Stephen Downes-Martin, PhD

stephen.downesmartin@gmail.com
+1 401-935-4808
www.downesmartin.com

Bio / Current Position

Dr. Stephen Downes-Martin is a Research Fellow at the US Naval War College and an independent scholar analyzing the use and abuse of decision support tools at the strategic, operational and tactical levels of warfare and business. His current research focus is how to manipulate decision support tools such as wargaming to deceive decision makers, how decision makers deceive themselves and allow themselves to be deceived, how to detect such manipulation and how to protect decision makers from them. He works with and for a wide variety of government, military, aerospace, academic and commercial organizations in the US and internationally. His formal education includes a PhD in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory from King's College London University, a Masters with Distinction in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College, and a Master of Advanced Studies in Mathematics from Cambridge University.

Experience

His experience covers a wide range of topics that include:

Recent consulting activities for a range of DoD, Industry and Academic clients in the US and UK include futures studies, wargaming (strategic deterrence, effects of ballistic missile defense in Europe on strategic stability, special operations in the Baltics), operational deception, teaching (wargaming, game theory, assessments methods), planning and running industry working groups and conferences on wargaming. A long term research project (Puppet Mastery) investigates how to manipulate decision support methods to deceive decision makers, how decision makers misuse such methods to deceive themselves, how to detect such attempts and protect decision makers from them.

Stephen deployed to Helmand Province Afghanistan spring 2010 in response to a by-name request to support Regional Command (South West) / I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) as the Commanding General’s Assessments Advisor, for which he was awarded the Superior Civilian Service Medal. He deployed to ISAF HQ in Kabul spring 2012 in response to a by-name request to advise General John Allen’s Afghan Assessments Group.  In 2015 he was awarded a second Superior Civilian Service Medal for achievements that included being "routinely sought by name as the most credible authority to assess and offer solutions to challenging issues, and always delivering brilliant results ... in complex warfare environments".

He regularly participates in and contributes to the Annual Connections US, Connections UK and Connections North Wargaming Conferences.

He has briefed and engaged with senior military and civilian executives, Flag/General Officers, Officers, NCOs and Enlisted from organizations that include: I MEF HQ, II MEF HQ, AFRL/XPPW, ALSA, Australian Defense College, Canadian Forces College, CENTCOM Maritime Staff, DARPA, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Afghanistan, ISAF Joint Command (IJC), Indian Navy, JFCOM, USAF JIOWC, USMC MAGTF STP, NWDC, Numbered Fleet Staffs, OPNAV, Singapore Government, SOCOM, SOCEUR, STRATCOM, UK MoD (DSTL).

Education

2004    MA (with Distinction) National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, US

1979    PhD Theoretical Physics, King’s College London University, UK

1975    Mathematics Tripos III  /  2011 Master of Advanced Studies Mathematics, Cambridge University, UK

1974    BSc (First Class Honors) Physics, London University, UK

Additional industrial, university and practicum courses include computer science, economics, game theory, government, military studies, philosophy, psychology, strategy and policy, theology, and Shotokan karate.

Past Positions

2001 – 2015: Research Professor, Center for Naval Warfare Studies, Naval War College

Stephen’s responsibilities at the Center for Naval Warfare Studies included assisting senior defense executives to define their operational and strategic problems; researching and wargaming those problems both individually and as part of a team, and delivering actionable results. He was also responsible for analysis and publication of research results; developing a wide range of collaborative projects with the military services, US government agencies, private firms, academic community, and allied countries, and teaching accredited courses in game theory, wargaming, critical thinking and assessment. He chaired and participated in Professional Conferences and Working Groups, taught students and faculty about research results applied to operational and strategic problems, and was regularly invited to teach critical thinking, operations assessment, and wargaming to various core course seminars and to the CNO’s Strategic Studies Group (SSG).

1991 – 2001: Independent Contractor

Stephen developed and delivered simulations, multi-criteria analysis tools, and facilitation to support senior executive decision-making in complex, high-risk and high-payoff situations. Clients included Nortel Networks, IBM Global Systems, Cisco Systems, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Loral, and John Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.

1992 – 1994: Project Scientist, David Sarnoff Research Center

Sarnoff was developing technologies to support rapid construction of distributed teams to respond to novel crises. Stephen was responsible for developing distributed collaboration systems, mission planning systems, gaming, and simulation systems to support civilian intelligence agencies, the U.S. Navy, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

1990 – 1991: Project Scientist, TASC

TASC wanted to develop business in the growing Distributed Interactive Simulation market. Stephen advised TASC on the insertion of their technologies into Government (DARPA and STRICOM) initiatives in this area.

1985 – 1990: Project Scientist, BBN Systems and Technologies

BBN was developing advanced human-in-the-loop combat training and planning simulation systems for the U.S. Army. Stephen developed artificial intelligence based models of human and organizational behavior to use in these systems. He designed, and led the team that deployed, the first semi-automated forces (SAF, CGF) component of DARPA's SIMNET distributed interactive simulation system. There is now an annual international “Computer Generated Forces” conference focused on these techniques and technologies, and the U.S. Military widely use these techniques in their current suite of systems.

1983 – 1984: Project Scientist, Carnegie-Mellon University (Computer Science Dept.)

The expert systems group at Carnegie-Mellon University’s (CMU) computer science department was developing rule-based systems for government and commercial clients. Stephen was responsible for researching and developing techniques for handling large quantities of conflicting and uncertain information for the US Navy and the Oil industry. CMU’s clients tested the systems developed by Stephen in operational environments.

1980 – 1983: Project Scientist, Scicon Ltd.

Scicon was developing its business in artificial intelligence based tools for the UK Ministry of Defence. Stephen was technical lead on tactical analysis and combat simulation projects introducing artificial intelligence approaches to new weapons systems, command and control, combat intelligence, and training systems.

1978 – 1980: Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships at the International Center for Theoretical Physics (Italy) & the Niels Bohr Institute (Denmark)

Stephen researched quantum gravity in multi-dimensional anti-commuting space-times.

Early 1971: Stockman, Bonrook Cattle Station, Northern Territories, Australia

Stephen’s responsibilities on the Station included rounding up cattle by horse, branding and loading them onto cattle trucks. He was hired by Dalgety (a large cattle broker in the Northern Territory at the time) to handle their dangerous animals at auction. Gambling at local horse races kept him in beer and meat pies and paid for bandages.