File:Development of system architecture to investigate the impact of integrated air and missile defense in a distributed lethality environment (IA developmentofsys1094556902).pdf

The proliferation of enemy threat capabilities necessitates increased innovation and a shift in tactical paradigm. The latest strategy pursued by the U.S. Navy is the concept of distributed lethality (DL), an offensive concept that utilizes small groups of ships incorporating deception techniques and distributed weapon systems in order to gain a tactical advantage. This thesis applies a standardized systems engineering approach to investigate the impact of conducting existing integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) operations in the context of this DL concept. An analysis is conducted through the development of an integrated systems architecture and the evaluation of the defined architecture using discrete event simulation. The analysis identifies key performance drivers and operational decisions that balance conflicting requirements for IAMD and DL. The results indicate an average of 11 percent increase in the number of enemy forces killed when conducting a combined mission. This improved lethality required increased vulnerability, resulting in an average increase of half of a hit on defended assets. While the core concepts of DL and IAMD are vastly different, a combined architecture will result in efficient execution of both missions and increased effectiveness of naval forces.

Subjects: distributed lethality; Integrated Air and Missile Defense; systems architecture; model based systems engineering; surface warfare