Enhancing Operational Effectiveness Evaluation of Aeronautical Telecommunication System Through Quality Function Deployment and the Stage Probability Method

In response to the challenges encountered in evaluating the operational effectiveness of aeronautical telecommunication system (ATS), including discrepancies between evaluation results and mission completion, incomplete index selection, and hierarchical index decomposition, this study aimed to address these issues comprehensively. Based on the characteristics of mission demands for ATS, primary indices such as spatial coverage, timeliness, reliability, security, and the capabilities of voice and data were determined. The signal flow of ATS and principles of radio reception guided the application of quality function deployment (QFD) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to establish a comprehensive evaluation index system linking effectiveness to technical performance, application environment, and operational mode. Considering varying mission demands across different flight phases in aeronautical telecommunication, including the significance of phase missions within the overall mission, requirements for voice or data, and needs for transmission or reception, an enhanced stage probability method (SPD) based on weighted sum was proposed to formulate an aggregation model for system effectiveness. The paper discusses the application of the proposed method with an illustrative example. As indicated by the results, this model comprehensively describes the impact of aeronautical telecommunication demand, equipment reliability, functional disparities, operation modes, and technical characteristics on mission completion rates. In summary, this paper presents valuable insights and guidance for enhancing performance measures, refining parameter adjustments, and optimizing utilization strategies for ATS.