniature table top view. In one scenario, an enemy vehicle is being pursued by a military helicopter and the mission is played out – a real time, visual explanation of the company’s technology at work.

AR/VR can also help people learn how to do their jobs better and safer. The AR/VR headsets allow for training simulations for people in shipyards or in maintenance situations. For example, AR can allow a user in New Hampshire to visualize the compact and

Not only is seeing believing, it is also the key to understanding. That’s why augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies are quickly becoming a critical part of the way BAE Systems does business. From tradeshows to the factory floor, AR/VR technology is being used to explain complex manuals, design the workspaces of the future, facilitate product design, and showcase the advantages our technologies bring to our military and commercial customers.

A STILL FROM AN AR DEMONSTRATION OF THE ENHYDRA FERRY’S ENGINE ROOM.

highly sophisticated engine room of an Enhydra Ferry – which uses BAE Systems hybrid electric motor – thousands of miles away in the San Francisco Bay. “It’s understanding at the speed of sight,” said Kelly. “We’ve been incubating AR technology since 2016, and now we’re driving it into all parts of the business.” That includes the factory floor, where the capability now exists to replace complex manuals and guided work instructions with AR technology that visually demonstrates how a product is to be assembled. Over at our Greenlawn, New York facility, virtual reality is being used to assist with product design.

Additionally, VR is helping our Huntsville, Alabama, site team design and verify alternative layouts for their brand new, 83,000-square-foot facility due to open this year. The VR application allows users to virtually visit the new site in full scale. As changes are made, the VR representation is updated to make sure the layout is optimal prior to any furniture or equipment being installed.

“In the next 5 to 7 years, augmented and virtual reality technologies are going to be omnipresent. It’s going to be all across the business,” Kelly says. A visual tactic, he says, that will enable BAE Systems to pave the way for leading-edge technology.



What’s it like to be mentored by our leaders? It’s impossible for every one of us to sit down with members of our leadership team, so we’re conducting virtual mentoring sessions with them to pass along wisdom and lessons from the people who have ascended to Electronic Systems’ highest level positions.

In this session, we talk with Deb Norton, vice president of F-35 Solutions, about what to consider when making career decisions, the different meanings of work/life balance, and the one characteristic essential to being a great leader.

Can you tell me a little bit about your career path so far?When I was getting ready to go to college, I wasn’t sure what my path would be. My dad was a scientist – a physicist for the U.S. Air Force – and he encouraged me to develop my talents in math and science. I took some mechanical engineering classes, and I found them interesting. After graduating, my first job was managing the production and development of 30mm ammunition for Apache helicopters for the U.S. Army. It was then I discovered a passion for the manufacturing side — seeing how products were made and how the pieces fit together. Determining how to go from point A to point B as efficiently as possible, at the right cost and highest quality, was very exciting to me. From there I went to General Electric Aerospace and then Lockheed Martin, which led me to BAE Systems. Two major programs I’ve been very fortunate to support are the Common Missile Warning System – or CMWS – and F-35.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned over your career?I grew up in a small town surrounded by the same 60 students for most of my early education, into high school. As I started to see more of the world in college, I realized the diversity of talents, skills, and perspectives that exist, and the value of having such a broad spectrum of ideas and backgrounds around me to draw from. In life, it allows you to grow by learning from others’ experiences and hearing their stories. In business, it enables much better decision-making and creates a stronger team.

The other lesson is the importance of being a trusted leader. There’s a video by writer and speaker Simon Sinek that summarizes this quite nicely. Working with the Navy Seals, he asked how they pick team members, and they said it all came down to trust. They would rather have a moderate or even possibly a low performer (relatively speaking – we are talking about Navy Seals) with high trust, over a high performer with low trust. The same applies to leaders. Be the person your team can count on when times are challenging. There are so many measurements for performance, but how do you measure integrity? It’s about the decisions we make every day and how we treat those around us.

What is your advice for those who want to progress to higher positions within the company?When I was an early career professional the way it was structured was, if you performed well in your role, you’d be tapped for the next position. I think in today’s environment you not only need to perform well, but you also need to be proactive about your own development. That doesn’t always mean changing jobs every two years. Instead of thinking about what you’re going to do next, think about whether you’re still growing in your current position. Are you still learning and being challenged? Are you still finding opportunities that make you uncomfortable? If the answer is yes, stay and continue to learn. If the answer is no, you need to start thinking about what’s next. When I first started leading F-35, I had a lot of production experience, but the development aspect was newer to me. Regardless, I approached the assignment head-on and am so glad I did. Also, you should enjoy your work. Naturally, if you like what you’re doing, you’ll do it better.

