Ensuring NMD Affordability Through the PSAoRm Process,
Abstract
In 1996, the National Missile Defense (NMD) Program was redirected from a Technology Readiness Program focusing on demonstrating technologies to a Deployment Readiness Program (DRP). The DRP's objective is developing and maintaining a capability to field the system three years following a deployment decision. With this redirection came the need to balance cost and performance in the new Acquisition Reform environment. This led to system characteristics that prompted a change in the way that Reliability, Availability and Maintainability parameters are treated in the system engineering process. In the Technology program, hardware developers were most concerned with single shot reliability to ensure a successful test. Deployment Readiness, however, requires that hardware and software be developed to support overall life cycle System Effectiveness. System designs must be maintainable and must incorporate redundancy and backup modes and circuits to efficiently provide the very high probability of threat negation required by the US Space Command, the NMD User. In order to meet System Effectiveness requirements of the large, complex NMD system, the User and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization's NMD Joint Program Office (developer) agreed to replace the requirement for specified system level Operational Availability with a balanced approach focusing on mission effectiveness. This approach also provides the greatest possible trade space where contractors are permitted the freedom to balance Performance, Survivability, Operational Availability, and Mission Reliability, commonly referred to as the PSA(sub o)R(sub m). This paper describes the NMD approach and rationale, and recommends it as the optimal approach for meeting user system effectiveness requirements for very large, complex systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA328982
Entities
People
- Dave Grover
- Henry Manuel
- Jack Sliney
- John H. Cummings
Organizations
- Ballistic Missile Defense Organization