The FOCSI program uses NDI to reduce risk and cost

FOCSI, a showcase example of a state-of-the art (high tech) system development that utilized NDI technologies from DoD and industry to achieve the final performance goal, is discussed. One of the major problems and technical risk areas that confronted the engineers at both McDonnell Aircraft Company and General Electric was packaging of the optical technology utilized on the FOCSI program. Extensive use was made of packaging technologies developed by the Navy´s Advanced Avionics Technology Demonstration (AATD) Program and Standard Hardware Acquisition and Reliability Program (SHARP). Since modularity was preferred, these technologies reduced cost by an estimated $3,100,000. This approach allowed McDonnell Aircraft Company, General Electric, and their subcontroller to concentrate on unsolved technical problems