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November 18, 2024-Bob Hanley, Sabre Systems


November 18,  2024
4:00 p.m.
Room:  Torgersen Hall 2150
Speaker: Bob Hanley, Sabre Systems
Faculty Host: Dr. Pat Artis

"Designing Systems that are Mission Ready, Survivable and Sustainable in the Multi-Domain Operating Environment"

Abstract: This presentation addresses survivability in the Multi-Domain Operating Environment (MOE) to include Kinetic and Non-Kinetic threats.  The presentation addresses the following aspects of MOE survivability:

  • Traditional Kill Chain does not address Cyber Effects which may not result in a “Hard Kill” but rather a “Soft Kill” or other Adverse Effect.
    • This addresses kinetic and non-kinetic effects to include deny, degrade, deceive, disrupt, exfiltrate as well as destroy.
  • Cyber survivability issues and concerns with avionics and their imbedded software to include sleeper and dead code vulnerabilities.
  • Cyber issues and concerns with any system that uses software (IT infrastructure, supply chain, maintenance, cyber/software assets/black boxes/avionics on a weapon system, etc.)
  • Recognized numerous differences between traditional kinetic threat LFT&E, non-kinetic threat LFT&E, complex and coordinated MOE.
    • Adequate test articles availability (Full-up vs. Alternative).
    • New methods for introducing threats (and combined threats) to the target.
    • New instrumentation needed for adequate monitoring of SUTs.
    • New metrics needed for determining the impact of mission.
    • Presence of additional kill levels associated with Non-Kinetic threat vulnerabilities.

Bio:  Bob Hanley is currently the Vice President for Cyber Solutions and Systems Engineering at Sabre Systems, Inc. He develops cyber solutions and provides cyber architecture and systems engineering expertise for the commercial sector, federal/civilian Government agencies and for the Department of Defense. This includes offensive and defensive cybersecurity, cyber safety, information technology and information security (including Risk Management Framework and NIST compliance). Bob is a Board member of the College of Southern Maryland Cyber Advisory Council and Chapter Secretary of the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association (AFCEA). He is the Chairman of the Joint Academic Industry Government Cyber Focus Group.  

Previously, Mr. Hanley was Chairman of the National Airworthiness Council that included leadership members from the USAF, USA, USCG, DHS and FAA. Prior to coming to Sabre Systems, Bob worked for 38 years for the Department of the Navy (DoN) where he was the Director of the DoN Airworthiness and Cyber-Security Safety  (CYBERSAFE) Department.  As the Director, he was responsible for all 4,000+ Navy and Marine Corps manned and unmanned aviation systems airworthiness and flight safety, including the Presidential Helicopter, the Blue Angels and all tactical aircraft deployed globally. Bob is also the former Chairman of the Virginia Tech Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Advisory Board. 

Mr. Hanley co-authored the initial Department of the Navy Cyber-Security Safety Policy and was the first CYBERSAFE Program Director for the Naval Air Systems Command. During his career with the Navy, Bob also served as the Southeast/West Asian Action Officer in the Navy International Program Office where he oversaw foreign sales of DoN equipment, aircraft, submarines, and ships to countries in those regions. From 1983 until 1990, Mr. Hanley led the Blue Angel’s transition to F/A-18s and numerous new developments such as the Advanced Tactical Aircraft, Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter, and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Bob chaired the Joint Navy/USAF F-35A/B/C First Flight Readiness Review Team.  

Bob is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree and Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. He is also a graduate of the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School, the Defense Systems Management College, and the Federal Executive Institute. He received his cyber training from the Georgia Tech Research Institute.  Mr. Hanley began his career with the Navy in 1979 working in logistics and support equipment. 

Awards and Honors

Mr. Hanley has received well over 100 awards during his career including the Department of Defense (DoD) Distinguished Civilian Service Award (the highest civilian award given by the Department of Defense); the DoD Exceptional Civilian Service Award; the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award; the T. Michael Fish Award for excellence in leadership in the Navy; the Under Secretary of Defense Acquisition Innovation Award, and the Heinemann Aerospace Achievement Award.  Mr. Hanley was also inducted into both the Virginia Tech Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Academy of Excellence (2016) and the Virginia Tech College of Engineering (COE) Academy of Excellence (2021).  To date, only 175 graduates have been inducted into the COE Academy of Excellence since the University was founded in 1872.  Bob has published 10 papers related to aerospace engineering and cyber including the AIAA Paper of the Year, “Experimental Investigation of the FA-18 Vortex Flows at Subsonic through Transonic Speeds” in 1989.