Mick L. Blackledge is nominated for the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award for his leadership over six years as Deputy Director for Interceptor Technology at the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO). He established goals and developed the first miniaturized interceptors, which are now prototypes for emerging interceptor systems. Due to his accomplishments, the United States is prepared to respond to the 1991 National Missile Defense Act with an early interceptor deployment and integrated improvement plan, saving an estimated $1.5 billion over five years. His sustained initiatives have earned him recognition as a pioneer of interceptor technology.

1. NOMINATION FOR
DISTINGUISHED
EXECUTIVE
PRESIDENTIAL RANK
AWARD
MICK L. BLACKLEDGE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR INTERCEPTOR TECHNOLOGY
SES-4 ES-1301
STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE ORGANIZATION
10 JAN 1988 TO 20 DEC 1991
SUMMARY
Since SDIO began, Mr. Mick L. Blackledge has provided the vision
and leadership for Kinetic Energy Interceptor programs. Due to his
accomplishments over the past six years, the United States is prepared
to respond to the 1991 National Missile Defense Act not only with an
early deployment for interceptors, but also with an integrated plan for
future improvements. In fact, his contributions will allow this
deployment with savings of one and a half billion dollars over the
next five years! Mr. Blackledge's sustained extraordinary initiatives
have earned him nationwide recognition as a pioneer of Interceptor

2. Technology and pre-planned improvements. For example, he
developed the first miniaturized "smart" interceptors which are the
primary prototypes for all emerging interceptor system components.
Additionally, he established nationwide centers of excellence for
individual interceptor components which, in turn, minimized
duplication of effort and optimized expenditure of defense dollars
among the Services. Throughout the years, Mr Blackledge developed
kinetic energy interceptors which makes possible both Theater and
National Defense missions. Simultaneously, he guided this nation's
largest technology infrastructure, which has made SDIO ballistic
missile defense capability a reality. Mr. Blackledge has achieved a
lifetime of successes in a very short period of time. For this reason, he
is recommended for this award at his first window of eligibility. His
unparalleled contributions to the SDIO and his continued exceptional
performance earn Mr Mick L. Blackledge this nomination for the
Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award.
(A) LEADERSHIP, CONDUCT AND TRUST:
Mr. Blackledge leads by example. During the past six years, he
established realistic and consistent goals for the SDIO interceptor
program. His insights are considered in high regard by the national
technology community. His programs resulted in families of flight
ready interceptor hardware and software which are now entering flight
testing of vehicles utilizing unique SDIO funded technology. With
indepth knowledge of management structure and technology readiness
criteria, he formulated and instilled into SDIO, the concept of
deploying interceptors based on current technology and adding out
year expanded capability as product improvement efforts. Through
this insight, an interceptor technology infrastructure is now in place to
support any and all future interceptor design concepts.
(B) CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS:

3. At SDIO, Mr. Blackledge created an interceptor technology
infrastructure which spans the gaps between flight test validation
vehicle configurations and final configurations required for
deployment. He built a national working organization which
implements a cross linked technology infrastructure for the ground
and space based SDIO interceptor concepts. As a result of his
programs, which account for sixty-five percent of the OSD interceptor
RDT&E budget, Mr. Blackledge has become the national and
international expert and spokesman for the application of miniaturized
"smart" interceptors for all known and new tactical and strategic
weapon systems.
(C) COST REDUCTION SUCCESSES:
Mr. Mick Blackledge is a tireless advocate for a high performance, yet
affordable, SDIO system. He reduced the overlap in Air Force, Army
and Navy SDIO technology programs by establishing centers of
excellence for the following technology areas: seekers, avionics,
inertial units, fire control, divert control, and axial boosters for ground
and space based interceptors. He developed the use of leader and
follower organizations to minimize the cost of the overall technology
program. A factor of three cost savings has been realized in the
program. His slogan of "Build a Little, Test a Little and Deploy a
Little" has led to high visibility successes at low cost in all of the
SDIO hardware and software programs. His tenacity in implementing
and leading the development of advanced interceptors has reduced the
size of potential baseline space based interceptors from 1000 kg to
less than 100 kg and ground based designs from 10000 kg to 1000 kg.
The system ramifications and savings in logistics costs are profound.
Because of his insight, the SDIO achieved large cost savings by
acquiring a single flight test integrating contractor for the SDIO
interceptor technology flight test program. Through a buy of twenty

