Track 3 Session 12
1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Thursday June 19, 2008

Important Armament Design Characteristics Influencing Reliability and Maintainability

Very few systems in the world see harsher climatic and operational environments than those seen by the weapon systems designed and used by the United States Army. System designs must work reliably in all environments, maintain consistent performance and adhere to strict safety requirements. Meeting these operational challenges in the past required weapon system designers to be more focused on performance than on the reliability or maintainability of their designs. Today, that is no longer the case. Design parameters have shifted toward placing an emphasis on mobility and lethality, which requires that these systems become lighter in weight and incorporate the latest firepower technology. This shift accentuates not only the challenges, but also the importance of early integration of a sound philosophy for system reliability and maintainability into the design program. This presentation will outline the benefits of incorporating reliability and maintainability features early in the life cycle of the design for the latest armament systems.