SENTIR BEAR Group

Battlespace Engineering, Analytics & Research Group

Our Mission

Utilize our unique skillsets and experience to deliver cutting-edge MS&A and Systems Engineering solutions to tackle complex military challenges. We leverage automation, AI/ML, and IT&E to enhance efficiency, accelerate study timelines, and increase analytical confidence. Our agile approach ensures scalable, mission-ready, and reusable products that drive deeper insights and more effective decision-making. Through continuous innovation, we advance MS&A capabilities, enabling our partners to stay ahead in an evolving defense landscape.

Core Capabilities

 

  • Military Utility Analysis
  • Engineering, Engagement, and Mission Analysis for Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) Development
  • Modeling, Simulation & Analysis
  • Operations Research Analysis
  • Integration, Testing, and Evaluation (IT&E)
  • AI/ML – Driven Solutions
  • Software and Systems Engineering
  • Physics-based Modeling
  • Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) and Operator-in-the-Loop (OITL) techniques
  • M&S Adjudicated Wargames
  • Mission+
  • Agile Development, DevSecOps
  • Product driven services
  • and effects modeling in support of RDT&E

Tools and Technologies

  • AFSIM, MATLAB, FALCON, GIANT
  • PYTHON, R, JMP, Excel
  • UML,SysML
  • Inventor/AutoCAD/Fusion
  • COMSOL Multiphysics
  • GitLab
  • Nutanix

Our Team

SENTIR’s Battlespace Engineering, Analytics & Research (BEAR) Group brings over 130 years of collective expertise in Systems Engineering, Modeling, Simulation & Analysis (MS&A), and Operations Research. Leveraging this unparalleled experience, we deliver innovative, product-driven solutions to the most complex challenges in military domains. Our deep proficiency in advanced modeling, simulation, and emerging technologies enables us to drive operational success and empower decision-makers with cutting-edge analytical insights.

Director – Don Emerson

Don leads the BEAR Group and oversees the Group’s strategic initiatives. With 27 years of experience as an engineer, operations research analyst, and business executive, Don brings a wealth of expertise to advancing defense solutions. Throughout his career, he has focused on supporting DoD customers, specializing in maturing emerging AFRL technologies through Military Utility Analysis (MUA). Don holds a Master of Public Administration.

 VP, SENTIR BD – Mark Axtell

Mark drives growth for SENTIR, identifying future customers and strategic partnerships. With 40+ years in the National Security RDT&E market, he has led advanced technology projects for DARPA, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), ARL and NASIC specializing in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems and technologies. Mark has held senior technical management and business development roles with leading DOD RDT&E contractors, both small and large, and is actively involved in on-going research.

CHIEF SCIENTIST – DR. TODD VAN WOERKOM

Todd is the lead mentor for unifying laboratory technology development with MUA. Dr. Van Woerkom has 15 years’ experience across a variety of MS&A and lab-based research and development programs involving myriad technologies and domain applications​. His professional interests include exploring novel technologies for both commercial and defense applications. Dr. Van Woerkom holds a PhD in Applied Physics.

Software Product Manager  –  Noah Niekamp

Noah leads the development, deployment, and lifecycle management of software tools for modeling and simulation. With 21 years as a software engineer specializing in modeling, simulation, and Operations Research, he bridges technical leadership, user needs, and business strategy to deliver high-value products. Noah holds a B.S. in Computer Science, a Minor in Business, and certifications in Software Security (CSSLP) and Scrum Master (CSM).

Sr. Operations Research Analysts

Kindra Bane, Derek Hesser, and Blair Stegman bring over 30 years of combined experience in Operations Research utilizing the Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration, and Modeling (AFSIM) framework across diverse domains, techniques, and technologies.

Kindra specializes in multi-domain simulation modeling, M&S adjudicated wargaming, and data analytics. She holds an M.S. in Applied Statistics and is a CSM.

Derek provides expertise in systems behavior modeling, sensor modeling, Mission+, and systems integration for Integration, Testing, and Evaluation (IT&E). He holds an M.S. in Signal Processing.

Blair excels in modeling complex behaviors, air combat, space modeling, machine learning, and data analytics. He holds a B.A. in Pure Mathematics.

Contact Us

Contact the SENTIR BEAR Group at BEAR@sentirlabs.com to learn more about our capabilities and allow us to discover how to meet your unique needs.