Recent Combat Aircraft Life Cycle Costing Developments within DERA
Abstract
In an effort to permit the procurement of more cost-effective military equipment, several studies have been performed in collaboration with two leading UK Universities. This paper describes the rationale and requirements of both University programmes, and gives details of the methods and some of the results generated. Rather than a broad overview of many different research activities within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), the purpose of this paper is to give as detailed a view as is possible of two recent studies, and the future developments that will stem from them. The first part of the paper describes a tool developed for the design and optimization of combat aircraft for minimum Life Cycle Cost (LCC), whilst the second part explains the evolution and optimization of a long-range ground-attack aircraft designed for minimum support. The LCC model excludes deep overheads', restricting the use of the models to the comparison of similar weapons systems (combat aircraft) with a common set of design objectives and performance constraints. The support estimation methodology of the second part makes use of known aircraft design variables to predict reliability and maintainability of the aircraft. Both research activities, and the subsequent development at DERA, should have a positive effect on the aircraft design process.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADP010421
Entities
People
- Spencer Woodford