What advice can you share about work/life balance?When I first came to BAE Systems, I had small children. At the time, I managed the microwave area, and due to daycare schedules I needed to leave at the same time each day. For years, I felt guilty for doing this. So now, what I tell my team is that I want them to come to work and give it their best, but I never want them to leave here in the evening feeling guilty. With the technology we have now, staying connected if required is very easy, but there are still challenges. Work/life balance means something different for each person, and it’s important to define what is right for you. The result? You’ll be happier and more productive.

Why is our mission, We Protect Those Who Protect Us®, important?It keeps us motivated to always go the extra mile. When I was supporting CMWS, the Gulf War had just happened and we had a surge in demand for our products. It was an uphill climb, but we were able to ramp production to meet the needs of our warfighters and bring them home safely. And with F-35, again it’s all about protecting our service members, and our EW systems are right at the heart of that. The warfighters are going into harm’s way for us, so it’s a privilege to be able to give back to them. I feel truly blessed to be part of the F-35 family.

A virtual mentoring session with Deb Norton

By Kelly Hussey, Communications, Hudson, New Hampshire

Trust and teamwork are everything


Employee Spotlight • 11

“Be the person your team can count on when times are challenging. There are so many measurements for performance, but how do you measure integrity? It’s about the decisions we make every day and how we treat those around us.”

Deb Norton, Vice President of F-35 Solutions

Trust and teamwork are everything

12 • On the Beat


By Holly Strand, Communications, Nashua, New Hampshire

Just east of our new BAE Systems office in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the chilly Atlantic waves slap the shores of Kingston Bay. Inside, you’ll find our Riptide team enthusiastically discussing everything from water depths and ocean tides, to complex undersea mission system payloads. A small crew is preparing to head out into the icy bay to drop a self-driving submarine into the surf. One day, this underwater vehicle could save a service member’s life.

In June 2019, BAE Systems welcomed Riptide through an acquisition, with the goal of coupling its unmanned underwater vehicles, or UUVs, with maritime mission systems being developed by our FAST Labs™ R&D arm and C4ISR Systems business area. These mission systems provide UUVs with capabilities like autonomy, navigation, communications, sensor processing, electronic warfare, and more. Illustrating the invaluable nature of the partnership to the company and those we serve, Electronic Systems President Terry Crimmins said, “Adding Riptide’s technological capabilities will position us to provide customers unmatched flexibility by offering a family of UUVs and integrated payload solutions capable of supporting a variety of critical missions.”

The platformsTo put it simply, unmanned, underwater vehicles are essentially miniature, self-driving submarines. They can perform important jobs in the deep, without putting our service members at risk. When asked what makes these platforms unique, former Riptide CEO Jeff Smith said, “Our Riptide UUVs are developed with mechanically and electrically efficient architectures that greatly simplify the design of the vehicles. This architecture makes the vehicle highly scalable and flexible, as well as highly affordable compared to competing platforms.” All of these features allow for more effective platforms that can undertake new missions, do more, and go deeper to make our harbors, our oceans, and our service members safer. The technologiesWhile the UUVs are vessels that provide mobility, the mission computers that we’re adding to them are like drivers, or brains. The brain decides where the vessel should go, what it should observe, and who to communicate with – but that’s just one small piece of what it can do. As leaders in systems engineering, we’re developing system architectures to meet various growing customer needs.

Ron Carvalho, FAST Labs program director, explains, “By combining our group’s military experiences and understanding of current threats, and looking at the new technologies coming out of FAST Labs, we’re able to come up with innovative solutions and propose those to the customer.” When discussing the challenging environment that subsea systems must operate in, Ron says, “Sound doesn’t travel in a straight line, and light doesn’t penetrate too far. It’s cold; it’s dark; it’s deep. There’s a lot of pressure. It’s just physically difficult and truly challenging, but that’s the reason we work at BAE Systems. We don’t take the easy missions – we take the hard ones.”