4. coordinated rocket flights, program cost was reduced from 240 to 60
million dollars. Most recently, as the National Defense Act of 1991
drove SDIO planning, Mr. Blackledge applied this philosophy and
approach to the total interceptor program plan. This led to a 100
million savings in 1991 and a directly traceable savings of one and a
half billion dollars through the next five years of the national defense
interceptor development program.
(D) HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT:
Recognizing people as his most important resource, Mr. Blackledge
always takes the time to personally guide each of his staff members.
He keeps his staff highly motivated by partitioning development
programs so that each individual is responsible for a national level
program. He encourages each manager to present their own work to
OSD, other government agencies, industry and the national media. He
mentors each of his staff members and provides a challenging
technical environment for professional career development. Mr.
Blackledge extends his personal approach to members of the Service
field staffs, by providing career enhancing opportunities to all who
work for him at all levels of interaction.
(E) INITIATIVE AND INNOVATION
Mr. Blackledge came to the SDIO with the plan, and singularity of
purpose, to build and fly interceptors based of the high performance
technologies needed for intercepting ballistic missiles. This is
accomplished with technology test beds of risk reduction interceptor
projectiles which are now entering flight test. Mr. Blackledge was first
to address the feasibility of singlet (Brilliant Pebbles) space based
interceptors at SDIO and immediately involved the national
laboratories who are leading the program to highest national potential.
Mr Blackledge was instrumental in bringing the Navy into the SDIO,

5. by defining a near term theater missile defense system utilizing the
world wide fleet infrastructure. The implications for a similar
application for a Navy global protection role are immense. He brought
interceptor component technology to the state which allows
integration of a fully capable discriminating interceptor. He has
demonstrated a new low weight satellite capable of high frame rate
surveillance and tracking through using the interceptor developed
starring focal plane arrays. The discriminating interceptor and the
utilization of the seeker trackers for surveillance will greatly simplify
the SDIO architecture.
(F) EFFICIENCY AND TIMELINESS:
Mr. Blackledge uses the latest in desk top and mainframe computers
to track the expenditures and make plans for the entire program. His
planning is superb. He designs and scripts all of his presentation
materials. He utilizes the computer to maximize his output in all
aspects of his job. All administrative functions are completed on time
and in final format. By utilizing telephone and telecon
communications, and extensive travel he has interwoven the services
such that the program is a national DOD corporate effort.
(G) GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY COOPERATION:
He maintains a stable, but rapidly evolving program, through
extensive organization and personal communications with a multi-
service staff located at diverse geographical locations around the
country and overseas. He prepared advocacy briefing for presentation
to all levels of the government and private technical communities. Mr
Blackledge achieved major cost savings for the SDIO and the Nation
in the development of the high performance miniature interceptor
program. He allows no duplication of effort in the sprawling array of
SDIO field executing organization. He has put into place a lean

6. national infrastructure consisting of contractor and government people
with common programs and goals. This was an especially difficult
task considering the inherent service and contractor rivalries that
exist. He developed interceptors of such high performance and low
cost that the Nation can afford to deploy them.
(H) AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SUCCESSES:
Not only is Mr. Blackledge firmly committed to the principles of
Equal Employment Opportunities and Affirmative Actions, he has put
his beliefs into action. For example, he invited minority colleges to
participate in SDIO technology development programs. He selected
minority candidates as program managers to execute SDIO programs
in field organizations. He selected a minority secretary. He established
a summer position for a Professor of Engineering from a minority
college and has since completed a research contract with that
organization. Finally, Mr Blackledge continuously demonstrates his
commitment by insuring that minorities and female professionals are
given full consideration for managerial positions with increased
responsibility.
(I) CAREER AWARDS AND HONORS:
As a result of the intensity of his SDIO activities Mr. Blackledge has
been nominated for a Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University
of Alabama and for a position of Fellow in the professional society of
Aeronautical and Aerospace Institute of America (AIAA). He serves
as amember/advisor on the Tactical and Strategic Missile Steering
Committee. During 1991, the AIAA initiated a national conference of
AIAA/SDIO Interceptor Technology which imitates the interceptor
technology organization put into place by Mr. Blackledge at SDIO.
He briefed Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on SDIO progress
toward an affordable, near term deployment of a ballistic missile

