Applying real system age to DoD systems

Abstract

AbstractWhy do some systems exceed their planed lifecycle while others retire at or before their planned retirement date? A possible answer to this question is that systems that exceed their planned lifecycle have several common non‐functional attributes that enable them to continue to provide value to their stakeholders well beyond their planned lifecycle. As this is the case in several Department of Defense systems, it should be possible to develop a mathematical representation of the real system age for these engineered systems to compare that age to their chronological age and determine when to retire a system. This paper expands on previous work to develop a mathematical relationship for real system age by applying it to several DoD systems to include the B‐52 bomber, A‐10 aircraft, F‐117 stealth fighter, and the OH‐58D helicopter. It identifies that the systems the DoD retired have similar traits as their real system age closely follows the chronological age and approaches a 25‐year threshold for retirement. With this equation, it is possible to identify when a system is due for retirement or if an upgrade to the system may be able to extend the useful life of the system.