Mr Tony Thornburn
Lecturer
Location: MH145B
E: a.thornburn@cranfield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0) 1793 785853
Informatics and Systems Engineering
Current activities
Research interests
- A systems approach to learning - from primary through to post graduate education
- Maximising the innate abilities of the soldier, within his environment, through enlightened leadership and the appropriate use of technology
Principal Researcher for the following research activities
- Review of System of Systems Architecture (SOSA) principles for DE&S SEIG
- CCII - IM/IX Support to Operations – WP 3 Reachback
Academic Activities
- Module Leader: Introduction to Defence Capability, Lifecycle Management, Nuclear Warhead Engineering and Capability Requirements and Systems
Professional Activities
- Vice Chair and Trustee: City of Bath Bach Choir
- Formerly Trustee: The Devonshire and Dorset Regimental Charity and Chairman, Regimental Association
Student Supervision
- Various MSc students
Clients
- DE&S - SEIG
- DTSI Programme Board
Background
Experience and Interests
During his 36 years in the Army, Tony was involved with formulating MoD policy, research, acquisition, trials and teaching in the areas of Intelligence and Security, Electronic Warfare, Airborne Surveillance, Armoured Fighting Vehicles, C4IS, Small Arms and Cannons, Thermal Imagers, Night Vision Goggles, Remote Ground Sensors, Lasers, Combat ID, Human Factors and Personal Clothing and Equipment.
A qualified Jungle and Winter Warfare Instructor, he commanded a TA Battalion and also spent two years in the US Army Infantry Centre, Fort Benning, as British Exchange Officer. Staff posts include a Grade 3 (W) tour in HQ NI (1992/93), involving surveillance and security work, a Grade 2 (W) post in the Defence Intelligence Centre, Ashford (1986/7) where he input into national and international intelligence matters. He was instrumental in the introduction of Operations Security (OPSEC) in the Army; a ‘systems approach’ to security. As the Force Development Officer at HQ Infantry (1995/6) he was responsible for initiating and implementing a ‘systems approach’ to Force Development within HQ Infantry, requirements setting and Operational Analysis.
Whilst at the Defence Procurement Agency (1997/01) he was initially responsible for 34 Cat C and D projects in the Small Arms and Cannons Area, including the successful 45mm CTAI Technology Demonstrator programme and SA80 A2 reliability upgrade. He then took responsibility for setting up the Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) Cat A project as its first Project Manager. He chaired the Military Laser Safety Committee (Army), co-authored a revised AC/225 D14 NATO Handbook for Small Arms and Ammunition Acquisition, and also supported the development and introduction of a formalised HFI policy in the DPA. Commanding the Infantry Trials and Development Unit (2001/04) he co-signed 127 successful trial reports; ranging from SA80 A2 to CATT, VIKING, BGTI on Warrior, JAVELIN, NLAW, FIST, combat clothing and equipment, and BOWMAN man platform climatic trials and a number of Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) programmes. He took up his current post as a Lecturer in February 2006. An enthusiastic singer, he is a member of the City of Bath Bach Choir (CBBC).
Qualifications and Memberships
Commissioned from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in 1972, he is a graduate of the Joint Services Defence College, Greenwich (1992), he qualified with APM Group in 2001 and a PRINCE2 Practitioner in 2004, and is currently a member of the International Council of Systems Engineering (INCOSE). He gained his MSc in Systems Engineering, with Cranfield University in 2006 and became a member of Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET) in 2009. He is currently completing a PGCert in Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Higher Education. He was awarded the MBE in 1984 and the OBE in 2004.
Selected publications
Selected publications
Thornburn, AW. (2005). The Defence Procurement Agency’s Approach to Systems Maturity, July 2005 MSc thesis, Cranfield University.
Clark, Prof D. (2004), Prof E Freeman, Prof Richard Jones, Geoff Belbin, Nick Farrar, Don Hardy CBE, Dr Barry Lakeman, Kevin Pointing, Lt Col A W Thornburn OBE and Bill Wakefield. Portable Power Sources and Energy Storage for Future Soldier and Similar Land Battle Systems Technology, Defence Scientific Advisory Council (DSAC) Working Party, 4th March 2004.
Hetherington, Prof J G. (2001), John Foley, Sue Horner, David Hutchison, Maj Ian Johnstone, Brig Bill Kinkaid, Lt Col Merfyn Lloyd, Alan Moss, Finion Rook, Mrs Ruffe, Peter Sutcliffe and Lt Col A W Thornburn MBE. Equipping Dismounted Soldiers to Fulfil their Roles, Defence Scientific Advisory Council (DSAC) Working Party, 2001.
Thornburn, AW. (1998). Re-write A/C 225 NATO D14 – Small Arms and Ammunition Testing Manual. UK HoD/Author and Secretary. Supporting: US, Fr, Sp and It HoDs.
Thornburn, AW. (1992). The Future of Nuclear Deterrence, JSDC Course 13 Individual Course Paper, 1992.
Journal article(s)
Thornburn, AW. (2002). SA80 A2 The Weapon of Choice as the General Service Weapon for Use by UK Armed Forces, Army Doctrine and Training News, Winter 2002/2003, Part 1 Section A, pp.2-9.
Thornburn, AW. (2000). Putting the Clout into FIST. Defence Review, Winter 2000, ed Howard Gethin, pp 60-65.
Conference paper(s)
Thornburn, AW. (2004). Load Carriage and Sustainment of Light Forces, RUSI Conference on 7 September 2004.
Thornburn, AW. (2003). Why SA80, XVIIth European Small Arms & Cannons Symposium 27-29 August 2003.
Thornburn, AW. (2003). UK Military Experience in Afghanistan/Iraq - Night Vision in Action. The Shephard Group, Night Vision USA, Session One, 02 October 2003.
Thornburn, AW. (2002). Trials and Testing in Soldier Modernisation Programmes WBR Soldier Technology 2002, Brussels. Also Panel Chairman.
Thornburn, AW. (2000). FIST. 19th LFE Seminar Human Factors Integration, 09 May 2000, CFB, MOD DPA Abbey Wood.
Thornburn, AW. (2000). FIST. XIIIth European Small Arms & Cannons Symposium 27-29 August 2000.
Thornburn, AW. (1997). ‘Infantry Force Development’, Xth European Small Arms & Cannons Symposium 21-23 August 1997.