7. defense.
(J) TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Mr Blackledge nurtured a high risk, miniature projectile advanced
integration effort into the showcase risk reduction program for the
SDIO interceptor deployment. The first ground test projectile utilizing
miniature technology leading to three and five kilogram devices were
delivered in late 1990, and flight tests will occur in early 1992. His
overall technology leadership led to development of: 1) Seekers (first
units utilizing 128 by 128 staring array sensors); 2) Avionics (First
application of VHSIC I and II microchips leading to 0.25 kg as
opposed to conventional 50.0 kg electronics); 3) Inertial Units
(reduction in weight and costs of two orders of magnitude over
conventional devices); 4) Fire Control (a discriminating ladar now
exists which has profound discrimination implications for SDIO
system architectures); 5) Divert Control (first one millisecond valve
response and engines powered by hypergolic and solid propellants); 6)
Axial Boosters (new solid motors and liquid engines which have
performance and weight improvements greater than thirty percent
over traditional technology). These programs are now complete. After
six years of Mr. Blackledge's stewardship, an affordable, effective
1996 SDIO interceptor deployment is possible. Not resting on his
successes thus far, Mr Blackledge has initiated the next generation of
component and integrated miniature technologies which will produce
the first computing unlimited, discriminating (ie, brilliant, not just
smart) interceptors for national defense missions.
(K) ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION:
Mr. Blackledge is the national and international expert and spokesman
for the application of miniaturized smart interceptors for to all known

8. and new tactical and strategic weapon systems. Mr. Blackledge
routinely presents his complex program to all levels of government
and industry. He prepares, refines and routinely delivers major topic
briefings to all levels of OSD, NASA, Air Force, Navy and Army. He
chairs the SDIO National Kinetic Energy Technology Committee. He
has delivered ninety invited lectures on the interceptor technology
infrastructure to prominent national and international engineering
conferences during the past six years. His opinions, as a national
expert, on the status of the SDIO interceptor technology progress, is
quoted in national technology trade magazines and letters. Particularly
noteworthy was the continued outstanding presentation of the
interceptor technology program to the SDIO Advisory Panel, the
Defense Science Board, the JASONS Program Office Group, and to
Congressional Staff Members. In summary, Mr. Blackledge is an
accomplished spokesman for the SDIO interceptor and technology
program as well as the overall SDIO program. Mr. Blackledge is
considered the prototype technical manager, a superb member of the
SES and a true credit to the career civil service.
RECOMMENDING OFFICIALS:
MG Malcolm R. O'Neill
Deputy Director
First Level Supervisor
Strategic Defense Initiative
Organization
AMB Henry F. Cooper
Director
Component Head
Strategic Defense Initiative
Organization

9. SUBSEQUENT ACTIVITIES (1992 to 1996)
Recommended for Deputy Director of BMDO by Speaker of the
House the Honorable Newt Gingrich and High Frontier Founder Lt.
Gen (retired) Daniel Graham
Developed the concept of retrofitting Minuteman III Strategic Nuclear
Missiles into Minuteman IV Strategic Defense Interceptors.
Developed the rational for aircraft delivered Boost Phase Interceptors
through retrofitting existing HARM and SRAM missiles with Hit To
Kill front ends.
Received the 1992 AIAA Missile Sciences Achievement Award for
Technical Excellence in the field of missile design
Prepared comprehensive report detailing the technologies available
and need for tactical and strategic missile block upgrades.
Received the 1994 AIAA Lifetime Achievement Award for Strategic
Missile Defense.
Prepared bottom line presentation "Defense, Deterrence or Deceit"
which defines and makes understandable, the nature of the BMDO
program from the view point of fundamental technological and
political truths.
Developed concept of next generation Interceptor Motion Seekers
which allow the detection by standoff missiles of cruise missiles
against high clutter backgrounds.
Wrote a history of US and UK SDIO and BMDO activities since the
UK and US became Ballistic Missile Defense partners
Currently, serving as US to UK Exchange Scientist on location in the

10. United Kingdom, working basic science and helping to define the risk
reduction technology program for the UK Future Surface to Air
Missile.