Applying Model-Based Systems Engineering to Ship Design and Acquisition through Simulation, Design of Experiments, and Operational Effectiveness Modeling

Abstract

This Acquisition Research Group (ARG) sponsored project is follow-on to our recent effort supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The purpose of the research was to demonstrate a methodology that leverages simulation models early in the architectural design of a ship, and that methodology is described in more detail in the technical approach section. The traditional naval architect paradigm is to design the weapon systems, radars, or any organic ship asset around the hull vessel platform instead of the platform being designed around the assets. As a result, the intended ship's operational effectiveness becomes dependent on the design of the platform, rather than on the organic assets of the ship. Simulation models allow ship designers to reverse the traditional paradigm by linking a ship's operational effectiveness to physical ship characteristics early in the life cycle. By analyzing simulations that incorporate physical design input parameters, we can identify the physical design characteristics that will result in better operational effectiveness. These physical design parameters are what define the ship's alternative configurations. Trade decisions among physical characteristics can then be based on operational effectiveness, rather than on the physical constraints of the system. For Fiscal Year 2014, this paradigm was extended by two master's student theses from within the Systems Engineering Department under the supervision of the Principle Investigator (Jaworski, 2014; Nutting, 2014).