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This paper presents an overview of a project called “Modelling and Simulation Tools for Systems Integration on Aircraft (MISSION)”. This is a collaborative project being developed under the European Union Clean Sky 2 Program, a public-private partnership bringing together aeronautics industrial leaders and public research organizations based in Europe. The provision of integrated modeling, simulation, and optimization tools to effectively support all stages of aircraft design remains a critical challenge in the Aerospace industry. In particular the high level of system integration that is characteristic of new aircraft designs is dramatically increasing the complexity of both design and verification. Simultaneously, the multi-physics interactions between structural, electrical, thermal, and hydraulic components have become more significant as the systems become increasingly interconnected.

Formal Methods, and in particular Model Checking, are seeing an increasing use in the Aerospace domain. In recent years, Formal Methods are now commonly used to verify systems and software and its correctness as a way to augment traditional methods relying on simulation and testing. Recent updates to the relevant Aerospace regulations (e.g. DO178C, DO331 and DO333) now have explicit provisions for utilization of models and formal methods. At the system level, Model Checking has seen more limited uses due to the complexity and abstractions needed. In this paper we propose several methods to increase the capability of applying Model Checking to complex Aerospace Systems. An aircraft electrical power system is used to highlight the methodology. Automated model-based methods such as Cone of Influence and Timer Abstractions are described. Results of those simplifications, in combination with traditional Assume-Guarantee approaches will be shown for the Electric Power System application.