1. A method for evaluating a lightning/high intensity radiated field (HIRF) protection effectiveness of a preliminary vehicle design, said method performed using a computer system coupled to a database, said method comprising: storing in the database design service life goals for at least one lightning/HIRF protection component included in the preliminary vehicle design, the design service life goals including a pre-determined service life of a vehicle associated with the preliminary vehicle design, maintenance goals for the at least one component, and maintainability of the at least one component; storing in the database a potential for degradation of the at least one component, wherein the potential for degradation is determined based on at least one of conductive paths and material interfaces that will result from a position where the component is to be installed; storing, in the database, test data for the at least one component, wherein the test data includes results from performance testing and an expected in-service performance of the at least one component based on the stored potential for degradation of the at least one component in the position where the component is to be installed; determining continued functionality of the at least one component included in the preliminary vehicle design using the computer system to compare the test data to the stored design service life goals over the pre-determined service life of the vehicle; and providing a design change recommendation for a final vehicle design when the continued functionality does not meet the stored design service life goals.