Description of Figure 3-2

This figure represents the systems engineering process in the shape of the letter V. Different parts of the process are in each "leg" of the symbol. Beginning in the upper left, moving towards the bottom point of the V are the following: Concept of Operations, High Level Requirements, Detailed Requirements, High Level Design, Detailed Design, and Implementation. This leg is labeled Definition of Decomposition and Allocation. From the bottom point to the upper right continues: Implementation, Integration and Test, Subsystem Verification, System Verification, and Operations and Maintenance. This leg is labeled Integration Verification and Validation. Time progresses as one moves from the upper left, to the point, and back to the upper right of the V. Assessment takes place at the first step, Concept of Operation, and the last step, Operations and Maintenance.