A system and method for automation of flight functions across an aircraft cockpit provides an open systems architecture to meet next generation mission capabilities for increased aircrew effectiveness. A mission reasoner (MR) receives inputs from a vehicle health system, mission phase analysis, and external assets (wingmen) to build a decision network based on a knowledge database providing a decision aid to automate flight functions across the cockpit. The MR reduces crew workload by providing an automated decision aid and increased situational awareness of own ship aircraft and cooperating nearby vehicle health status relating to a phase of mission success. The MR provides predictive decisions and alternative actions to complete one or more desired mission objectives and determines predictive maintenance and future failures to optimize condition-based maintenance and reduce cost.