Missile Design, Development, and System Engineering

Welcome to the Missile Design, Development, and System Engineering web site!

Missiles provide the essential accuracy and standoff range capabilities that are of paramount importance in modern warfare.  Technologies for missiles are rapidly emerging, resulting in the frequent introduction of new missile systems.  The capability to meet the essential requirements for the performance, cost, risk, and launch platform integration of missile systems is driven by missile design, development, and system engineering.

Every few months I offer a short course based on my textbook Missile Design Guide, plus additional new material. The course is available through the AIAA, ATI, GTRI, AOC, and K2B web sites. I look forward to seeing you in the Missile Design, Development, and System Engineering course.

Summary of  Short Course on Missile Design, Development, and System Engineering

The short course provides a system-level, integrated method for the missile design, development, analysis and system engineering activities in addressing requirements such as cost, performance, risk and launch platform integration. The prediction methods presented are generally simple closed-form analytical expressions that are physics-based to provide better insight into the primary driving parameters. Configuration sizing examples and predictions are presented for rocket-powered, ramjet-powered and turbo-jet powered missiles as well as guided bombs. Typical values of missile parameters and the characteristics of current operational missiles are discussed as well as the enabling subsystems and technologies for missiles and the current/projected state-of-the-art. Videos illustrate missile development activities and missile performance. Attendees receive course notes and may also receive the textbook, Missile Design Guide.

What You Can Learn

• Key drivers in the missile design, development, and system engineering process

• Critical trade-offs, prediction methods and technologies in aerodynamic, propulsion, structure, seeker, warhead, fuzing and subsystems sizing to meet flight performance and other requirements

• Launch platform-missile integration

• Robustness, lethality, guidance, navigation & control, accuracy, observables, survivability, safety, reliability and cost considerations

• Sizing examples for missile systems and missile technologies

• Missile system and missile technology development process

Who Should Attend

The course is oriented toward the needs of missile engineers, system engineers, system analysts, marketing personnel, program managers, new employees, university professors and others working in the area of missile systems and missile technology development. Attendees will gain an understanding of missile design, missile technologies, launch platform integration, missile system measures of merit, and the missile system development process.

In-person courses and webinar courses are described in the course description section of this web site.

New Textbook

My newest (year 2022) textbook is Missile Design Guide.  It is an update over my previous (year 2012) textbook.  Missile Design Guide has extensive use of simple closed-form, physics-based analytical prediction expressions - to provide better insight into the primary driving system parameters.  Emphasis was given to ease of use.  The handbook consists of full color figures with self-standing graphs, tables, charts, and diagrams.  It is aimed toward the needs of missile engineers, system engineers, system analysts, program managers, aerospace engineering students, and professors.  Readers have a quick reference for missile design, missile technologies, launch platform integration, targeting, fire control integration, missile system measures of merit, and the missile system development process.

The new textbook is available through a number of web sites, including AIAA and Amazon.com,.