Techniques for High Assurance in Submarine Systems

Modern nuclear submarines deploy many distributed computing systems that comprise a sophisticated set of functions to deliver dependable solutions for mission critical capabilities. When considering the application domain, safety, dependability and system certification activities represent what can become a formidable task in each development spiral. As the system evolves and is maintained, the need to repeat the certification process represents a significant contributor to the life cycle cost structure. The WW Technology Group proposes an innovative solution to these challenges called Design for Certification. The innovation that lies at the heart of Design for Certification is a model-driven engineering approach that integrates the information and analyses required to support certification through open and flexible means. This approach enables diverse stakeholders to effectively communicate and share information throughout the system lifecycle and provides tools that enable required analyses to be performed efficiently. These improvements result in significant development and life cycle cost savings associated with reducing safety certification efforts and improving performance certification efforts. They also improve risk management by identifying and tracking issues as early as possible and improve overall system quality.