Rick Dove

Military Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) programs are becoming more typical; with miracles expected. Higher performance and quality are demanded in less time with reduced cost. Aircraft platforms are continually modified for the latest mission system technology, which often requires a unique balance of secondary aircraft systems (structure, environmental control, and electrical). This paper investigates an agile integration‐design architecture that is capable of reducing time and cost to the customer, while increasing mission performance and quality. A successful implementation would include increased risk mitigation for the program, as well as flexibility for future system evolution or even mission repurposing. With commercial aircraft as the platform for QRC mission systems integration, this paper shows how to create mission system modifications on a much shorter time scale then currently possible, by identifying and exploiting aircraft features that exist across multiple platforms, or exist in reoccurring patterns on the same platform.

System adversarial communities appear to exhibit characteristics of natural agile systems, and enjoy an advantage as a result over static systems that are the focus of their attacks. A project started in graduate courses at Stevens Institute of Technology and currently pursued by the International Council on Systems Engineering Working Group on Systems Security Engineering works under the premise that security strategy will benefit by architectural patterns that are equally self organizing. To that end a pattern cataloging project is in process, identifying fundamental self organizing patterns that can explain the adversary operational modes and inform next generation security strategy. This article advances that pattern project by exploring and capturing the stigmergic communication employed by system‐adversarial communities according to the pattern project guidelines. This article first identifies the unique stigmergic pattern, explores its nuances, and presents it in a format identified by the pattern project. Then the stigmergic pattern is applied as a mold to analyze a series of three systems in an effort to regard each within a familiar context. Three adversarial systems, the Iraqi Insurgency, IED Networks and Cybercrime, were selected as prominent opponents that provide significant consternation to security experts. They are first identified as agile systems, per characteristics defined by the pattern project, then studied in the context of the stigmergic pattern.

Contemporary threats exhibit unique characteristics that challenge classical security systems. In response to these threats, the DoD has an increased focus on applying proven SE techniques to SoS, which provide more functionality and performance than the sum of the constituent systems. Tools and techniques are necessary to facilitate evolution of today's systems. One major need is the ability to develop agile SoS architectures that respond to contemporary threats. This paper focuses on one characteristic of contemporary threats, self‐organization. Different SoS are reviewed for the driving forces that support their self‐organizing architecture. Necessary characteristics are identified and general constructs are put forward as candidate architectural patterns. These candidate patterns are now available for evaluation and employment consideration. They can be applied when problems common to the pattern manifest in new environments. They also add to the body of knowledge for SoS SE.