The Reliability of Expendables

Reliability discipline and the development of expendable oceanographic instruments are discussed. Common reliability measures are defined, and the need to develop a reliability measure for expendables is presented. The concept of "number of units successfully tested per single failure" is mathematically developed and used in a classical reliability growth example. Calculated values for reliability growth programs at various common growth rates are presented. Using this paper, and the noted references, the interested reader will be able to better understand reliability disciplines applied to expendable oceanographic instruments.