Improving the Scalability and Cost Efficiency of ATS through MOSA Application

The modular open systems approach (MOSA) has become a key strategy for enhancing cost efficiency, scalability, and interoperability across the defense industry. Although the U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) has mandated the adoption of MOSA across major defense acquisition programs, we were unable to confirm whether the DoD automatic test system (ATS) family fully implements the designate key interfaces and certify conformance pillar of MOSA. In addition, no structured guidelines for implementing MOSA in ATS can be confirmed. Furthermore, structured guidelines for practical implementation are still insufficiently established. To address this gap, this study proposes a structured design guideline for applying MOSA to ATSs and validates its relevance and effectiveness through a real-world implementation case. The proposed guideline operationalizes the five pillars of MOSA in a concrete manner, tailored to the operational characteristics and scalability requirements of ATSs. By applying the proposed guideline, the legacy fixed ATS was restructured through the introduction of a standardized platform architecture, resulting in up to an 90% reduction in man-month (MM) and up to a 78.3% reduction in total cost, including direct material expenses. In addition, the platform supported a wide range of units under test (UUTs) on a single ATS.