Next-Generation Model-Based Systems Engineering Processes and Tools supporting the Airworthiness efforts of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS)
Authors:   Tucson Embedded Systems (TES-SAVi), Simi Stephen ,   US Army AMRDEC ADD, Merritt Layne , Mulolland Sean 
Published: October 2024

Efficient and cost effective deployment of software intensive cyber physical systems (CPS) in military aircraft remains one of most complex and challenging issues facing Government Program Managers. Current tools and methodologies are not adequate for the development and certification of CPS as they create affordability and schedule dilemmas for current and future programs. This is due to poor requirement definition and the inability to identify and document hazards created by complex hardware/software interactions. New technologies, particularly advances in model-based engineering and tooling show great promise for correcting these challenges and improving the safety and airworthiness approvals for CPS. Unfortunately, Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) processes and tools are challenging the bounds of current Government business and acquisition practices creating a dilemma for the development and fielding of future Military Aircraft.
Government airworthiness processes further complicate the adoption of novel engineering approaches in support of fielding capabilities. Existing certification approaches rely on a bevy of artifacts, primarily paper documents, to provide visibility into the system engineering and process maturity of an aircraft development as a proxy for direct evidence of the safety and flight worthiness of a system. The reliance on documents alone provides no clear insight to system function and operation for airworthiness authorities, and these large and costly documents are deemed by many Program Managers to provide little value. Additionally, these artifacts are prone to error due to the limitations of static documents, which are often out of sync with the technical implementation of the underlying system. The use of a robust MBSE approach to software intensive systems is a suggested improvement to provide true airworthiness cognizance in the form of dynamic and configuration controlled models capable of showing system, subsystem and component function rather than a reliance on static artifacts to support certification efforts.
The Government and Industry Program Managers need improved end-to-end model-based (MB) tools to assist with the management of these complex development efforts, while airworthiness authorities need clarity of how MB tools and processes are available to support their airworthiness efforts.
This paper presents a vision with options for embracing MBSE practices; it suggests how the Government could use MB tooling and process improvements to optimize cost, schedule and improve the safety of Warfighting capabilities embedded within DoD military aircraft. The paper suggests how to reuse these capabilities during their flight certification efforts across the Aviation fleet resulting in advanced integration schedules and improved interoperability between systems. The paper discusses how these MB processes and tooling are being used today (only in parts) to support the development, verification and validation, and airworthiness certification efforts of complex software intensive CPS, as well as proposes methods for the adoption of such tools within the Government using industry best practices. The paper discusses how MBSE tools and processes can effectively support the management of complex airworthiness processes, and demonstrate to the Airworthiness Authority confidence of proper design implementations of the safe operations of capabilities embedded within avionic systems' components, and safe interactions of inter-dependent components within systems and subsystems typically integrated on aircraft and used throughout the battlespace. These capabilities are needed for safe and effective operations in hostile terrain and all forms of environmental conditions if we are to continue to militarily dominate the battle space of tomorrow.