Nigel Duckett

Profile:
A self motivated and experienced electronics engineer whose responsibilities include managing and
delivering high cost and high profile projects often to a precise budget, exacting standards and tight
programme time scales. Self disciplined with a multi-skilled engineering background in subject areas
including equipment electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC), lightening and
electromagnetic pulse (LEMP/EMP) protection advice, non-ionising radiation hazard (Radhaz) safety,
as well as warship equipment topside design. A reliable and conscientious worker at ease working
within a team or independently, with good communications skills that enable difficult subject areas to
be clearly described either verbally or in written report format. A progressive career spanning 22 years
in the Royal Navy as a combat systems engineer has honed good people skills along with an
enthusiasm for new challenges.

Key skills:
 20 years experience within the field of electrical and electronic engineering. Early career
focused on fault diagnosis and rectification of Royal Navy communications, radar and
electronic warfare equipments;

 3 years experience in assessing the radio frequency propagation characteristics of composite

materials for use in modern warship design;

 Good understanding of EMC/EMI engineering;

 Good project management & man-management skills;

 Good written, presentation & communication skills, supported by comprehensive, theoretical
and technical knowledge;

 good understanding of naval weapons, communications and radar systems;

 good understanding of warship topside equipment and antenna siting arrangements for
maximum effectiveness;

 good understanding of warship topside design including the use of composite materials;

 Good IT skills, understanding of office-based IT packages;

 extensive experience in identifying non-ionising radiation hazards in a naval environment to
fuels, explosives and personnel;

 Proven ability to work constructively in close-knit inter-dependant teams often under

challenging conditions;

 Ability to self motivate when working alone and to motivate others during extensive and
challenging programmes;

 Quick and eager to learn new skills, innovative and resourceful;

 Maintains flexibility and self-discipline when working under pressure.

Key Achievements:
 Item manager for the electronic equipment fit for the HMS Ark Royal 3rd mast, an advanced
mast design constructed predominantly of glass reinforced plastic (GRP), the first of its kind on
a Royal Naval vessel;
 Provided expert advice on non-ionising radiation safety for fuels, explosives and personnel on
a class of warship designed for the Royal Brunei armed forces. The result of this advice
culminated in me acting as a non-ionising radiation safety expert witness at a Department of
Trade (DTI) tribunal in London during 2006;
 Designed a topside sensor and communication layout for the Royal Navy’s Future Surface
Combatant. Also identified the major EMI issues expected with the layout along with a number
EMI reduction techniques that could be applied to remove or help ameliorate the majority of
problems identified;
 Designed a mode-stir technique for identifying radio frequency leakage from the joints of a
composite enclosure constructed to represent part of a future warships superstructure;
 The author of numerous MoD and commercial technical reports on warship design, their
topside equipments fits, potential EMI problems likely to be experienced and possible remedial
solutions to these problems;
 Part of a study group investigating technological terrorist attacks on Royal Navel ships and
installations;
 Part of a study group investigating the radar and infra-red dynamic signature control of a
warships topside;
 Provided a study into the use of non, or less than lethal, weapon fits for future warship
designs;
 Provided a study into the use of directed energy and electromagnetic pulse weapons for future
warship designs;
 Instigated and successfully completed a number of professional engineering qualifications
whilst in full time employment.

Career History:

2009 January – January 2010 Lockheed Martin

 Provided EMC design advice Def Stan 59-41 & 411) including equipment trials planning and
conformance with the European Directive on EMC for a number of military projects, Navel,
Land and Air;

2008 March – October EADS Astrium

 Provided EMC design advice (Mil Stan 461 & Def Stan 59-41 & 411) for spacecraft payloads;

1996 - 2007: Defence Evaluation & Research Agency (DERA) and QinetiQ Combat
Systems Integration Engineer

 For 3 years carried out microwave radio frequency propagation measurement trials to asses
the screening effectiveness and performance of composite panelling and enclosures for their
potential use in future warship design;

 Provided equipment electromagnetic integration advice to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on a

number of warship topside designs including:
 • Type 23 frigate
• Future carrier (CVF)
• Through deck cruiser (CVS)
• Type 45 destroyer
• Future Surface Combatant (FSC)
 Provided warship topside non-ionising radiation safety advice for fuels, explosives and
personnel to the MoD;

EMP Experience
 Provided warship topside EMI and EMC advice to the MoD;
 Provided warship design and equipment protection advice against:
• Electromagnetic pulse - EMP (nuclear and high power electromagnetic wave);
• Transient radiation on electronic equipment - TREE as well as other Electromagnetic
interference (EMI) sources;
 The advice covered damage reduction and preventative techniques (e.g. use of “Faraday
Cages, spark gaps, filters, cable screening and semiconductor switching) along with advice
documentation guidance e.g. Defstans and Milstans, to new and legacy ship designs including
their equipment fits;
 Attended Cranfield University’s (Royal Military Collage of Science) nuclear hardening course
in 1999 to provide an understanding of the effects of EMP as well as the methodologies used
to generate the EMP e.g. nuclear weapon detonation and technologies like the “Virtual
Cathode Oscillator” and “Flux Compression Generator”.
 Liaised with various MoD customers as a technical consultant on a number of collaboration
projects involved with the protection of naval vessels against EMP attack.

1972 – 1994: Combat Systems Engineer Royal Navy:

 For 10 years provided fault rectification and daily maintenance to Royal Naval warship radar
systems, guided weapons, communications and electronic warfare equipments;
 Project manager for refitting ships in Portsmouth Naval Base for 3 years. The job also required
me to act as liaison officer between refitting ships staff and dockyard main trades personnel;
 For 4 years part of a team of engineers responsible for the acceptance new equipments
(radar, communications and electronic warfare) into the Royal Navy for ships in build and refit.
Also responsible for equipment installation inspections along with the design of static and
dynamic assessment trials (harbour and sea trials) on the aforementioned equipments;
 Resource manager for up to 25 RN personnel, responsibilities included welfare, discipline and
promotional prospects.

Educational Qualifications and Institute Memberships:

 BSc Engineering with 1st class honours

 BTECH Diploma in electrical and electronic engineering

 Chartered Engineer

 Chartered Physicist

 Member of the Institute of Physics - MInstP

Interest:
Leisure activities include walking, reading, cycling and DIY

Address: 61 East Cosham Road, Portsmouth, Hants. PO6 2BT

Tele No: 023-92-219686 Email: heartsdowndoug@googlemail.com