Risk Management for Defense SoS in a Complex, Dynamic Environment

Identifying and assessing risk is one of the most important processes in managing complex systems and requires careful consideration. The need for an effective, efficient approach to risk management is considerably more important for defense industries, because they are exposed to risk already in early stages of development. This paper uses Heterogeneity and Homogeneity analysis between risk factors with Cochran’s Q test and Multidimensional scaling in order to present the complexity of the risk factors relevant to defense SoS, and proposes a methodology for identifying, analyzing and monitoring the risks that they face. Findings from an in-depth analysis of 46 classified defense SoS shows a need to focus on three main risks faced by defense projects: insufficient human resources, changes in the original specifications, and lack of other (non-human) resources. The paper also presents some recommendations for minimizing risk factors in defense SoS.