Frontier Technology, Inc. was recently awarded a research contract, valued at about $500,000 to develop a system concept for intelligent, automated life-cycle cost modeling, including methodologies for assessing technologies and manufacturing maturity that potentially influence life-cycle costs significantly. A methodology will be defined for integrating the impact on life-cycle cost of the maturity of a technology or system, as defined by an assessment of its Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL). A tool prototype will be developed, documented, demonstrated and delivered in this Phase II Small Business Innovation Research effort. The core of this methodology is a generic cost-estimating capability that enables the tool user to estimate the life-cycle cost of technologies as well as new and modified weapon systems. The tool can be tailored to various system types and will be flexible to enable easy integration with tools and techniques commonly used by other Government organizations or by industry, and especially by design-optimization tools to provide developers insight into the operations and support (O&S) cost impacts of design changes. The new cost-estimating capability will become an integral part of FTI’s Integrated Cost Estimation (ICE)), which is currently licensed by HQ Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) for use throughout the command’s product and logistic centers and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). This cost-estimating computer tool was originally developed for the Air Force’s Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC/XR), and enhanced significantly over several years by six directorates within the AFRL. Recently the tool has also been enhanced by the Missile Defense Agency, and is currently being enhanced for use by the US Navy. FTI is currently conducting research for the Army to develop a Product Assurance Readiness tool to assess the maturity level of systems and technologies, using information such as Manufacturing Readiness Levels, Technology Readiness Levels and questionnaire assessments of various quality and testing factors. The experience gained in this Army research will help with enhancements to the ICE tool also.

The planned outcome of this Phase II research effort will provide AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and other DOD users with an effective Risk Assessment and Life-Cycle-Cost (LCC) modeling toolset. It will provide the ability to predict future Operations and Support costs effectively and link those projections to technology, manufacturing and design decisions early in the systems life-cycle where good decisions can have the greatest impact on the eventual affordability of the system and the total life-cycle cost.