Open Systems in Weapon Systems and the Systems Engineering Process

The open system approach is both a technical approach to systems engineering and a preferred business strategy that is becoming widely applied by commercial manufacturers of large complex systems. It has the attention of DoD management who have mandated its use by DoD weapon systems developers. Why? Because without such a change in system development practice, DoD risks being unable to meet the technology needs of the warfighter in the year 2000 and beyond to maintain continued superior combat capability affordably! Open systems designs in both new and legacy weapon systems provide an opportunity towards this end; however, to achieve good open systems designs first demands that a disciplined systems engineering approach be taken to defining the appropriate elements in the system to be opened. This paper discusses the need for a rigorous systems engineering process which incorporates open systems concepts and principles where resulting system designs more readily accommodate changing technology to achieve cost, schedule, and performance benefits by promoting multiple sources of supply and technology insertion. Prepared in collaboration with Walcoff and Associates, Inc.