Reverse Engineering: Human Factors, Manpower, Personnel, and Trainng in the Weapon System Acquisition Process

Abstract

The objective of the Reverse Engineering Project is to identify how and where to influence the acquisition process to result in effective use of soldiers in weapon systems. The project was initiated by the U.S. Army Research Institute at the request of General Maxwell Thurman while he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. It was his position that careful examination of the development process of several Army weapon systems would provide specific illustrations of human factors, manpower, personnel and training (HMPT) issues and identify critical events in the weapon system acquisition process (WSAP). If proper attention from an HMPT perspective were given to these critical events, then fielding of operationally useful systems would be facilitated. Approaches for accomplishing this would be developed based on the detailed information required from the study of the individual systems. A study was undertaken based ont he 'reverse engineering' of four systems: STINGER, Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), BLACK HAWK (UH-60A), and the Fault Detection and Isolation Subsystems of the M1 tank. The term 'reverse engineering' is intended to suggest the process of determining how products of the WSAP came to be as they are. This is the final report of the project. It contains a description of the study process, brief summaries of the analysis of the individual systems, the synthesis of the four systems studies, and the recommendations and products that were developed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1985
Accession Number
ADA157693

Entities

People

  • Arthur Marcus
  • Christine R. Hartel
  • David M. Promisel
  • John A. Whittenburg
  • Jonathan D. Kaplan

Organizations

  • U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Defense
  • Aircrafts
  • Contracts
  • Detection
  • Doctrine
  • Engineering
  • Human Factors Engineering
  • Maintenance
  • Maintenance Personnel
  • Multiple Launch Rocket System
  • Social Sciences
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Equipment
  • Training Devices
  • United States
  • Weapon Systems

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Missile Defense Systems.