Shawn G. Ohler
Dr. Shawn G. Ohler is principal staff in the Air, Missile, and Maritime Defense Technology Division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. In this role, he co-leads the analytic assessment team of federally funded research and development centers and university-affiliated research centers partnering with industry on the Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Technology Accelerator within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Through the team’s efforts, the accelerator will provide a path for modernizing the nation’s strategic deterrence while ensuring coordination across the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Armed Forces, Combatant Commands, and other Office of the Secretary of Defense partners.
Ohler joined the Laboratory in 1996 as a technical staff member in the Tactical Defense Systems Group. As part of the U.S. Air Force Red Team, he was involved in the evaluation and development of Air Force radar and electronic warfare systems, taking on hardware and software development, data analysis, test operator, and test director roles.
Following 9/11, Ohler was a lead systems engineer in the deployment of the Enhanced Regional Situational Awareness system for the National Capital Region. He then completed a tour at the Reagan Test Site (RTS) on Kwajalein Atoll to work on the RTS Distributed Operations program, which enabled remote range operations from the continental United States. Ohler returned to the Laboratory's Lexington, Massachusetts, campus in 2007 and joined the Advanced Concepts and Technologies Group. As associate group leader, he expanded the group’s portfolio into electronic warfare systems for the U.S. Army and Navy, including capabilities related to electronic decoys, battle management, and radar emulators. This work addressed the then-emerging anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) landscape, forming the basis of many continuing initiatives in radar and electronic warfare.
In 2013, Ohler began a tour at the Pentagon in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OASD[R&E]). He helped the office develop a response to emerging A2/AD threats, creating strategic road maps and investment initiatives through partnerships with the Combatant Commands, military services, and government agencies and laboratories. He also created and led the Office of Net Technical Assessment as the chief of analysis for OASD(R&E).
After completing his Pentagon tour in 2017, Ohler was appointed leader of the Laboratory’s Advanced Sensor Systems and Test Beds Group. In this role, he solidified the Laboratory’s leadership in developing and transitioning next-generation sensors in support of long-range engagements for air and missile defense missions. He was promoted to principal staff in 2025.
Ohler has served on the advisory committees for the Military Operations Research Society and National Fire Control Symposium, and as inaugural co-chair for the Laboratory’s A2/AD Systems and Technology Workshop. Ohler holds BS and MS degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD degree from the University of Michigan, all in electrical engineering.