Earticle

The non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) has been a predominant model for describing the failure patterns on repairable systems. The condition monitoring method utilizes contemporary degradation models that combine component-specific, real-time failure data acquired during operation. This arises with the degradation and reliability characteristics of the component’s population to predict and update the residual life distribution (RLD). This study now proposes the decision-making process of depot maintenance cycle using NHPP and condition monitoring method to find the optimum depot maintenance cycle.

This study analyzed the social engineering attack trends and environment on the Korean defense industry. We discovered the expected social engineering attacks and proposed the countermeasures. The damage that is caused by social engineering attack on the person is limited to oneself. But, the defense industry is related with the national security. The Social engineering attack on the defense industry is more serious. Therefore, the prevention of social engineering attacks is a very important action for the security management of the defense industry. To do this, we suggested the expected social engineering attack trends and proposed the countermeasures.

Military vehicles are subject to variable extreme loads that consequently lead to fractures of chassis components. In the early design stage, it is important to evaluate their strengths and service load conditions not only for preventing these failures but also for reducing cost and weight. Thus, it is required to determine the allowable stresses of main parts under static load cases while no data on road load is available. This study now describes the analytic method applied to obtain the strength criterion of each subsystem using stress analysis and durability load history for a heavy-duty military truck. Selecting the maximum load history applied to the component through static durability analysis was thus necessary. A sine-wave dynamic stress history was constructed to reach the damage similar to the main load history. The allowable stress corresponding to a target life of each part was established using the optimization algorithm at MSC/Fatigue software. This process is very useful because the durability performances of chassis components can be investigated from static stress analysis based on the effective exciting load and comparison of allowable stress and maximum stress in the layout stage.

This paper evaluates the performance and justifies the research and development invested on the Military and Commercial Specification Unification Project. This study now analyzes the efficiency and effectiveness of similar projects on the service units and industry. This study reviews the general methods of performance analysis including DEA, bibliometrics, engineering economy, and survey, among others and examines their extension for application. For the performance analysis of this project, the DEA model, fixed effect model, and economy engineering method are used. The overall output of the project rearranges 4,228 specifications by completing 30 tasks with an investment of 90 billion won from 1999 to 2009. The first performance of this project, 68.6% of the result, has been adapted by the government. The second one has achieved 11.5 billion won budget reduction by substituting military standard product with commercial products, 182-won reduction for the KS substitute, and 168 thousand won reduction for the transition to commercial item. Finally, this study promotes directions on the next stage of future projects. First, the framework for the project needs to be changed to improve the adapting rate. Second, the program strategy needs to be shifted from specifications unification to standardization. Lastly, the use of commercial items with certification program needs to be promoted constantly.

The commercial parametric cost estimating models are used extensively to arrive at cost estimates in the early acquisition process. However, these models have many restrictions because they are developed based on foreign research and development (R&D) data. For this reason, this study is conducted to discover the cost estimation model suitable for the environment of the Korean defense industry while many studies are in process. In this study, a parametric R&D cost-estimating model for missile system was developed with Korean historical data. To develop a parametric cost-estimating model, the following jobs were performed. First, the seven-step model development process was suggested as appropriate to the Korean defense industry. The missile as a weapon system was defined as a general WBS to establish the model frame. Historical data was obtained from historic R&D and analyzed. Moreover, various statistical analysis methods had been studied to improve the predictability and stability of the estimate in each WBS. The cost estimating relationship (CER), factor-estimating relationship (FER), and case-based reasoning relationship (CBR) inference methods are applied for each WBS. Two cost calibration factors for technology level and the number of prototype were developed. In conclusion, this study is meaningful as it is the first attempt to develop a parametric R&D cost-estimating model using the Korean historical data. The development process and methodologies suggested in this study will be useful to develop a future Korean version of cost-estimating model.

