TACom Tank-automotive & Armaments Command Committed to Excellence TRADE-OFFs IN WEAPON SYSTEM DESIGN BY RONALD ELBE CLOSE COMBAT ARMAMENTS CENTER PRODUCTION & FIELD SUPPORT TEAM NDIA PRESENTATION MAY 2003 DSN COMM (309) R-1

DISCLAIMER NOT AN OFFICIAL U.S. ARMY POSITION CONTENT SOLELY OPINION & RESPONSIBILITY OF RON ELBE Committed to Excellence 2

PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF INTERACTIONS / TRADE OFFs WITHIN WEAPON SYSTEMS IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN USER & DEVELOPER Committed to Excellence 3

FIRST PRINCIPLE OF WEAPON SYSTEM DESIGN Committed to Excellence 4

“THERE AIN’T NO FREE RIDES ! ” Committed to Excellence 5 (EVERYTHING IS A TRADE-OFF)

TYPICAL SYSTEM TRADE-OFFs “IMPROVING” MAY DEGRADE RELIABILITY ACCURACY, AFFORDABILITY, PORTABILITY TERMINAL BALLISTICS DURABILITYAFFORDABILITY, PORTABILITY, TERMINAL BALLISTICS PORTABILITYAFFORDABILITY, AMMO CAPACITY, DURABILITY, TERMINAL BALLISTICS FEATURESAFFORDABILITY, MAINTAINABILITY, PORTABILITY, RELIABILITY RATE OF FIREACCURACY, CONTROLLABILITY, DURABILITY Committed to Excellence 6

TYPICAL SYSTEM TRADE-OFFs (CONTINUED) “IMPROVING” MAY DEGRADE CONTROLLABILITYPORTABILITY, RATE OF FIRE, TERMINAL BALLISTICS ACCURACYAFFORDABILITY (WEAPON & AMMO), DURABILITY, RELIABILITY INTERCHANGEABILITYAFFORDABILITY 5% – 95%FEATURES, TERMINAL BALLISTICS AMMO CAPACITYDURABILITY, PORTABILITY Committed to Excellence 7

TYPICAL SYSTEM TRADE-OFFs (CONTINUED) “IMPROVING” MAY DEGRADE SAFETYFEATURES, TERMINAL BALLISTICS TERMINAL BALLISTICSAFFORABILITY, DURABILITY, PORTABILITY, RANGE, RELIABILITY, SAFETY PENETRATIONLETHALITY, PORTABILITY, RELIABILITY MUZZLE FLASHPORTABILITY Committed to Excellence 8

TRADE OFFs AFFECT ENTIRE SYSTEM M856 TRACE DISTANCE & BALLISTIC MATCH PROJECTILE SHAPE/LENGTH & TERMINAL BALLISTICS RIFLING TWIST,CTG COST, CTG INTEGRITY BARREL LIFE, ACCURACY Committed to Excellence 9

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Committed to Excellence 11

DESIGNERS JUGGLE TRADE-OFFs TOWARD AN “OPTIMUM DESIGN” DESIGNERS JUGGLE TRADE-OFFs TOWARD AN “OPTIMUM DESIGN” Committed to Excellence 12

WEAPON SYSTEMS ARE LIKE MOVIES SEQUELS MAY OR MAY NOT BE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL EVOLUTION CAN IMPROVE SYSTEMS, BUT ORIGINAL DESIGNER PROBABLY MADE WISE TRADE-OFFs DESIGN VARIANTS DEVIATE FROM THOSE TRADE-OFFs THE DEVIATIONS AND THEIR RESULTING NEW TRADE-OFFs MUST BE THOROUGHLY UNDERSTOOD BY BOTH DEVELOPER & USER Committed to Excellence 13

EXAMPLES OF VARIANTS Committed to Excellence 14

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SO, HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF SO, HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF Committed to Excellence 16 (MUZZLE FLASH VS PORTABILITY) SOME TRADE-OFFs MAY NOT BE OBVIOUS

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RECOMMENDATIONS TO USERS DON’T MAKE ANY REQUIREMENT MORE STRINGENT THAN NEEDED. ADDRESS ALL REQUIREMENTS. BE FLEXIBLE IN YOUR REQUIREMENTS. ASK ABOUT TRADE-OFFs ! ! ! UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT TRADE-OFFs. Committed to Excellence 21

RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEVELOPERS TAKE A “TOTAL SYSTEM” VIEWPOINT UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM IMPLICATIONS OF EVERY REQUIREMENT MAKE CONSCIOUS TRADE-OFF DECISIONS USE A FORMAL TRADE-OFF MATRIX / PROCESS / ANALYSIS EXPLAIN IMPLICATIONS OF USER REQUIREMENTS TO HIM Committed to Excellence 22

BECAUSE Committed to Excellence 23

THERE AIN’T NO FREE RIDES ! ! ! Committed to Excellence 24 (IF YOU DON’T ACCEPT THIS PRINCIPLE, THE SOLDIER WON’T GET OPTIMUM SYSTEM ! ! !)