Expanding into new marketsBy designing customizable technology for our Riptide UUVs, we’re able to address rapidly expanding maritime mission requirements, thus opening up opportunities in new markets for BAE Systems. We’re opening our doors to new technologies, new team members, and new business. Our integration with Riptide enables us to supply both the platform and payload technology to our customers, who are increasingly looking for vertically integrated solutions. Uses for our UUVs and sensor packages include both commercial and military, for tasks like seabed surveillance, harbor protection, intelligence collection, infrastructure surveillance, oil and gas survey, and mine countermeasures.

Disruption in the deepA company that began in January of 2015 with just 3 people, Riptide Autonomous Solutions quickly made waves as a market disruptor in the growing field of unmanned undersea vehicles. A large part of FAST Labs’ business strategy is to acquire and incubate small business innovations that can yield disruptive technology breakthroughs for BAE Systems programs of record. While the FAST Labs team works to mature Riptide’s platform technology and scale manufacturing production, our advanced electronics teams within FAST Labs and C4ISR Systems are hard at work pushing the boundaries of our mission system technologies. By pairing our cutting edge technologies with Riptide UUVs, we’re working together to help transform the underwater market and improve subsea operations for those we serve.

On the Beat • 13


Want to learn more about Riptide? Visit www.baesystems.com/riptide

Capabilities at a glanceActive acoustics – Compact, high-power low- and mid-frequency transducers and arrays for active acoustic target detection and tracking.

Acoustic and RF communications – Technology that sends, receives, and monitors both RF and acoustic underwater communications.

Acoustic IFF – Acoustic Identification Friend or Foe features enable identification of friendly forces and allows the user to make informed decisions in critical situations.

Autonomy – At the very core of every tailorable payload combination, our mission computer offers autonomy capabilities that allow the UUV to function and make decisions.

Navigation – In addition to standard navigation sensors and techniques, novel approaches to navigation support low-power UUV transit.

RF EW – Radiofrequency electronic warfare, including next generation electronic support, protection, and attack capabilities.

Sensor processing – Intelligent processing of available data enhances mission effectiveness.

SIGINT – Signals intelligence systems that enable insight into adversaries’ actions by collecting and analyzing electronic signals.

14 • Section

For more than four decades, we’ve been a world leader in the design and development of flight controls, engine controls, and flight deck and cabin systems. We are developing next generation systems that will enable all-electric and hybrid-electric aircraft and engines.

Wingsof change

baesystems.com/commercialsupport


Community Investment • 15

A new approach to community investmentImproving lives and advancing careers through the power of innovative technologies and experiences

By Peter Bucci, Communications, Endicott, New York

In 2019, Electronic Systems’ Community Investment program revised its strategy to reflect current corporate philanthropy best practices and better meet the needs of our business. Our new strategy maximizes our impact on technology education and our veterans and military families by changing the way we give and who we give to across Electronic Systems. It also drives consistency in our employee giving and volunteerism efforts.

A new mission

While Community Investment will continue to support veteran and science, technology, engineering, and math organizations, there is greater opportunity for Electronic Systems at the intersection of veterans, STEM education, and our employees. Imagine a scenario where BAE Systems partners with a local university for engineering students to modify a hand-cycle bicycle to operate off-road so that a retired Army veteran can pursue his passion for mountain biking. Those students could also be mentored by our employees. That is how we can improve lives and advance careers through the power of innovative technologies and experiences.

A unique approach

What makes this approach so different is the focus on using technology to develop solutions to community issues, which highlights the work our employees do every day. Our employees are known as problem solvers, and we want to embrace that reputation. Community Investment will also continue our longstanding support of FIRST®, which inspires young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators through robotics. Additionally, there will be three funding opportunities that nonprofit organizations may be eligible for: Tech Power Innovation Grants, Tech Power Career Grants, and Community Impact Grants. Tech Power organizations offer a way to highlight the skills and talents our employees use every day through our Community Investment programs. These partnerships also give us the ability to engage with aspiring tech leaders, and provide our employees with opportunities to be volunteers and mentors. We look forward to harnessing the skills and passion of our employees to showcase the purposeful work that we do through our Community Investment activities. For information about ongoing initiatives and how to get involved, employees are encouraged to visit the Community Investment OneSpace intranet page.

To learn more about Community Investment at BAE Systems, please visit our website: baesystems.com/communityinvestment.

