Modeling the Impact of Technology Transition on Ship Operational Capabilities

The objective of this research project is to develop a technology insertion planning tool that relates ship, system, and technology capabilities to prognostic design variables such as cost, schedule, and life-cycle factors. The Phase I effort under SBIR N05-053 demonstrated the feasibility of developing a Technology Insertion Planning Process (TIPP) tool that supports modeling the impact of technology transition. The TIPP tool will supplement the system development process and provide the planning perspective for guiding program upgrades and engineering trade studies. The tool will explicitly support planning for future technology insertion activities, identify when system upgrades will be required to remedy pending supportability issues, estimate total life-cycle costs associated with technology insertion. In Phase II, ASSETT will develop a prototype of the TIPP tool. Utilizing representative inputs/data, the viability of the prototype product will be demonstrated. Testing procedures will be developed to measure the effectiveness of the tool and to demonstrate the ability to work with other tools in a collaborative environment by using standard models, interfaces and languages. In addition, a plan will be developed to conduct a ship-wide validation exercise during Phase III, as well as a plan for software certification and validation.