COMBINED MODELS FOR COMBAT SYSTEM ASSESSMENT

TACTICAL PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY, AND COST ARE COMPLIMENTARY FACTORS IN SYSTEM DESIGN BUT THERE IS NO ONE TOOL TO EFFECTIVELY COMPARE ATTRIBUTES IN THESE DISPARATE DISCIPLINES. THERE ARE COMPUTER PROGRAMS TO ESTIMATE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE THREAT, COMPUTER MODELS TO PREDICT RELIABILITY IN A GIVEN ENVIRONMENT, AND COST MODELS TO ESTIMATE BOTH ACQUISITION AND OPERATIONS OVER TH6 LIFE OF A SYSTEM. THESE MODELING PROGRAMS ARE UNIQUE AND INDEPENDENT. NONE CONSIDERS THE FACTORS OF THE OTHERS. DECISION MAKERS IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS MUST WEIGH SUBJECTIVELY THE COMPARATIVE MODEL RESULTS FOR PERFORMANCE,RELIABILITY, AND COST SUBJECTIVELY. A SINGLE INTEGRATED MODELING PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES TACTICAL PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY, ADD COST WOULD GIVE PROJECT MANAGERS THE CAPABILITY TO COMPARE DIRECTLY THE FACTORS THAT CONTROL THE DESIGN OF HIS SYSTEM. THE PROPOSED EFFORT INVESTIGATES THE EXISTING MODELING PROGRAMS FOR TACTICAL PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY, AND COST. IT WILL DETERMINE THE BEST METHOD TO COMBINE THEM OR THEIR ESSENTIAL ALGORITHMS INTO A UNIFIED SYSTEM ANALYSIS MODEL AND WILL PRESENT A DESIGN FOR A MODEL THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN PHASE II.