Decision Support Technologies for Weapon System Logistics Investment Decisions

ABSTRACT:The need for Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to incorporate changing data sources will require an extension of the current technology to develop model inputs for the LCOM ATK models for each aircraft variant. In addition, the need to model a real world operational environment will also require a flexible and adaptable model building capability. This effort will significantly enhance LCOM ATK front-end capabilities in data preparation to ensure that JSF is able to meet the schedule and technical challenges to develop model inputs resulting in significant savings to the JSF program. FTI will incorporate diverse data sources into the front-end capability that exists only as a prototype and is being extended in this effort. These diverse data sources include Logistics Support Analysis (LSA) data from Lockheed Martins (LM) Aeros ATLAS database, as well as Joint Reliability Maintainability Evaluation Team (JRMET) Failure Reporting And Corrective Action Software (FRACAS) data. In this effort, FTI will also extend the automation of the import of JSF data into LCOM ATK models, as well enhance the capability to perform advanced analyses. This effort will demonstrate a computer program able to perform RAMS simulations representative of those performed under normal use conditions.BENEFIT:The technology will be included as an enhancement to LCOM ATK, and specifically a data import application that is part of the LCOM ATK suite, which was developed in an initial effort and will be extended during this Phase II CRP effort. The technology is expected to significantly improve performance as a result of this CRP effort in the preparation and analysis of LCOM ATK inputs, which is the leading time constraint in developing and performing LCOM analyses. Also, the enhanced input capabilities resulting from this CRP effort will provide a new, fully robust capability for automated generation of LCOM ATK inputs, which has only existed in part prior to this effort. Another benefit of improved LCOM analyses are greater reliability and cost savings for the Joint Strike Fighter system based on better, more informed decisions throughout the life cycle. The technology developed through this CRP effort provides enhancements to existing simulation capability (i.e., LCOM ATK), but also provides a software infrastructure to enable the import of data to build models from a variety of data sources.