Contracted consultant placed through SCS. Author of the Test, Evaluation & Acceptance Plan (TEAP) for Demonstration and Manufacture phase of Land Environment Air Picture Provision programme. Author of the TEAP for urgent operational requirement Indirect Fire Locator, Alarm and Intercept System. Administered IFLAIS integration and test through multi-company project team. Planned and executed live trials. Presented Acceptance Case evidence.

Contracted consultant placed through SCS. Co-ordinator of the Evaluation volume of the (winning) competitive proposal for LEAPP D&M Phase. Author of the Technology Readiness Assessment report, co-author of the TEAP, author of the Platform Integration Plan, the Interoperability Compliance Assurance Plan, the Release Assurance Compliance Plan, the Obsolescence Management Plan and conducted a strategic study for LM on selecting the site to be used in the D&M Phase. Supervised and reviewed the TEMPEST plan and Security Plan.

Re-called to service after 9/11, he was appointed to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief under the Full Time Return to Service (FTRS) scheme. He had a pivotal role in setting policy for all operational and exercise deployments in the years 2001 to 2004 and beyond. He also maintained and published the Fleet Deployment and Exercise Programme, served as Permanent Secretary of the European Fleet Programmers’ Meeting and was the keeper/publisher of the European Activity Overview to the member nations, co-ordinating on a daily basis with the programmers of other navies with an interest in the European theatre. He also represented the Fleet HQ at planning meetings held by NATO, the Five Powers Defence Agreement, various Partnership-for-Peace conferences and was sometimes UK observer to exercises held in east Europe. He drafted the Commander-in-Chief’s deployment Initiating Directives to subordinate Admirals and, as a result, enjoyed very extensive input into all exercises and deployments involving Fleet assets, travelling worldwide in order to do so. He contributed to setting policy for the long-term Fleet Programme and also in the development of the Defence Exercise Programme as the Royal Navy representative. He was C-in-C Fleet’s point of contact with the Defence Scientific and Technical Laboratories (DSTL) for experimentation and trials programming.

A Space and Defence Consultancy. Duodesic called upon a wide range of expertise from the Space and Defence sectors on both sides of the Atlantic. Tenders included space systems failures analysis and reporting, planetary mission architectures (Human Exploration of Mars) and planetary mission automation and robotic tools options and were written entirely for the European Space Agency. Duodesic ceased operations following Mr Payne’s recall to active service.

Mr Payne undertook a wide variety of consulting projects in these years which are summarised briefly here: Two projects for DERA on future communications planning requirements as an associated consultant with JJB Consultancy Services Ltd. SAG scenario-based modelling of Skynet 5 Information Exchange Requirements for ESYS, including contributions to database design and population. Teamed with Nickleby & Co ergonomics specialists for Crew Services C3I study into combat system machine support to human decision-making, focusing on picture compilation and weapons allocation planning. Contributed to submarine C3I planning through 1996 SSN IER workshop and 1997 Future Attack Submarine C3I workshop. Authored major input to C2W Threat Manual for DERA staff and assisted in defining Warfare seminar June 97 on behalf of DERA CIS 4A. Initial evaluation and later main phase for DERA CIS 4A to select a submarine tactical data link and Synthetic Environments technology evaluation for CDA Portsdown through Crew Services. Data Link Standard Operating Procedures document project for BAE-SEMA and further SkyNet 5 IER modelling and validation for ESYS. Team Leader for Crew Services of security study into advanced EW technology integration. Contributed to naval aspects of Joint Force Information Model Radar ESM communications requirements for UAT. Attended 1997 DERA Malvern Information for Crew Services. Research for Jane’s Information Group on development of world satellite communications market to 2018. Scenario development, trial management, results analysis and report author concerning simulation of Joint Situational Awareness Message effectiveness with Crew Services. Authoring of Joint Force orders in scenario-based modelling for CDA at DERA Farnborough. A study into Anti-Ship Missile Defence effectiveness at the Maritime Warfare Centre. Experimental Wargaming at DERA Portsdown West and Joint Force staff wargames at DERA Malvern. Co-ordinating identification of UK speakers for Quadrennial Defence Review seminars on behalf of Director, Office of Net Assessment, The Pentagon.

JPC was a start-up electronics company with the patent rights to a unique data processor designed for radiation-hard employment and had a manufacturer prepared to underwrite chip fabrication start-up. Payne was Director responsible for Sales & Marketing but also deeply involved in strategic planning and management of the company. He initiated and managed project collaboration with CAL Corporation of Ottawa to develop an electro-optic spacecraft Attitude and Orbital Control System sensor and liaised extensively with the European Space Agency, UK Defence Research Agency, British National Space Centre, DTI, NASA (Houston and Huntsville), US Army Space & Strategic Defense Command, US Army Missile Command and all major US satellite manufacturers. He made several marketing trips to North America and Europe visiting, briefing, planning with the aforementioned, making a space and defence commercial exhibition appearance and achieving success in the US Army Space & Strategic Defense Command's Space Exploitation Demonstration Program competition in Colorado Springs. He co-ordinated Venture Capital business planning, administration, recruitment, and corporate development planning and lead business development with CAL Corporation, Space Systems/Loral and ESA. A major article was published about JPC in the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association magazine, SIGNAL (February 1996).

1993 – 1994. Staff Officer Electronic Warfare & Intelligence at the School of Maritime Operations in the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Head of Department of 35 officers, senior ratings and civilian staff responsible for all aspects of RN's shore-based electronic warfare and operational intelligence training. This was like returning to one’s University as a senior member of the faculty.

1993. Tactical Development Trials Officer with Surface Flotilla Tactical Development Group responsible for planning UK-hosted NATO anti-missile trials and contributions to Fleet operational tactical development.

1991 – 1993. Deputy of officers' communications training organization at Royal Navy Communications School instructing to all levels and with specific responsibilities for Sub Lieutenants courses.

1990 – 1991. Member of Naval Advisory Group, Ministry of Defence. Advising and implementing command and control trouble-shooting during Operation GRANBY (first Gulf War) with much committee work and inter-departmental liaison.

1988 – 1990. Principal Warfare Officer (Communications and Electronic Warfare) in HMS SHEFFIELD. Responsible for all aspects of ship and group communications, EW and SI operations as manager of a team of 45 communicators, EW specialists and Communications Technicians.

1987 – 1988. Principal Warfare Officers' course at RN Engineering College and School of Maritime Operations. Deep specialisation in Communications, Electronic Warfare and Special Intelligence. (One of only two officers with this range of qualifications to graduate that year). Rather like doing a Master’s degree in naval operations and warfare.

1987. Junior Officers' Staff Course, RN College Greenwich. Recommended on completion for Defence Fellowship later in career.

1985 – 1987. Area Schools Liaison Officer for Merseyside and North Wales, responsible for officer recruitment and pre-interview board counselling and screening. Tripled candidate register during tenure.

1983 – 1985. Navigation instructor in Dartmouth Training Ship. Responsible for development, counselling and reporting on RN and International officer classes of up to 25. Assistant Staff Intelligence officer during operational deployment to Lebanon.

1982 – 1983. Assistant Navigator in HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, an aircraft carrier.

1982. Commanding Officer, Gibraltar Guard Boat during Falklands War, conducting coastal patrols and short notice response to maritime security incidents.