Advanced warfighting techniques of the modern age consist of a variety of new technology, especially in the field of unmanned systems. Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) are an outstanding problem in current conflict, inflicting damage and destruction to the merchant and Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleets in the red sea. The project proposes alternative solutions for combatting such USV and UAS threats in threatened areas for defensive purposes. Through analysis informed by modeling and simulation, we propose an effective and cost considered implementation to the fleet. The analysis includes considerations of known current and future technology with the goal of maximising survivability and effectiveness. The results present an analysis of alternatives for defense of merchants and MSC ships under attack by unmanned systems.

The Integration Project explores the design, engineering and analysis of a Mobile Minefield system as part of Mine Warfare (MIW). By leveraging on advanced technology, warfighting experiences and modelling and simulation using the Modeling and Simulation Toolbox (MAST), a viable solution was designed to perform functions and meet the requirements for sea control/denial systems. The study assessed the potential of mobile mines to dramatically increase the number of enemy ships destroyed and significantly delay their passage through the simulated offensive mining scenario. The results suggested that this novel solution can provide a significant operational advantage for naval forces in MIW.

Climate change has accelerated in the recent years due to human activities. The effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels, is a threat that Singapore is vulnerable to. Information is essential in deciding the measures that Singapore should adopt to tackle the effects of climate change.

The integrated project will study the requirements for the space-based system to monitor and process data that provide insights on climate change and propose a system design of the space-based climate monitoring system. This will allow policymakers understand the effects of climate change timely so that they can make informed decisions.

This interdisciplinary design project details a systems engineering approach to design a manned-unmanned, multi-domain, littoral denial system of systems, projected over the next decade. Mission context scenarios were created to provide diverse system operating environments, enabling a flexible system architecture to address a variety of threats in near-peer competition. With efforts to employ cost-effective and attritable unmanned components, open-source platform reviews were conducted to determine performance parameters, cost, and technical readiness levels, ultimately influencing the eligibility and appropriateness of these platforms for system integration. This evaluation led to a value system design for each candidate platform, providing quantitative analysis for its potential contribution to our system functions as they pertain to each mission scenario. An optimization program under cost constraints was then utilized to yield ideal platform combinations while meeting all functional requirements. Each architecture that resulted from the optimization program was then subjected to a combat model to verify its effectiveness, and then compared to conventional littoral denial constructs.

This research looks at the Critical Infrastructure (CI) network in Singapore from a systems perspective. It engages with the role of CI interdependencies, vulnerabilities, and terrorism trends for CI protection. Using Singapore as the analysis benchmark, this research aims to identify areas and sectors of CI that are the most vulnerable, through the use of causal loop diagrams, to recommend appropriate protection measures from the counterterrorism and CI protection perspectives. Using Rapoport’s Four Waves Theory on Terrorism to make assessments on future terrorism threats, and with several case studies on the most vulnerable CI sectors, including electricity, water, food, transport and government buildings, it was found that an all-round counterterrorism framework is needed for CI protection. The proposed counterterrorism framework for CI protection in Singapore consists of three main tenets – Political Emphasis on Counterterrorism, Social Cohesiveness and Robust CI Interdependencies. Focusing on each of these tenets, CI protection measures were recommended to tolerate, treat, transfer or terminate risks and tackle the vulnerabilities of CI. Understanding the protection of CI as a counterterrorism process allows for a reconceptualization of how CI protection matters and its effects against terrorism attacks.

This report explores the extension of the conventional “kill chain” in a counterintuitive manner. Utilizing lessons learned from the Systems Engineering Analysis Capstone Report (SEA-29) work in “Logistics in a Contested Environment,” the “kill chain” is re-defined backward from warhead detonation to “metal bending and metal delivery.” This process provides a more well-rounded examination of Department of Defense (DOD) efforts to maintain supply lines in a major conflict, specifically, those supply lines that provide key rare earth elements (REE) to DOD weapons contractors. Using linear programming and optimization, this report documents a design of three alternatives for the mining, refinement, and production of REEs. By defining a production equation around our Measures of Effectiveness and Performance (MOE/MOP), we maximized the weighted MOPs while minimizing damage to convoys. From the analysis of results, we found REE components produced remotely (OCONUS) and near CONUS had the best results while using medium and large convoys.

