Application of an Integrated Decision Support System for Mid-Life Upgrade of Helicopters

The mission systems on-board a military aircraft undergoes technological advancements, at a rate that outpaces the service life of the aircraft. Enhancement of mission capabilities by upgrade of mission systems with state-of-the-art technology, is more cost-effective. For holistic analysis of the decision governing factors in a mid-life upgrade process, an automated “Decision Support System” is required to simulate the design process. In this paper, an overview of an “Integrated Decision Support System” (IDSS) that provides an automated analysis of mid-life upgrade process is presented, followed by a case study to illustrate the application of IDSS. The case study considered a helicopter mid-life upgrade designed for an ‘Armed Reconnaissance and Surveillance’ maritime mission. The IDDS application is to demonstrate its automated functions in alternative mission payload design, design parameters analysis, optimum design identification and design robustness analysis.