Born, raised, and still living in Southern California, USA.
50 years old (as of 22 December 1998).
BA in Mathematics and Physics (UCLA 1972) Electronic and Computer Engineer, GS-855/854, GS-5 to GS-12, from 1972 to present.
Worked at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Surface Warfare/AEGIS AAW Weapon System Department, Weapons Direction and Fire-Control Software Division. Until 1993, worked for the now-defunct TERRIER Long-Range AAW Systems Department, where I worked on TERRIER AAW Guided Missile Fire-Control System hardware and software, including the Tactical GMFCS Digital Computer Program, its utilities and test software, and the Wrap-Around System Program developmental, test, and maintenance software that faked an on-ship environment (a kind of boring computer warfare game system where I could control the simulated ship, the simulated sea state, the simulated enemy targets, the simulated GMFCS hardware, and the simulated human console inputs to see if the real TERRIER software program was working according to specifications.)
In 1993, switched to the latest version of the TARTAR Medium-Range AAW Systems Department that was absorbed by the AEGIS AAW Systems Department shortly thereafter. Did the same kind of work for TARTAR as I did for TERRIER until the TARTAR New Threat Upgrade (Standard Missile Type 2 Medium Range) GMFCS in the U.S. Navy was decommissioned in 1997 as was TERRIER before it, leaving AEGIS as the only medium and long-range AAW missile system in the U.S. Navy. At the moment I am changing jobs to either support any foreign navy that may buy the TARTAR NTU ships and/or to support AEGIS and other new naval software designs, as directed.
I am a naval historian as a hobby, with a couple of articles published in WARSHIP INTERNATIONAL, the journal of the International Naval Records Organization, concerning warship armor and projectile design, which is my specialty. I started in this hobby during my UCLA years after playing various miniature and board games using land and naval armored equipment and realizing that the subject of armor and projectile design was not handled very well, if at all, in these games. I assigned myself the task to remedy this omission as though I was my own class professor assigning me a term project. At the time I did not know how little was actually known as to the theory behind armor and ordnance design during the Age of Ironclads (1855-1945) and how much I would have to dig to develop my own data base, theories, and computer software to simulate things and compare the results of my ideas with real-life results, where available. Thirty years later I am still working on this subject and have been extremely successful in most areas, though some holes in my understanding still exist for future research to solve (I had no idea how stubborn I am when I first assigned myself this task; I find that I can NEVER quit a problem until I solve it!)
Other interests: Science Fiction and Fantasy (especially humorous authors such as Terry Pratchett), aviation, music, computer art, and all forms of science in general (especially General Relativity, where I am finding my extensive physics, engineering, and mathematics education as about as useful as a kindergarten-level education in basket weaving would be - differential geometry is HARD to learn by oneself!)
It is with great sadness and regret that I need to say here that Nathan passed away in January 2024. Nathan was a member
of the NavWeaps community for many years and was extremely knowledgeable about armor penetration and shell performance.
Nathan was always ready to share his knowledge with everyone and he was still answering questions from our community just
three weeks prior to his death. For more of Nathan's work, please see
Nathan Okun Naval Gun and Armor Data Resource.
Nathan Farrell Okun, 75, of Oak View, died January 11, 2024. He was born on December 22, 1948, in Culver City, CA, as the eldest son of Maxine and John Okun. He is survived by his two children, Mark and Desiree Okun, a grandchild, Quinn Okun, a stepson, Joshua Fisher, as well as, his younger brother’s family Craig and Vivien Okun, nephew Justin Okun, niece Elizabeth Alleman and Elizabeth’s son Asher Alleman. He was also pre-deceased by his previous spouses, Jackie Okun (May 20, 1957 – Jan 24, 2000) and Gloria Okun (April 18, 1951 – September 10, 2002).
Nathan was a graduate of UCLA in 1972, where he obtained both a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics. After which, he began his career for the Navy as a civilian. His computer knowledge and attention to detail quickly helped him advance. Over the years he aided in the improvement naval radar systems as well as fire control systems for guided missile systems that became the prelude to vertical launch systems that are the standard today. He eventually retired from the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme in 2013, after 42 years as a Computer Engineer.
Nathan was mostly known for his expertise in Steel Armor Penetration Dynamics for Naval Surface Warfare. His work in this field brought him worldwide acclaim as one of, if not the top, people in the study of naval armor and projectile design from 1859 through 1945. He wrote and co-authored many articles and books over the years including a couple in Warship International. He refined the equations of how face-hardened armor worked and he wrote a number of computer programs to simulate its effects. In addition, over the years he had great luck and exercised considerable skill and patience in rescuing several collections of data from being trashed or destroyed. These include a considerable number of ship blueprints and metallurgical specs of ships that were decommissioned and were set to be recommissioned, as well as the well-known “Hershey Files”, one of the largest collections surviving of original tests for armor of the time period.
Be it family or the many friends and colleagues that he made over the years, he will be deeply missed. He touched many lives throughout his life, his hobbies and his career, and to sum it up as he wrote many years ago, when he wrote Casey Retires, “I leave you now, one and all, and to all of you be kind.”