Development of a Structured Approach for Establishing Mission Engineering Requirements

2026-06-03

AI Summary

This work proposes a systematic approach to derive task effectiveness requirements in the absence of explicit user needs. The method deconstructs task intent into context, functionality, constraints, critical dimensions, performance attributes, and architectural solutions, and introduces a task complexity factor to quantify the impact of external challenges and technology maturity. By integrating Best-Worst Scaling, it prioritizes critical dimensions based on stakeholder judgments. Through task decomposition modeling and quantitative complexity analysis, the framework supports integration with UAF/SysML artifacts and establishes a traceable mechanism for generating Tier 1 and Tier 2 requirements. The approach is validated using a close air support mission case study, effectively addressing a critical gap in requirements engineering when clear initial inputs are unavailable.

Abstract

This paper addresses the question: How can mission effectiveness be systematically defined or approximated in the absence of customer requirements? Legacy requirements engineering frameworks presuppose customer input to define specifications but leave a gap in the process when stakeholder input is ill-defined or missing. Rapid build and development programs (such as military acquisition, space assets, infrastructure projects, etc.) often see requirement and objective evolutions throughout the proposal process, so a more adaptive method is needed. To address this gap, a structured approach is proposed that decomposes mission intent into mission context, functions, constraints, critical dimensions, effectiveness attributes, and architecture alternatives. This method conducts a mission feasibility assessment, prioritizes mission-critical dimensions using Best-Worst Scaling, and introduces a mission complexity factor to quantitatively understand the impacts of external mission difficulties, technology maturity, evidence and confidence standards, and mission utility. The resulting method provides a traceable basis for deriving Tier 1 and 2 requirements. The approach is structured to support future Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) and Systems Modeling Language (SysML) artifact integration. The proposed framework is demonstrated using a notional close air support mission example.

Problem

• mission effectiveness
• requirements engineering
• stakeholder input
• mission complexity
• adaptive method

Innovation

• Mission Engineering
• Requirements Derivation
• Best-Worst Scaling
• Mission Complexity Factor
• Systems Modeling Language (SysML)