Implications of R&M 2000 on Software

Abstract

This paper presents the implications on software of the US Air Force Reliability and Maintainability Action Plan: R&M 2000, whose objective is to improve defense system reliability and maintainability. These implications are very important, even though R&M 2000 does not explicitly mention software. However, Air Force Regulation 800-18, which implements R&M 2000, does state that ``system ... comprises both hardware and software elements'' and includes the requirement to ``integrate the development of reliable software into the overall system development and acquisition program.'' Further, the US Department of Defense (DoD) Software Initiatives, new DoD Directives, and other Air Force Regulations on software, together with industry/academic initiatives, are intended to result in policies, standards, and specifications which lead to defense system software with requisite reliability and maintainability. This difficult goal can be achieved provided that: •The DoD Software Initiatives successfully create new software technology and transfer it to industry. •Industry associations (eg, Electronic Industries Association [EIA], National Industrial Security Association INSIA]) and professional societies (eg, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers [IEEE], American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics [AIAA]) create and improve software reliability and maintainability standards through effective committee work. •Industry/Academe upgrade software development procedures to be consistent with software engineering principles based on Ada® technology.