A methodology for aircraft mission effectiveness evaluation and design space exploration based on virtual operational test

The early involvement of test and evaluation can significantly reduce the cost of modifying issues and errors found in the later stages of aircraft development and design process. This paper presents a methodology for aircraft mission effectiveness evaluation and design space exploration based on Virtual Operational Test (VOT), incorporating Virtual Open Scenario (VOS) and User in Scenarios (UIS) concepts. By employing modeling and simulation technologies in the early stages of aircraft development and design, a virtual environment can be constructed, allowing aircraft users to participate more closely and conveniently in the design process. Virtual tests conducted by users within the mission context provide data on mission effectiveness and critical user feedback. This paper outlines the main components of the virtual operational test process and related conceptual methods, and discusses an open support system framework that supports VOT. The effectiveness and adaptability of the method are demonstrated through two case studies: a beyond-visual-range air combat scenario and a helicopter ground attack scenario. These case studies demonstrate the evaluation of aircraft mission effectiveness and the sensitivity analysis and optimization of design and operational parameters based on VOT.