A Technology Refreshment Methodology—Maintaining System's Relative Performance Quasi-Constant Over Time

Abstract:

Systems integrators are becoming aware of the need and opportunity to support their customers throughout the entire operational lives of their systems. The complexity of many systems, the criticality of their missions, and their huge costs, together with their long and often extended operational lives, dictate the need to maintain them in relative terms in the same performance levels as when they were commissioned, bridging the capabilities gap that otherwise develops once the system enters into operation. This article presents a technology refreshment methodology that can be applied to support systems throughout their operational lives, maintaining in relative terms their operational capabilities constant within the limits of the existing technical and financial constraints. Several actual examples of the application of the methodology to military surface ships and submarines are shown to illustrate its application and potential.

Keywords::

• Life-Cycle
• Performance
• Gap
• Technology
• Upgrade
• Improvement
• Insertion
• Methodology