The 2008 Electro-Optical Systems Symposium, held in Tucson, Ariz., was the third major Raytheon technology event this year, marking the third technology network (TN) to announce a shift in its core focus. Now the Multifunction Electro-Optical Systems Technology Network (MEOSTN), this TN has begun its transformation to better align its strategy with Raytheon's core markets.
Themed "EO technologies: Key Elements of Innovative Mission Solutions," this year's event brought two new track sessions to the table — novel sensors and systems, and EO manufacturing technology — both key pieces to expanding EO's role as a multifunction network. These new sessions emphasized innovation in both design and product delivery to the customer.
In one of the opening sessions, Bob Lepore, vice president of Engineering at Raytheon Missile Systems, addressed the challenges of technology innovation in the EO arena as well as the challenge to deliver affordable, producible, testable products to our customers. "The products we come up with have to fall into those [challenge areas], or we're not going get those products out to the warfighter." Lepore added that we currently look at affordability, producibility and testability in the production phase of a project — too late in the process to effect change without significant effort and cost. These challenges need to be introduced early in the design phase to minimize redesign and rework.
In addition to refocusing its annual symposium tracks, the MEOSTN will respond to emerging strategic challenges by adding new technology interest groups (TIGs) over the next few months. "Since the new [track] sessions were successful, we feel there is critical mass to launch TIGs in Novel Sensors and EO Manufacturing Technology," said Brian Perona, MEOSTN chair. "Additionally, our LADAR/LASER TIG will have the most influence on where EO multifunction systems go from a hardware standpoint. I would expect extra emphasis in that area."
So what lies ahead for the MEOSTN? As technology needs change, so will the TIGs — the heart and soul of the technology networks — continue to evolve, retire or combine to implement new technologies into Raytheon's products. Joint efforts between the hardware networks will also continue to grow as new technologies span traditional boundaries. The MEOSTN's role going forward will be to help focus the talent in the EO community on the challenges ahead. That is the TNs' strength: access to talented people and their ideas.
