System Cost Probability Distributions for ACES (Architecture Comparative Evaluation Study) Architectures

Abstract

This report derives functional forms and presents the probability distributions for the acquisition and program costs for strategic defense system architectures developed in the second phase of the SDIO sponsored Architecture Comparative Evaluation Study (ACES). The input data are the nominal costs for each of the elements and the cost risk distributions for three elements, one each at low, medium and high risk. These are used as the basis for the cost risk distributions for all the other elements. Both log-normal and normal, independent and correlated distributions are used as the basis for deriving the total cost risk distributions for these alternatives. The results are the probability distributions for the acquisition and program costs for each of five architectures: the DAB Baseline, two all ground based weapon architectures and two all space based architectures. The description of the architectures and the nominal cost models are presented in the ACES report, not in this report. The results show a relatively tight + or - 10 - 15%) distribution about the nominal acquisition and program costs. This is due to our including only technical cost risk and correlations. The larger uncertainty is undoubtedly political: mission, threat and funding. Keywords: Cost effectiveness.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 30, 1989
Accession Number
ADA216321

Entities

People

  • John L. Dyer

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Cost Effectiveness
  • Cost Estimates
  • Costs
  • Distribution Functions
  • Ground Based
  • Guided Missiles
  • Normal Density Functions
  • Normal Distribution
  • Numbers
  • Probability
  • Probability Distributions
  • Random Variables
  • Risk
  • Risk Analysis
  • Space Surveillance

Readers

  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Software Engineering.
  • Statistical inference.

Technology Areas

  • Space