Funding Opportunities for Nonprofits• Tech Power Innovation Grants fund nonprofit organizations that are using technology to improve lives of veterans or other underrepresented populations in the community. Our partnership with Quality of Life Plus, an organization that brings together the brightest engineering students at leading universities nationwide to create life-transforming assistive technology for our country’s injured and ill heroes, is a tremendous example of what we’re looking for in recipients of these grants.

• Our Tech Power Career Grants are available for nonprofits who have a technology job training program for veterans or other underrepresented populations. We recently identified the recipient of our first Tech Power Career Grant: KTECH. This unique program offers individuals who are at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or GED the opportunity to participate in accelerated training courses that put them on the fast-track toward a career in industries such as advanced manufacturing, automotive, finance, and healthcare.

• Our Community Impact Grants allow our employees to nominate organizations that fall outside of the Tech Power focus area, but still positively impact their local communities. We’re excited about evaluating these nominations as they come in from employees across the sector.

STUDENTS COMPETE IN THE 2019 FIRST ROBOTICS GRANITE STATE REGIONAL COMPETITION AT SALEM HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

What Is Community Investment? Community Investment is the philanthropic arm of Electronic Systems focused on building and maintaining strategic nonprofit partnerships through corporate giving, employee volunteerism, and employee giving.

WYATT MOORE, SOURCING ENGINEER AT OUR HEADQUARTERS IN NASHUA, N.H., DRAFTS ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OF THANK YOU CARDS EMPLOYEES WROTE TO VETERANS AS PART OF BAE SYSTEMS’ FIRST-EVER SECTOR WIDE ON-SITE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY ON VETERANS DAY.



For more than 20 years, software engineer Diana Bonomo has grown her expertise in a particular waveform used by the software-defined radios she integrates and creates test scenarios for in the C4ISR Systems business in Wayne, New Jersey. After working with generations of this family of radios, she has acquired a treasure trove of rare insights into how the waveform operates in various circumstances, for example, or how to resolve and avoid a host of issues that may arise with it.

As that business has grown, so has the demand for her critical skills among several new programs. The good news is, for the past two years Diana has been systematically passing on her experiences and a portion of her ever-growing body of knowledge to a couple of junior colleagues.

Whereas before multiple programs had to compete for Diana’s time, now they get the value of her knowledge and experience through the work of her mentees, who she coaches as they staff the programs. She is one of the 45 experts who are transferring their critical skills to 81 employees since the initiative started in Wayne in 2018.

After observing the growing critical skill problem, Rick Buongiovanni started the program to allow employees to pass on their knowledge in a cost efficient and impactful way to help

our business to stay competitive. As the director responsible for staffing C4ISRS programs in Wayne, he worked out an alternative approach to the tradition of letting larger, priority programs absorb key experts at the expense of the smaller programs.

“Across the range of disciplines in engineering, we identified experts who would no longer work on programs in Wayne unless they were mentoring people to do the work on those programs,” said Rick. These experts were tagged to be the top personnel responsible for the success of programs, only by enabling the mentees. Thus, they became known as the Gold Tag Experts, or GTEs. “Implementation of Gold Tagging makes knowledge transfer an integral part of everyone’s day job. We have been working hard in New Jersey to create a culture where everyone teaches and everyone learns. Specifically, to teach your job to the person below you and learn the job of the person above you.”

When the Gold Tag program launched in 2018, 30 GTEs were identified as “one-deep” experts, since they alone possessed the critical skills. Since then, they have multiplied their selected skills sets across 43 workers – two- to three-people deep in many cases – resulting in 73 people who now possess many of those critical skills. Most of those mentees will remain in the program for another year or two to fully

master the skills and carry this hard-earned knowledge on to future programs.

Hardware engineer Marty Townley came to the company from college in 2017 with an interest in designing field-programmable gate arrays, or the integrated circuits that can be configured by customers after manufacturing. Now he’s getting on-the-job training in designing the FPGA for a military data link system with the guidance of hardware engineer George Kastorsky, who has more than 30 years of experience.

Early on in their relationship they examined designs and reviewed tasks that would need to be done. Now, Marty’s taking on more responsibility and working relatively independently in the lab, doing more advanced work architecting and integrating hardware, software, firmware, and debugging systems. “As a new engineer I’m still asking what I want to do when I grow up,” Marty said. “There are a lot of areas you can go into, and when you’re first starting out you might not know what else is out there,” Marty said. “But this has offered me a lot of perspective. I’ve definitely been able to observe a lot of interesting work in the field of electrical engineering.”

