The Department of Defense (DoD) determined “aging aircraft” and readiness dilemmas to be acute and realized that Operations & Support (O&S) costs consumed a significant percentage of the military budget. As a result, industry and the DoD needed to dramatically reduce aircraft avionics O&S costs and enable increased investment in acquisition of new technology-refreshed replacement systems.
This project developed a modular open systems approach (MOSA) in interoperability. The project was directed toward avionics because those systems are well suited to commonality.
AVSI performed the program management functions necessary to ensure overall program goals and objectives are achieved. Participating AVSI members acted as contractors.
Project participants worked with the DoD to develop a business case exists for a common set of available standards for use in modular, open, interoperable, embedded avionic systems in aerospace vehicles and weapon systems. The business case that identified several scenarios to assess the virtue and benefits for modular open systems interoperability approaches.
The plan focused on identifying where the DoD could save O&S resources and translate those resources into new technology acquisition. It included
- Liaison with other organizations, associations and standards bodies
- Defining incentives and satisfying needs for all stakeholders
- Recommending enhancements to all processes
Research efforts included
- Assembly of a MOSA business process.
- Development of MOSA business model describing the interactions of OEMs, suppliers, small businesses, and the DoD.
- Selection of a representative procurement program and developing metrics for its cost and schedule impact.
- Cost comparison of the MOSA business processes to standard business processes when applied to the procurement program.
- Evaluation of the results and recommendations to the DoD.
