Some Reliability Considerations of Large Hybrids

I assume that we all agree that a component does not become inherently less reliable when combined with other components, as in a hybrid, than it is singly. To think otherwise would be unscientific and perhaps even unAmerican. A component that has a particular failure rate when individually packaged should not have a higher failure rate in a hybrid assembly all things being equal. Unfortunately, not all things remain equal and perhaps that is the substance of the question before the panel.