The Need for a Military System Effectiveness Framework: The System of Systems Approach

Presented at the 1st AIAA, Aircraft, Technology Integration, and Operations Forum, Los Angeles, CA, October 6-18, 2001The need for a comprehensive framework for the analysis of military system effectiveness is presented. Changes in the world’s economy and its effect on decision making is discussed, as well as the three primary ways decision makers use information: resource allocation, requirements definition, and trade studies between system components. “System” and “system effectiveness” are clearly defined. The idea of a system of systems formulation for military system effectiveness analysis is presented, discussing the need to expand the consideration of the system from the vehicle (engineering) level to the theater or campaign level. The use of probability theory as part of the methodology is defended. Finally, an intuitive overview of the proposed methodology is presented, in a step by step manner. The methodology is called POSSEM (PrObabilistic System of Systems Effectiveness Methodology)