Diagnostic Approach to Weapon System Lifecycle Support: The Phalanx Close-in Weapon System

摘要

This study discusses a diagnostic approach to examining the lifecycle support system of a weapon system specifically illustrating the approaches for the US Navy Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS). The study gauges the status of current readiness and analyzes a snapshot of cost structures. The study identifies the program's influential cost factors and system performance drivers. As a diagnostic approach to the lifecycle support of the Phalanx Weapon System, the study creates a hypergraph describing the relation between factors and drivers and their effect on operational readiness. The research also suggests areas for further study. The Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) was developed and built by Raytheon Corporation to be a fast- reaction, rapid-fire, computer-controlled system with radar and Gatling gun designed to engage Anti-ship Missiles (ASM). The CIWS is also designed to defend against small, high-speed surface craft, helicopters, and general purpose aircraft in open waters, coastal waters or in port (Dutton, 2003). Phalanx is capable of searching, detecting, evaluating, acquiring, tracking, and firing against anti-ship missiles, and provides target destruction evaluation, automatic kill assessment, and cease-fire data to control train, elevation, and discharge of the weapon. Thus, CIWS is a complex device which engages in multiple functions often performed by separate and independent systems. CIWS has evolved substantially since its first inception. Since 1980, the original Block 0 has been improved multiple times. In the past few years, the Phalanx overhaul program began to accept Block 0 mounts and replace them with improved Block 1 systems. The reliability of the post-overhaul systems was as good as the benchmark of the Block 0 production systems and was greatly improved in comparison to the older systems. CIWS was upgraded as requirements evolved to meet emerging threats.