Digital System-Level Mission-Driven Integrated Design Methods for Aerospace Systems

The Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate (AFRL/RQ) is seeking information on approaches to effectiveness-based military capability development (EBMCD). EBMCD is the process of finding an optimal integrated system (or system-of-systems) solution that best accomplishes an engagement, mission effect, or campaign goal. It merges two concepts, operational analysis (OA) and system-level physics-based multidisciplinary analysis and design optimization (MDAO).

Specific interest is EBMCD for integrated OA at the mission level along with airframe, propulsion, and power & thermal management systems. Multi-fidelity (low, medium, high) physics based analysis and coupling for the design of integrated airframe, propulsion, and power & thermal management system disciplines is a key underlying attribute supporting the EBMCD vision.

Additional attributes of this activity are an emphasis on integrating military utility analysis at the mission level richly within a system design process, increasing the number of system disciplines captured simultaneously in design, and significantly elevating the coupled physics fidelity captured across system disciplines.

An ability to rapidly iterate on requirements with mission-driven system-level designs is of interest and is anticipated to engage a wide range of digital engineering and technical disciplines.