System Design Optimization Model

Traditional tradeoff methodologies have not permitted an easy, efficient and analytically-based means for trading between traditional survivability areas and other selected non-traditional survivability technology functional areas such as lethality, mobility, situational awareness, blast mitigation and fire suppression, all of which effect vehicle survivability. The significance of having an explicit cross-functional tradeoff tool available early in vehicle concept development and system-level trade process, allows system survivability to leverage benefits from other functional area capabilities. The proposed development will provide a parametric representation of the vehicle-threat blast interaction, mitigating solutions, and crew injury criteria. Utilizing approved models, algorithms and accredited data, this will allow assessment of IED blast threats and proposed survivability countermeasures. This will be integrated into the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research and Development Engineering Center (TARDEC) Ground Systems Survivability (GSS) vehicle Design for Survivability and optimization model TOSOM. TOSOMs survivability suite evaluation provides useful metrics for evaluation of vehicle survivability and the benefits of survivability technologies, facilitating rapid and efficient trades needed by the tactical vehicle design community. The incorporation of blast type threats will significantly enhance the utility of the model to vehicle developers in light of current and future trends in asymmetric warfare.