This thesis deals with the communication campaign of the government of the Czech Republic with regard to the possible Czech participation at the project of the US anti-missile defense system. The project was implemented by the Czech government following the official request from the USA on January 19, 2007, consequently the Czech answer to this request on March 28, 2007. From the foundation of the Czech Republic it was the third communication campaign related to the question of the Czech sovereignty and to the position of the Czech Republic within the international community. The previous campaigns referred to the acceptance of the Czech Republic to the EU and NATO. The objective of the thesis is focused on tracing methods and specifics of the Czech governmental communication of that issue towards the Czech public. Content and formal features of the particular communication materials were analyzed by quantitative and qualitative content methods. The governmental information campaign on the radar device, respectively on the issue of the anti-missile defense system can be framed in the time period of May 25, 2007 and March 31, 2008, when the governmental commissioner for the communication of the project, Tomáš Klvaňa, was in charge. The author of the thesis is concentrated particularly on the part of...

A systematic customer value assessment process (CVAP) was developed to give system engineering teams the capability to qualitatively and quantitatively assess customer values. It also provides processes and techniques used to create and identify alternatives, evaluate alternatives in terms of effectiveness, cost, and risk. The ultimate goal is to provide customers (or decision makers) with objective and traceable procurement recommendations. The creation of CVAP was driven by an industry need to provide ballistic missile defense (BMD) customers with a value proposition of contractors’ BMD systems. The information that outputs from CVAP can be used to guide BMD contractors in formulating a value proposition, which is used to steer customers to procure their BMD system(s) instead of competing system(s). The outputs from CVAP also illuminate areas where systems can be improved to stay relevant with customer values by identifying capability gaps. CVAP incorporates proven approaches and techniques appropriate for military applications. However, CVAP is adaptable and may be applied to business, engineering, and even personal every-day decision problems and opportunities. CVAP is based on the systems decision process (SDP) developed by Gregory S. Parnell and other systems engineering faculty at the Unites States Military Academy (USMA). SDP combines Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) decision analysis philosophy with Multi-Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) quantitative analysis of alternatives. CVAP improves SDP’s qualitative value model by implementing Quality Function Deployment (QFD), solution design implements creative problem solving techniques, and the qualitative value model by adding cost analysis and risk assessment processes practiced by the U.S DoD and industry. CVAP and SDP fundamentally differ from other decision making approaches, like the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), by distinctly separating the value/utility function assessment process with the ranking of alternatives. This explicit value assessment allows for straightforward traceability of the specific factors that influence decisions, which illuminates the tradeoffs involved in making decisions with multiple objectives. CVAP is intended to be a decision support tool with the ultimate purpose of helping decision makers attain the best solution and understanding the differences between the alternatives. CVAP does not include any processes for implementation of the alternative that the customer selects. CVAP is applied to ballistic missile defense (BMD) to give contractors ideas on how to use it. An introduction of BMD, unique BMD challenges, and how CVAP can improve the BMD decision making process is presented. Each phase of CVAP is applied to the BMD decision environment. CVAP is applied to a fictitious BMD example.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The United States Navy requires radical and innovative ways to model and design multifunction phased array radars. This thesis puts forth the concept that Genetic Algorithms, computer simulations that mirror the natural selection process to develop creative solutions to complex problems, would be extremely well suited in this application. The capability of a Genetic Algorithm to predict adequately the behavior of an array antenna with randomly located elements was verified with expected results through the design, construction, development and evaluation of a test-bed array. The test-bed array was constructed of commercially available components, including a unique and innovative application of a quadrature modulator microchip used in commercial communications applications. Corroboration of predicted beam patterns from both Genetic Algorithm and Method of Moments calculations was achieved in anechoic chamber measurements conducted with the test-bed array. Both H-plane and E-plane data runs were made with several phase steered beams. In all cases the measured data agreed with that predicted from both modeling programs. Although time limited experiments to beam forming and steering with phase shifting, the test-bed array is fully capable of beam forming and steering though both phase shifting and amplitude tapering. / Outstanding Thesis / Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy