NATIONAL DATA BUOY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT 

 A STATUS REPORT 



Captain J. A. Hodgman, U, S. Coast Guard 



National Data Buoy Development Project 



U. S. Coast Guard Headquarters 



Washington, D. C. 20591 



Abstract 



In 1967 the U. S. Coast Guard was selected by the National 

 Council to undertake the RDT&E necessary to develop the capability 

 to implement National Data Buoy Systems. The development is based 

 upon the composite Federgil agencies' requirements, both military 

 and civilian, for marine environmental data to the greatest degree 

 practical. 



The development of National Data Buoy Systems is predicated 

 upon a "systems effectiveness concept" focused on the capability 

 output - the product of the total system: data buoys, servicing 

 ships, shore station support, telecommunications and sensors. 

 System planning embraces the "user-producer" dialogue and the 

 concept formulation/ engineering development philosophy of the 

 RDT&E process as a guide. The Preliminary Concept Formulation 

 Summary document provides an outline of initial progress Eind 

 plans. 



The Fiscal Year I969 program encompassed project raeinagement 

 and systems planning and investigations associated with Concept 

 Formulation. The in-house, contractual and cooperative activities 

 are described. These efforts are being used as inputs to fonnula- 

 tion of Proposed Techniceil Approaches (PTA) with contractual 

 assistance as part of a long-range development plan. The systems 

 engineering and management support tesuns will also contribute 

 towards formulation of the Concept Formulation Plan (CFP) down to 

 the work statement level, and a detailed test and evaluation 

 program. 



The development program consists of a three-pronged attack: 

 (1) laboratory and in-situ test eind evaluation program for sensors, 

 buoys and subsystem components, (2) Pilot Buoy Network develop- 

 ment, the concept formulation and engineering development of RDT&E 

 networks, and (3) an exploratory development progrsim - improvements 



The opinions and assertions expressed in this paper are those 

 of the author, aind do not necessarily represent the views of the 

 Commandant or the Coast Guard at large. 



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