MultiplyingMultiplyingMultiplying

“I’m still learning. I learn every day.”Software engineer and Gold Tag mentor

Diana Bonomo



With word of the success of the Gold Tag program in Wayne, interest in formalizing knowledge transfer efforts is growing at other ES sites. This year a team from ES Prism, a midcareer leadership development program, is working with Engineering leadership to kick start Gold Tagging at the San Diego campus and sites across New Hampshire, identifying critical skills and helping to establish GT mentor-mentee relationships. Additionally, throughout the year they will identify and document the best practices and processes that will enable any ES site to easily establish the program.

Kim Anderson, a software engineering manager in San Diego who is a Prism team member, said that one of the reasons Gold

Tagging is so effective is because it transfers both explicit knowledge (policies, procedures, processes) and tacit knowledge (derived mostly from experience and social learning). “A lot of times, you don’t know what you know, until you need to know it. The mentees now do the day-to-day job, and encounter a lot of those situations that require the knowledge transfer.”

Another champion of the program is Pete Howard, who came back from retirement after a 43-year career as an engineering discipline manager at BAE Systems. In addition to helping Rick implement the Gold Tag program, he also helps educate the sector’s program engineering managers and discipline section leads about the program in their week-long boot camps, which

raise everyone’s knowledge and competencies of the roles and responsibilities.

“There are no guarantees in life. But the more you know, the more you can do, and the more you can do the more valued you are by the company, and your career progression will be enhanced with this knowledge,” Pete said. “Gold Tagging is a great opportunity to learn skills that are critical to the success of the business. And the GTEs and mentees love it.”

Rick and Pete look forward to the expansion of the Gold Tag program across the company and take pride in its overall benefits for the future success of BAE Systems.

MultiplyingMultiplyingMultiplyingMultiplyingMultiplyingexpertise

program enables experts to share rare, critical skills with next-generation engineers

Gold Tag

By Barbara Driscoll, Communications, Merrimack, New Hampshire

18 • Tech corner

By John Davis, Engineering, Manassas, Virginia

For the last 20 years, BAE Systems’ Materials Capability Group in Manassas, Virginia, has used focused ion beam microscopy to mill complex components atom-by-atom to solve some of the company’s toughest challenges.


Only a handful of U.S. Defense Department contractors have focused ion beam microscopy instruments – advanced, scanning electron microscopes with an additional ion beam used for localized milling. BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector has two of these machines and has been performing “nanosurgery” on some of the company’s most-delicate components for the last two decades.

Focused ion beams, or FIB, contain chemicals and liquid metal ion sources – platinum and gallium – to deposit conductive patterns, or etch and view various shapes in integrated circuit chips or thin coatings. The FIB ensures our products meet precise specifications.

“When problems arise with semiconductor device yield or performance, the foundries depend on failure analysis to determine root cause,”

to solve big problemsThinking small


WHILE THE DBFIB TOWERS OVER A DESKTOP COMPUTER, IT’S CAPABLE OF MAGNIFYING THE TINIEST OF PARTICLES.

Tech corner • 19

said Linda Heath, Lexington foundry manager, noting that only an FIB can identify the structure or process causing the deviation in most cases. “This powerful tool allows us to quickly solve the problem and continue production. The FIB is also used routinely to monitor product quality, enabling us to consistently produce reliable, high-performance, low-cost products.”

BAE Systems’ first success with the technology came when the company investigated a new memory device with a defect that caused the integrated circuit chip to be permanently disabled and untestable. The FIB milled layers to repair the defective circuitry and proved that only one design change was required to qualify a new product. As it turns out, the lab is currently working on a similar project.

In 2009, a decade following the first success with the equipment, BAE Systems installed a new-generation dual beam focused ion beam. DBFIB allows engineers to mill, inspect, and measure thin film layers or defects at very high magnification. The ability to look for defects, misalignments, foreign object debris, electrostatic discharge damage, blistered or cracked layers, and determine root causes for a variety of failure modes is applicable for programs throughout the company. Identifying defects early, and determining root causes, allows us to deliver better, more-affordable products to our customers.

