Midshipmen Participate in Explosives Demonstration

Photo By Ensign Jordyn Diomede | ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 22, 2022) U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen in the Naval Weapon Systems (EW300) course participate in an explosives demonstration outside of Rickover Hall. The course uses the "detect to engage" framework to examine each part of the finding, fixing, targeting, engaging and assessing process. The purpose of the demonstration is to combine the processes learned throughout the semester in order to simulate the real-world deployment of missiles, torpedoes, grenades or warheads, using balloons and the application of heat. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jordyn Diomede)  

ANNAPOLIS, MD, UNITED STATES

04.22.2022

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Jordyn Diomede 

United States Naval Academy

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 22, 2022) U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen in the Naval Weapon Systems (EW300) course participate in an explosives demonstration outside of Rickover Hall, April 22.

The course uses the "detect to engage" framework to examine each part of the finding, fixing, targeting, engaging and assessing process. The purpose of the explosives demonstration is to combine the processes learned throughout the semester in order to simulate the real-world deployment of missiles, torpedoes, grenades or warheads, using balloons and the application of heat.

Fire Controlman Aegis Technician 1st Class Ryan Poe, from Elizabeth, Indiana, has been assisting with demonstrations for the EW300 course for two years. Throughout four semesters, he’s helped teach more than 60 classes of midshipmen four separate types of demonstrations: radar, sonar, electro-optics and explosives.

Poe said that throughout the course, midshipmen talk about math, theory and probability, but aside from watching videos, they don’t get to see or understand how everything connects to what we deal with in the real world.

With most of the course focused on basic concepts, it is considered a building block. Once midshipmen have knowledge of those concepts, they are then able to apply that to a weapon system, further enabling them to understand how these systems calculate the probability to kill a target in real-world scenarios.

“It’s rewarding to see midshipmen grow and experience what it means to be in the fleet,” he said. “By using what they've learned about our weapons and guidance systems, it gives them a greater understanding of how to effectively utilize the ship's systems in the fleet to carry out our warfighting mission."

For more information about the Naval Academy, please see www.usna.edu or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USNavalAcademy.

• Date Taken: 04.22.2022
• Date Posted: 04.22.2022 15:02
• Story ID: 419105
• Location: ANNAPOLIS, MD, US