Approach for Acquiring Computer Systems to Satisfy Mission Capabilities

Defense Computer Systems developed and maintained over the years has resulted in thousands of disparate, compartmented, focused, and mission driven systems that are utilized daily for deliberate and crisis mission planning activities. The defense acquisition community is responsible for the development and sustainment of these systems over the course of its systems engineering lifecycle from conception, utilization, and eventually the decommissioning of these systems. While missions are being planned, and satisfied by existing computer systems, there are new missions being proposed which cannot be satisfied by a single existing computer system capability. Therefore, this raises the question whether a Networked Computer System (NCS) using combinations of existing and developmental computer systems is preferred in order to satisfy new capability requirements. This paper explores an approach in identifying a preferred NCS solution and determining the effectiveness in satisfying a mission. Keywords—Systems Integration; Systems Development; Systems Reliability; Software Systems; Systems Engineering;