“The DBFIB is ideally suited for creating cross-sectioned images of layers that include both hard and soft materials, such as ceramic substrates and conductor layers,” said analyst Jim Bowman. “Unlike traditional cross-sectioning into a critical structure, where an analyst may only produce one or two cross sections per day, the DBFIB can provide hundreds of cross section images throughout the structure.” Similar to examining organic tissue, the more cross sections you have

to study, the less likely you are to miss something that could cause problems later.

The equipment is so precise, it literally mills objects atom-by-atom. One application for this is isolating specific sensor pixels having internal shorts. Little by little, a solder bump is milled away until it is completely gone, and then the FIB deposits a protective glass layer over the area where the solder bump once was. The device then passes customer imaging tests and is deliverable.

As a practice exercise, our Women in Technology program participants draw an object, which is then scanned into the instrument. They use the FIB to mill their image on the point of a needle to demonstrate how small some of the features of our most-advanced products can be.

“The FIB was fascinating, because it showed the level of detail that engineers have to go through in order to fix problems and ensure the reliability of products,” said Jacqui Zimmerman, a WiT participant. “The fact that something as small as a piece of dust could be an issue is mind-boggling. Being able to interact with objects in such a minuscule scale was captivating.”

With the past successes using the technology, BAE Systems is now investigating new xenon plasma FIBs, which have the capability of milling much larger features 50 times faster than our current equipment.

A plasma FIB would allow quick evaluation of anything from printed wiring board subsurfaces to larger solder joints. Any program within Electronic Systems can take advantage of this technology by contacting the Materials Capability Group.

THIS SEQUENCE OF IMAGES SHOWS A SOLDER BUMP (MIDDLE OF BOARD) BEING MILLED “ATOM-BY-ATOM” BY THE DBFIB UNTIL IT IS NEARLY COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE COMPONENT


Each issue, we’re spotlighting an Electronic Systems site for their contributions to our HEAT strategy, the community, and our company. This edition, learn more about our Endicott, New York campus.

Turning up the

in Endicott, NYH E AT




CLARENCE E. WASHBURN JR., ENDICOTT’S LONGEST SERVING EMPLOYEE.

• Number of employees in Endicott: 1,409• Average length of service: 11.8 years• Number of programs: 17 Controls & Avionics Solutions and 2 Power & Propulsion Solutions Lifecycle Management programs• Longest serving employee: Clarence E. Washburn, Jr., a senior process engineer within CAS, who joined the company 47 years ago in April of 1973.

New York Times Spiedie recipe

Imported as a delicacy from Italy, it’s widely believed that spiedies are strictly a

Greater Binghamton phenomenon. Originally restricted to lamb, today’s spiedies

are created from lamb, pork, chicken, veal, venison, or beef. The annual Spiedie

Fest and Balloon Rally is a testament to the local love for this meaty treat.

FOR THE SPIEDIES:

• 2 to 3 pounds beef, pork, venison, lamb or chicken, cut into small cubes, at

most 1-inch square

• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

FOR THE MARINADE:

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ¾ cup red wine vinegar

• Zest of 1 lemon

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and roughly chopped

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves

• 1 tablespoon oregano leaves

• 1 tablespoon basil leaves, rolled and chopped into chiffonade

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

PREPARATION

1. Make the marinade: Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Add the meat to the marinade and cover tightly, or place into large,

re-sealable plastic bags and refrigerate for 24-36 hours (or 10-12 hours

for chicken).

3. Build a fire in your grill, leaving about 1/3 of grill free of coals, or set a gas grill

to high.4. Remove the meat from its marinade and thread onto metal skewers, or

wooden ones that you have soaked in water for 30 minutes or so. The chunks

can be placed quite close together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. When coals are covered with gray ash and fire is still quite high, place

the skewers of meat directly over the flames. Allow the meat

to cook, undisturbed, for approximately 3-4 minutes, then use kitchen tongs to

turn them over and repeat on the other side. Continue turning the skewers

every couple of minutes until the meat is deeply crisp at its edges, and cooked

entirely through, approximately another 5-7 minutes.

6. Allow the spiedies to rest on a cutting board for a few minutes, then remove

the meat from the skewers onto cut hero rolls or a plate. Serve with hot sauce

on the side.

Visiting the Endicott site? Here are some activities in the area:• The Finger Lakes region, with gorges to hike, numerous wineries to tour, and the National Women’s Rights Museum • The Baseball Hall of Fame in nearby Cooperstown • The Corning Museum of Glass • World-famous Dinosaur BBQ’s original location in nearby Syracuse• Watkins Glen State Park for swimming, biking, hiking, and camping

Human Capital

Did you know? Endicott is . . .

