A Technique for Evaluating Complex System of Systems Designs

Abstract

Complexity is the hallmark of most modern military systems. The desire to have legacy systems interoperate with new systems, and especially the mounting interest in developing systems of systems (SoS) solutions, drive ever-more complexity into weapon systems. Complexity is further compounded by the increasing reliance on software to enable these systems. Existing forms of schedule- or event-driven reviews are inadequate to address the needs of software development in a complex SoS environment. What is needed is a true, evidence-driven, SoS-level evaluation capable of providing an overall assessment of, and insight into, the software development effort in that context. The Lifecycle Architecture anchor point is a technique used, typically, to evaluate the designs of single systems. This paper examines how, with some adaptation, the precepts of the Lifecycle Architecture anchor point can be scaled and applied to the system of systems domain.