This session will demonstrate digital systems engineering at a system of systems level. It will focus on the deployment of sensor and shooter platforms to provide a multi-layer SHORAD to defend against armed Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and cruise missiles. Requirements are generated based on high level system performance and how the overall laydown contributes to achieving the maximum battlespace allowed for the system of systems. This defensive architecture is designed to provide the subject with an interim defensive capability that they can deploy rapidly, using systems in their inventory, while a long-term, modern defensive architecture is studied, analyzed, procured, and deployed.

The session will present an outline of the process of generating a threat vignette and using it to develop requirements based on system performance. The laydown consists of several types of mobile sensor platforms with their associated weapons systems. An optimization study is performed to determine the best placement of the sensors within operational areas. The study is followed by an evaluation of the defenses in Force-on-Force simulations to further define placement, orientation, and the Command and Control (C2) required to adequately defend the subject. These values are used to determine thresholds and goals for Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) and Key System Attributes (KSAs) that are used in trade studies to assess the effects of evolving the sensor and defensive weapon system parameters, while ensuring that requirements are still being met when designing a new long term architecture.

The session will also present a digital framework that was used to create the workflow and integrate simulations tools such as Systems Tool Kit (STK) and the Extended Air Defense SIMulation (EADSIM). These simulations were tightly integrated into a workflow process orchestrated by Phoenix Model Center. The framework consists of a model based systems engineering tool, No Magic’s Cameo, and the Phoenix Model Center Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) module, along with the performance models developed in STK and EADSIM. Key interfaces, plugins, and wrappers were built using custom C# code to facilitate and automate the processes as much as possible. Outputs from these studies are configuration managed in a SQL database and performance metrics can be viewed through a digital dashboard, such as Microsoft’s PowerBI tool. Finally, all simulations are hosted on a virtual environment in Microsoft Azure.