Model-Based Integration of Test and Evaluation Process and System Safety Process for Development of Safety-Critical Weapon Systems

In weapon system development, the necessity of adopting unestablished advanced technology is continuously increasing to address the competitive acquisition environment. Thus, an effective test and evaluation (T&E) process is necessary to mitigate the underlying technology risks. Furthermore, in both the development and operation phases of weapon systems, the involvement of explosives is common; this can potentially result in a variety of accidents. Therefore, an effective safety process is necessary. A systematic integration of T&E process and system safety process is required for the development of safety-critical weapon systems. To achieve this integration, a model-based approach is adopted in this study. Specifically, T&E and system safety processes are first studied with their constituent tasks. The identified tasks are then analyzed with a focus on the artifacts they produce. The result is used to obtain an initial model that represents the intended integrated process. Based on the process model, a design structure matrix (DSM) is constructed. Thereafter, the constructed DSM is sequenced and torn to obtain an enhanced process model, which effectively integrates the T&E and system safety processes. The resultant integrated process is evaluated through a case study, which revealed reduced complexity that can be transformed into reduced time and cost in the development of safety-critical weapon systems.