Independent quantitative performance evaluations of complex operational systems including ballistic and guided missile systems, strategic and tactical C3 systems, and other related combat and weapon systems; evaluation of alternative and modified systems; collection of requisite data; and development of instrumentation, as appropriate.

Investigation and assessment of anti-submarine warfare, unmanned undersea vehicles, mine countermeasure technologies, and other aspects of undersea warfare with emphasis on the fundamental understanding of physics-based vulnerabilities supported by modeling and experimentation; security, survivability, and operational effectiveness of submarines; instrumentation and sensor development; and the execution of experiments and oceanographic research.

Design, development, and prototyping of space systems and instruments; conduct of critical space experiments; analysis and evaluation of space systems and space-related data; and research and development of systems that provide precision tracking, location, navigation, remote sensing, communication, characterization of the space environment, situational awareness, accurate discrimination, and targeting of threat objects.

Detailed understanding of tactical combat system and guided missile system design necessary for the independent evaluation of current and future systems, and the research and development of concepts and techniques for system improvements; development and maintenance of unique evaluation and development facilities; design and prototyping of systems; relating systems design to operational factors (e.g., targeting and mission planning); and conducting related analyses and tests, including full-scale experiments.

Research, development, and assessment of effective methods of integrating air defense, ballistic missile defense, and strike warfare systems at the platform and force levels by exploring system concepts, developing demonstration models, and conducting experiments; systems engineering and evaluation of EW and defense suppression systems; and assistance in planning and evaluation of C3 systems for attaining an integrated tactical and strategic system capability.

Research, development, and assessment of defense command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, information operations, cyber operations and information technologies; application of these technologies to battlefield information management, intelligence systems, and information warfare systems; operational evaluations and vulnerability assessments of current and planned systems; development of system architectures to improve intelligence systems and to improve the effectiveness and coordination and reduce vulnerability among forces; and demonstrations and testing of these systems.

Development, verification, validation, and application of simulations, models, and operations analysis techniques to determine mission effectiveness and performance assessment of current, planned, and proposed systems; and coordination of employment of these systems.

Mission-related and public-service-oriented research, technology development, test, evaluation, and system analysis (e.g., biomedicine, counter proliferation, special operations capabilities, defeat of CBRNE weapons, environment, and other topics of importance to DoW) through the application of the above core competencies, along with the complementary capabilities of other divisions of the University.