Obsolescence Management Decision Making and Planning Tool

The scope and complexity of the DD(X) design, which includes the integration of new advanced combat systems in a Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE), is unprecedented for the U.S. Navy. The intent of the DD(X) program is to incrementally insert new technologies into each block build of DD(X) ships over the next fifteen years. The result of this approach will be a fleet of ships in which many components used in each block may be different, as advances in technology and microelectronics will cause components used in the first ship to become obsolete, before the last ship goes into production. Considering that the service life of ships and military weapons systems is increasing while the manufacturing life of many critical components is getting shorter, addressing and planning obsolescence mitigation and Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) actions early will save time, reduce lifetime costs and increase availability of critical systems. The goal of this research is to utilize state-of-the-art technologies within a web-based architecture to provide Obsolescence Managers with an analysis tool suite that performs analysis at any level, from component to ship segment and continuously and autonomously updates reports, allowing them to confidently develop realistic obsolescence mitigation strategies.