How to assess RAM for a system-of-systems (S-O-S) in military applications

Today's Department of Defense (DoD) must be prepared for a much larger and more diverse set of missions than ever before while facing declining budgets and an increasing variety of threats. This requires: (1) broader capabilities at substantially reduced cost; and (2) streamlined solutions to meet the needs of the warfighter. This can be accomplished through a process of rapid insertion of modern technologies into the arsenal that does not adhere to traditional acquisition approaches (i.e., limited user input, formal engineering efforts to address all concerns, costly changes, and slow fielding). Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs) are conducted by DoD agencies to provide a rapid, cost-effective introduction of new technologies to fighting units. ACTDs are the final step in determining military utility and affordability of these new technologies. The most complex of these ACTDs involve multiple-sensor, command control, communications and weapon systems that are integrated into a unified warfighting system-of-systems (S-O-Ss) capability. These complex, multidimensional S-O-Ss have little or no defined reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) requirements, RAM predictions, or formal RAM analysis/assessment programs. This paper discusses the RAM strategy for a U.S. Army S-O-S ACTD. This strategy is generic enough that it can be applied to most any type of military S-O-S. The results demonstrate that this approach provides a timely, effective, and proven method for: (1) developing RAM targets; (2) predicting RAM values; and (3) monitoring the RAM achievement for a state-of-the-art technology-based military S-O-S.