Breaking Design Silos with Real-Time Collaboration
This presentation outlines an approach the Navy is adopting to dramatically reduce the cycle time of delivering critical technologies to the Fleet in response to future threats. The approach, called Systems Engineering Transformation (SET), leverages MBSE and Model-based design, but is more than that. It dismantles the systems engineering vee in favor of a highly concurrent process with more rapid and continuous government engagement with the contractor. Paper artifacts are replaced by a digital Single Source of Truth. Large-scale design reviews are replaced by continuous design reviews geared towards production release. The goal (of necessity) is to cut cycle time in half.
David Cohen, Chief Engineer, Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division – NAVAIR
Mr. Cohen currently serves as the Chief Engineer, NAWCAD where he has engineering cognizance and technical authority over the 5000-plus engineers at the Warfare Center. He is responsible for agile execution of NAWCAD engineering technical authority, to include innovative technical approaches to speed program RDT&E and transition technology to the Fleet. He represents NAWCAD engineering both internally and externally and has direct involvement in all Naval Aviation Programs supported by NAWCAD engineering.
Mr. Cohen previously served as the Director of the Systems Engineering Department. In this role, he leads a national department with a combined workforce of over 1500 military, civilian and contractor personnel across 8 major sites. He had systems engineering cognizance for all rotary, fixed-wing, unmanned vehicles and weapons programs in NAVAIR and assigns, supervises and oversaw the Chief Engineers for each of these platforms. He was the Executive responsible for NAVAIR’s Systems Engineering acquisition process.
In 2014 Mr. Cohen stood up and served as the first Director of the Mission Engineering & Analysis Department, a major step in moving the Navy into establishing programs, acquiring and delivering capabilities with a System of Systems, Integrated Warfighting methodology.
Mr. Cohen was selected to the Senior Executive Service in September, 2004 and has 37 years of civilian service with the Department of the Navy.
From 1999-2004 Mr. Cohen was the Chief Engineer of the V-22 Osprey. His tenure on the Osprey began shortly before the two fatal mishaps which grounded and nearly terminated the program. He developed and directed the V-22 Technical Recovery Program which resolved the technical issues, and helped convince DoD leadership to continue the program.
From 1988 to 1999 he was the F-14 Chief Engineer. During his tenure in this position he directed the transformation of the F-14 from strictly a fighter platform to the Navy’s premier strike-fighter, through the integration of systems such as LANTIRN, laser-guided and GPS guided weapons, night-vision, and ground-mapping radar.
He began his career in 1982 in the Propulsion and Power Division. As the lead project engineer for the A-4/A-6/EA-6B propulsion system he developed the J-52 Recovery Program – a $1B effort to overcome fatigue and other issues associated with the aging fleet of engines. He then became the system program manager for the F-14B/D propulsion system where he directed the completion of development, qualification, integration and initial production of the new F110 engine.
Mr. Cohen earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Youngstown State University in 1982. His professional recognition includes award of the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive Service; Vice President’s Reinventing Government (Hammer) Award, multiple recipient of the Department of the Navy Meritorious Service Award and recipient of the Department’s highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Cohen is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi Honorary Societies and a NAVAIR Associate Fellow.