Concept for an Aeronautical Design Standard (ADS) - Performance Specification for Autonomy Requirements of Military Air Systems

This concept for an Aeronautical Design Standard for autonomous systems is methodology to determine the acceptable level of supervision for autonomy in military systems. The level of autonomy is directly related to the level of supervision required for the trust in the autonomous system functionality. The approach defines representative Autonomous Task Elements (ATEs), operational considerations, and levels of autonomy. Each ATE is characterized by an objective, description, and performance standards. Performance standards are expressed as metrics related to the trust in the autonomous behavior and the system’s capability to conduct the ATE. The capability of the autonomous system to meet performance standards is expressed as risk. This risk is compared to specified operational / allowable limits. The corresponding acceptable level of autonomy for the ATE is then determined using the probability of failure to meet the limits. The approach for this concept autonomy ADS parallels ADS 33E-PRF for the assignment of Levels of Handling Qualities based on measurable flight performance characteristics.