Model‐Based Integration of Test and Evaluation Process and System Safety Process for Development of Safety‐Critical Weapon Systems

In weapon system development, the necessity of adopting unestablished advanced technology is continuously increasing to address the competitive acquisition environment. Thus, an effective test and evaluation (T&E) process is necessary to mitigate the underlying technology risks. Furthermore, in both the development and operation phases of weapon systems, the involvement of explosives is common; this can potentially result in a variety of accidents. Therefore, an effective safety process is necessary. A systematic integration of T&E process and system safety process is required for the development of safety‐critical weapon systems. To achieve this integration, a model‐based approach is adopted in this study. Specifically, T&E and system safety processes are first studied with their constituent tasks. The identified tasks are then analyzed with a focus on the artifacts they produce. The result is used to obtain an initial model that represents the intended integrated process. Based on the process model, a design structure matrix (DSM) is constructed. Thereafter, the constructed DSM is sequenced and torn to obtain an enhanced process model, which effectively integrates the T&E and system safety processes. The resultant integrated process is evaluated through a case study, which revealed reduced complexity that can be transformed into reduced time and cost in the development of safety‐critical weapon systems.