The report will document the approach taken to develop a framework to evaluate a system proposal from the viewpoint of the UK MOD’s Defence Lines of Development (DLoD), based on a proposed operating environment and scenario. The readers will be presented with a selection of system engineering tools, accompanied by the respective explanation of use. Based on the given scenario, a technical analysis will be carried out by the technology specialists to identify key areas (mobility, guided weapon and autonomous), which will then be used for trade-off analysis and decision-making by the system engineering specialists.

The output of the report will be a developed framework that is aimed at allowing readers and subsequent users of the framework to systematically evaluate any system proposals based on a set of defined scenarios, and user and system requirements, in the context environment.

This report examines the transport and delivery of logistics in contested environments within the context of great-power competition (GPC). Across the Department of Defense (DOD), it is believed that GPC will strain our current supply lines beyond their capacity to maintain required warfighting capability. Current DOD efforts are underway to determine an appropriate range of platforms, platform quantities, and delivery tactics to meet the projected logistics demand in future conflicts. This report explores the effectiveness of various platforms and delivery methods through analysis in developed survivability, circulation, and network optimization models. Among other factors, platforms are discriminated by their radar cross-section (RCS), noise level, speed, cargo capacity, and self-defense capability. To maximize supply delivered and minimize the cost of losses, the results of this analysis indicate preference for utilization of well-defended convoys on supply routes where bulk supply is appropriate and smaller, and widely dispersed assets on shorter, more contested routes with less demand. Sensitivity analysis on these results indicates system survivability can be improved by applying RCS and noise-reduction measures to logistics assets.

There is currently a lack of effective simulation tool to assist in the design of air defence system against aerial threat, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Thus, the objective of this thesis is to address such threat by developing a simulation model that enables user to rapidly test different scenarios by considering variation in parameters for defensive assets and hostile intruder UAVs, probability of detection, probability of kill etc. 
To achieve this, this thesis adopted a 2-phase approach, namely System Design and System Verification. In the first phase, the different deployment strategies of the defensive assets against intruder UAV are simulated. The generated outcomes are recorded, and a feasible region is plotted to illustrate all the possible solutions that could achieve the desired outcome. Moving to the second phase, two probabilities, probability of detection and probability of kill, are introduced to the simulation model to reflect the practical performance of the assets. This is achieved via the use of statechart and programming in the simulation model. 
Depending on user requirement, the value for these probabilities can be readily varied and run the simulation model to verify the effectiveness on the deployment strategy of the defensive assets. 

Previously, it has been demonstrated how a chemiluminescence technique, also known as swept test, can be used to analyse the decomposition mechanism of nitrocellulose (NC) under the influence of moisture in varying temperatures. The open system experimental setup has provided a good starting point to explore how chemiluminescence technique can be effectively employed to analyse the decomposition rate of NC under varying conditions. Following which, the focus of this integrated project is to design, verify and validate the concept of a closed vessel system through a systematic approach.

Initially, a suite of systems engineering tools was applied to the problem context to understand the requirements of the closed vessel system. Through a systematic approach, the design of the closed vessel system was developed to address the requirements of the intended system. A series of tests was then conducted to verify the functional requirements of the system. During the process, several design and technical issues were identified and resolved. These include (1) gas leakage; (2) flow rate of carrier gas; and (3) sensitivity of analysing software.

Eventually, the effectiveness of the system was validated by analysing real NC sample that was incubated at 80°C overnight. In brief, this integrated project demonstrated how the project team utilised a systems approach to design, verify and validate a closed system vessel that could be effectively implemented to study the decomposition mechanism of NC in a closed environment.