Countries are facing cutthroat competitions as they prepare for various security threats. One of the main reasons why Korea failed to export T-50 was because it was expensive although it has higher performance compared with those of the competitors. Due to the nature of the defense industry, these are different from consumer products abiding by the market economy theories. Accordingly, this thesis is an empirical analysis to the question, assessment based on the products and product sales trend. This study provides an approach as a composite index (CI) in evaluating products. To obtain an appropriate composite index, the study used data envelopment analysis (DEA) as the methodology. We can find that Korea's main battle tank (MBT), “Black Panther," ranked 8th place among 25 types of tanks in composite competitiveness index. This shows that the tank's quality is better than ordinary ones. The research failed to find correlations between the composite index and the export. This shows that the competitiveness is not the only factor that affects the export. We were assured that international relations, alliance, geopolitical circumstances, and technological independence play a greater role than the tanks' quality, as we can see in the research studies of the defense industry. Grouping by index and prices shows that the Korean model is affordable. Moreover, in the group analysis, most of the tanks were classified under group A while most commercial vehicles were classified under groups B and C. Apparently, the characteristics differ in defense articles and consumer goods. Therefore, to say that the defense articles made in Korea are unpopular in the export market because they are expensive despite their higher performance is not true. The performance and price competitiveness of Korean defense articles are the best.

The importance of the unmanned aircraft system research and development (UAS-R&D) can be emphasized in two areas. On the military aspect, UAS is the core weapon system for future warfare. On the economic aspect, UAS-R&D functions as one of the growth factors of national economy. Although these two aspects seem to contradict each other, they can be archived concurrently through export. The aerospace industry is directly related to air power, while the economy of scale is indispensable for the advancement of the aerospace industry both in quality and in quantity. To achieve economy of scale, the revitalization of the export is essential, as this can similarly accomplish the economic and military situation. This paper thus reviews the status of research and development for the unmanned aircraft system in our country and suggests an alternative to revitalize the UAS-R&D for export.

Ever since, various studies have come up with ideas to improve the physical abilities of man. Just recently, a new technology has been introduced to either replace or complement the human work force. In this paper, the status of developed wearable robots is being investigated as studies were conducted to apply the types of robots applicable to the industry. To apply wearable exoskeleton robot, which enhances the physical capability of humans, the driving range of the robot's degrees of freedom were selected by analyzing working motion. The design process for augmentative exoskeleton structure is presented by analyzing the required torque and power during a selected working motion. At the end of this paper, a mock-up is introduced to validate the feasibility of the designed robot.

Heavy-duty independent axle for special purpose vehicle such as an armored vehicle has been requested to enhance mobility and retain survivability under operational conditions (e.g., low-friction roads, off road, and water, etc.). The analysis on operational environment and user requirements is essential to optimize drivetrain system. Various configurations for drivetrain layout and axles should also be examined at the stage of the feasibility study. This study explains the considerable solutions to axle configuration based on several applications and development experiences. The evaluation methods and analysis that select axle functions and drivetrain layout have been applied to the determination of final stages. These are useful to similar developments considering changes of user requirements and operational environments. The advanced drivetrain controls are introduced at the end of this paper.

This study proposes improvements for the warranty systems of the South Korean military. A concern for the South Korean military is that it has to maintain constantly combat readiness. Therefore, warranty systems are very significant with regard to the operation maintenance needed to ensure preparation for war. Appropriate warranty systems will give the South Korean military the assurance that necessary weapons will not malfunction during war. The contractor warrants and implies that the items delivered to the purchaser are merchantable and fit for use for the particular purposes described in the warranty contract. If the warranty is breached in a manner outlined in the warranty contract, the contractor assumes responsibility for repair/replacement/redesign of the item in question. However, the current content of the warranty provisions as regards the weapons systems purchased by the South Korean military are insufficient and do not actually help to protect the customer, the South Korean military.. This means that because the South Korean military is responsible for the development of warranty systems and has not developed these systems well in the manner described above, the South Korean military has not yet established fully effective warranty systems. This study now examines the warranty laws and military warranty guide in America to improve the South Korean military warranty systems. In addition, current warranty systems in the South Korean military are similarly examined to suggest amendments on the regulations and standard contracts related to warranty.. This will be carried out for the purpose of customer protection and the improvement of warranty system efficient in the South Korean defense industry.