Systems methodology for Analysis of Airborne Electronic Warfare Systems

Abstract: This report is one of the first to examine how system methodology can be applied as a tool to facilitate a holistic view of fighter aircraft survivability. This is done through the application of a modified version of multi-agent influence diagrams (MAIDs), as an analytical tool of two generic one-on-one scenarios based on Robert E. Balls The Fundamentals of Aircraft Combat Survivability, Analysis and Design. The concept of survivability has been limited to susceptibility because this is where ECM, ECCM and ESM operate. The result: three influence diagrams for each scenario and a generic MAID developed for the first scenario. These should not be seen as an exact technical description of the interaction between threats and countermeasures, but as a pilot application of system methodology within the study area. Furthermore, the user validation indicates that the diagrams can convey the complexity of the interactions between threats and countermeasures through a graphical presentation. The diagrams led to a deeper discussion about which influences are important for survival. The conclusion is that MAID and systems methodology can serve as a tool to describe and help communicate the complex relationships between elements and influences that affect the aircraft's survivability between different actors, provided they are modelled correctly.