Affordability is the system design parameter that

• A. NOT measures of the system performance, capability accessibility and effectiveness
• B. measures of the system performance, capability accessibility and effectiveness
• C. NOT influences safety margins
• D. describes only manufacturing cost

Answer: (A)

Affordability as a design parameter sets the cost boundary within which the system must deliver the required capability, rather than being a direct measure of how the system performs. It is about life-cycle cost—acquisition plus operation, maintenance, support, and disposal—so that the overall program remains financially viable while meeting needs. Because of that, affordability is not a measure of system performance, capability accessibility, or effectiveness themselves. It’s broader than a single price tag and broader than manufacturing cost, since it includes sustainment and life-cycle considerations. In that light, describing affordability as merely manufacturing cost misses the full cost envelope that the parameter is intended to constrain.