Chronology 17 



The year 1969 saw the results of the technological efforts at Dahlgren 

 formulated into a new mission statement: "To conduct a program of warfare 

 analysis, research, development, test, evaluation, systems integration, and fleet 

 engineering support in naval weapons systems, principally for surface warfare, 

 and to conduct supportive programs in other warfare areas and fields of 

 technology." This mission had been the dream of Dr. Thompson in the early 

 days of the Proving Ground and had been pursued by all of the subsequent 

 directors who believed in the utility of scientific research at Dahlgren. 



The early 1970's evidenced technological progress at Dahlgren with items 

 such as the 5- and 8-inch laser guided projectiles, EMPASS,* FLIR/laser** 

 range finders for the MARK 68 Gunfire Control System, fire control software 

 for TRIDENT, a rocket-assisted laser-guided bomb for use against coastal 

 defense systems, and various electromagnetic vulnerability studies. The variety 

 of this work is an excellent indication of the diversified expertise that had been 

 accumulated at the Laboratory, and in September 1974 this competence in 

 many fields was consolidated with the Naval Ordnance Laboratory, White Oak, 

 Silver Spring, Maryland, to form the Naval Surface Weapons Center, which is 

 the Navy's largest RDT&E center. 



The merger of the Dahlgren and White Oak Laboratories has allowed the 

 Center to utilize the varying expertise at each site to perform research and 

 development work on major weapons systems such as AEGIS, t This program is 

 under the general cognizance of the Combat Systems Integration Department 

 at Dahlgren and promises to typify the versatile complex weapons systems of 

 the future that will be developed at the Center. 



*Electromagnetic Performance of Air and Ship Systems. 

 **Forward-looking infrared/laser. 

 tAEGIS is a fast-reaction, high-firepower, all-weather missile weapons system for use beyond the 

 1980's across the entire spectrum of surface warfare operations. 