External Focus

Home of the Spiedie sandwich

The birthplace of Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone

The carousel capital of the World

Home to the second oldest zoo in the country: Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton.

The birthplace of IBM




Technology Disruption

The Endicott site has made significant strides in all aspects of AOE.

Ramping up to meet customer needs

Just two years ago, the Circuit Card Assembly area was producing 45,000 cards. Now, with an increase in PPS and CAS sales, the team met the challenge to build more than 80,000 cards in 2019 – a remarkable 44% increase. “It wasn’t easy,” confessed James Winkleblack, strategic operations manager.

“We implemented several new processes and tools to reach our goals.” Ensuring product build schedules were met, they refined their manufacturing systems to prioritize the card assembly work based on top level demand. Safeguarding repeatability and reliability, and integrating new automated solder machines, wave soldering, and automated bonding equipment have reduced solder variability that would typically lead to higher number of defects.

Partnering with our supplier chain

The key to increasing product quality and our customers’ confidence includes managing our suppliers’ quality and assisting them in identifying defects and solutions. “We’re taking a proactive approach and partnering with our suppliers to devise a customized Zero Defect Plan,” says Supplier Partnerships Director Paul Diedrich. “We’re discussing their challenges, giving a fresh perspective, and helping them develop a more process-based approach to their manufacturing.” Thus far, 21 suppliers have partnered with us to adopt the Zero Defect culture, which has resulted in improved quality and delivery performance.

Achieving Operational Excellence

High integrity flight-critical products enable planes around the world to take off or land safely every second of the day.

Electric controls, energy, and power and propulsion technologies shape the future of flight.

All-electric propulsion systems improve the range and efficiency of electric transit bus fleets.

Innovative electrification solutions advance vehicle mobility, efficiency, and capability on land, in the water, and in the air.

We’re hiring in Endicott, New York! To view available opportunities, visit jobs.baesystems.com/endicott





Rob Sobkowich, a technical operations manager in Nashua, New Hampshire, oversees a dedicated team of process and test engineers, methods specialists, and engineering assistants. At each staff meeting, members of Rob’s team take a moment to recognize instances where others on the team helped them out. Rob says, “It’s important to ensure everyone feels that they are part of the same team, working to achieve a common goal, and that they are a valuable part of that process.” He notes that there are methods for collecting and reviewing feedback from all levels of the team, including a SharePoint site where anyone in the factory can submit continuous improvement suggestions as well as process changes. “One operator suggested a fix to our hand crimping tool that was difficult to close with one hand and maintain wire position,” Rob said. “We implemented a fixture for the crimper that pre-positions the wire in place, allowing the operator to use both hands to achieve a better quality connection. We also implemented pneumatic crimpers for our high volume products that eliminated the need for the hand to apply force.”

At BAE Systems, we view culture as one of our most critical competitive advantages. Whether at ES headquarters or one of our other integral locations, employees come to work every day because of our strong culture and passion for our missions.

Our Cultural Principles represent our shared commitment to each other, our customers, and our communities. They describe the way in which we work together to deliver our HEAT strategy, achieve our vision, and fulfill our missions.

Embracing our Cultural Principles

By Marianne Murphy, Communications, Hudson, New Hampshire

Through their unique stories and perspectives, this series highlights employees who go above and beyond to personify these values.

Katie Koumarianos, a supplier relationship manager in Austin, Texas, says both the culture at work and the excitement of the city make our Austin site a place to make home for a while. “I’ve seen a lot of new people coming to Austin and recognized a need to bridge the gap between the generations, so I helped start a Young Professionals group for people to socialize, get involved in the community, and develop professionally.” Katie says Austin prides itself for having a culture that is focused on its employees, and the site leadership has encouraged many different generations to interact and share experiences. She and a small team have been integral in helping the vision come to life by bringing their own perspectives and taking ownership of the events they coordinate. “We have been operating the Young Professionals group for over a year and have been thrilled to see involvement across engineering, operations, contracts, supplier partnerships, quality, finance, and other functions.”

ROB SOBKOWICH (LEFT) AND HIS TEAM IN THE FACTORY.

KATIE (BOTTOM LEFT) WITH MEMBERS OF THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TEAM.

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