About the seminar

The cold war brought needs for fast-response air defence systems to handle large numbers of radar tracks and concurrent but separate interceptions of intruders by missiles and supersonic fighters. Innovations in the handling of radar signals, tactical calculations, and operational decisions, were based on the use of programmable, fast-time-multiplexed, digital computers and electronic displays.

Examples will be taken from systems deployed in different parts of the world, but the main aim will be to point out lessons, learned slowly, if at all.

About the speaker

Frank Barker, brought up in Rochdale, joined RN in 1950, served in Korea - HMS Birmingham, air defence guard ship at mouth of Yalu River. Later briefly gunnery officer of Battle class destroyer. Joined systems analysis team of Decca Radar in 1961, which later became part of Plessey, then Siemens. Worked in marketing, design, commissioning and operational improvement of overseas tactical systems. Brushing acquaintance only with UK cost-plus projects. Educated at RNC Dartmouth, Greenwich, and King's College London. In 1967, elected an industrial senior member of (what became) Wolfson college Cambridge. Frequent visiting fellow at the Australian universities of Newcastle and Melbourne. Industrial advisor at Kingston university. Current research concerns the conceptual structure of probability.