Sentient Connectors for Enhanced, Integration, Test, and Mission Assurance

Management Sciences, Inc., with support of Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS), proposes to build and demonstrate pre-production article of a “Smart Missile Connector” that will provide a Built In Test (BIT), diagnostics and prognostics capability for the Standard Missile III Block 2B. (BIT is a requirement of the 2B upgrade contract.) RMS will assist MSI to prepare a Performance Specification. MSI will use the Performance Specification to enhance and upgrade the hardware and software of MSI’s current Sentient Guardian to the SMC electronic module. Deutsch Aerospace and Defense (Oceanside CA) will produce the SMC Mil-Spec connectors. After the connectors, electronics and BIT processing, and other software applications are integrated and tested at MSI, they will be delivered to RMS for test and verification in the SM-3 System In the Loop (SIL) laboratory. This will effectively raise the TRL of the SMC to TRL 6. At the end of this development effort, the SMC will be ready for commercialization and Limited Rate Initial Production (LRIP) to support production of the SM-III 2B missile. The LRIP full scale articles will be suitable to support shipment, storage, and static fire tests and flight tests.