ABSTRACT
The story of imagined Nonods illustrates a reality in acquisition system. But the problem is not that of building bridges but systems that allow for effective human performance. Human factors engineering is based on the scientific understanding of how people perceive and process information, their physical characteristics, and how people make decisions and carry out tasks with the use of technology. By applying human factors principles during the design and development of military systems, we can significantly reduce instances of catastrophic failures that lead to crashed aircraft or fratricide. The Air Force's failure to incorporate Human Systems Integration (HSI), including human factors, in its requirements and acquisition process was a major contributing factor to the problem, according to the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board that investigated the incidents. The Department of Defense has mandated inclusion of HSI in the development of military systems.
