An analysis of the Longbow HELLFIRE hardware in the loop lot acceptance plan

The Longbow HELLFIRE Hardware in the Loop Lot Acceptance Plan is one of the first attempts by the U.S. Army to defray the costs associated with formal lot acceptance testing by utilizing a non-destructive Hardware in the Loop computer simulation. Because this type of lot acceptance testing is relatively new to the Army, determining the best approach and methodology to use will be critical not only to Longbow HELLFIRE, but to all follow-on systems that could potentially utilize this form of testing in the future. This thesis analyzes the structure, nature and assumptions that were used to develop this Hardware in the Loop plan to determine the essential parts of this form of testing and the problems and issues that are associated with implementing this type of plan.