Multi Parameter-Based Automated Analysis for Mid-Life Upgrade of Helicopters

The mission systems on-board a military aircraft undergo 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 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 detailed discussion of the sub-model - “Multi-Parameter Analysis” (MPA). The MPA sub-module automates a multi-parametric based upgrade evaluation, for system effectiveness studies of the design. Mission capability, flight performance, reliability, maintainability and cost; are the design parameters considered for multi-parametric analysis.