When Computers Went to Sea: The Digitization of the United States NavyWhen Computers Went to Sea explores the history of the United States Navy's secret development of code-breaking computers and their adaptation to solve a critical fleet radar data handling problem in the Navy's first seaborne digital computer system - that went to sea in 1962. This is the only book written on the United States Navy's initial application of shipboard digital computers to naval warfare. Considered one of the most successful projects ever undertaken by the US Navy, the Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) was the subject of numerous studies attempting to pinpoint the reason for the systems inordinate success in the face of seemingly impossible technical challenges and stiff resistance from some in the military. The system's success precipitated a digital revolution in naval warfare systems. Dave Boslaugh details the innovations developed by the NTDS project managers including: project management techniques, modular digital hardware for ship systems, top-down modular computer programming techniques, innovative computer program documentation, and other novel real-time computer system concepts. Automated military systems users and developers, real-time process control systems designers, automated system project managers, and digital technology history students will find this account of a United States military organization's initial foray into computerization interesting and thought provoking. |
Contents
Radar New Eyes for the Fleet | 5 |
5 | 20 |
11 | 39 |
Enter the Transistor | 110 |
Building a New System | 131 |
The Chief of Naval Operations Project Office | 148 |
Navy Electronics Laboratory Role | 155 |
The ANUSQ17 Prototype Computer | 161 |
Digitizing the Antisubmarine Airplanes | 283 |
New Horizons for Tactical Computers | 297 |
Seconds are PreciousWeapons Direction System Mark 11 and the ANSPS | 317 |
Mare Island the Testing Ground | 324 |
The AntiSubmarine Warfare Ship Command and Control System | 330 |
Time to Go Competitive? | 339 |
Twilight of the Analogs | 347 |
A Joint Electronics Equipment Designation System | 401 |
Fuzzy Scopes and Elliptical Circles | 168 |
Computers on the Airwaves | 177 |
No Damned Computer Is Going To Tell Me What To | 211 |
In the Air on Land and | 267 |
Hawkeye and the Airborne Tactical Data System | 274 |
Univac NTDS Organization December 1 1959 | 416 |
441 | |
444 | |
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Common terms and phrases
aboard Aegis air intercept controllers airborne aircraft analog antenna anti-submarine warfare assigned ASWSC&CS automated automatic Bureau of Ships BUSHIPS BUWEPS capability CAPT carrier Chief of Naval combat information center communications computer program concept console contract cruiser data link destroyer devices digital computer evaluation fighter fire control computer fire control system fleet functions guided missile frigates installed interceptor control LCDR Link 11 machine magnetic magnetic core memory Mahinske MATH McNally and Svendsen memory module Naval Tactical Naval Tactical Data Navy Electronics Laboratory Navy standard NTDS computer NTDS equipment NTDS Project Office OPNAV PIRAZ problems processing project manager prototype radio RADM reliability search radar SECTION HEAD service test ships servomechanisms ship's shipboard Stoutenburgh Surface Missile Systems Systems Command Tactical Data System Talos target technical Terrier Terrier missile track transistors tube U.S. Navy Univac vacuum tube Weapons Direction System