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Test and Evaluation in Support of Overseas Contingency Operations

Test and Evaluation in Support of Overseas Contingency Operations. An Enabler to Rapid Fielding Mr. Frank Apicella, Technical and Deputy Director Army Evaluation Center. Agenda. Who We Are Achieving Balance ATEC’s Support to Rapid Fielding Things We’ve Seen and Heard in Theater

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Test and Evaluation in Support of Overseas Contingency Operations

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  1. Test and Evaluation in Support of Overseas Contingency Operations An Enabler to Rapid Fielding Mr. Frank Apicella, Technical and Deputy Director Army Evaluation Center

  2. Agenda • Who We Are • Achieving Balance • ATEC’s Support to Rapid Fielding • Things We’ve Seen and Heard in Theater • Rapid T&E Lessons Learned • Summary ATEC’s #1 Priority Conducting test and evaluation of rapid material equipping initiatives in support of Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)

  3. Who We Are • Full Spectrum Test and Evaluation • Only T&E organization in DoD to encompass all phases of testing: developmental, integrated DT/OT and operational • T&E Scope • Testing and Evaluating over 500 programs of records and 300 rapid initiatives • 1100 test events worked daily • ATEC Forward – Forward Operational Assessment Teams in Iraq & Afghanistan • Large, complex organization • 10,000+ personnel • 26 Locations, 17 States, Operate on 1/3 Army’s Land mass, operates Army’s only active nuclear reactor, impacted by BRAC • Mostly reimbursable; competitive, efficient, operationally-focused • Value-added • Testing the majority of Army equipment: everything from rifles to National Missile Defense

  4. Achieving Balance • PAST • Strong methodical testing • Requires Time/Money • CURRENT • Two pronged • Continue traditional testing • Added rapid testing (C&L) • TRADITIONAL ACQUISITION • Full Capabilities • All Anticipated Areas of Operation • Minimize Limitations • Full Rate Production and • Material Release • Emphasizes reliability and sustainability • RAPID EQUIPPING • Existing Capabilities • Focused Area(s) of Operation • Mostly “throw-away” or contractor sustained • Recognized/Unrecognized Limitations • Limited Production and Fielding FUTURE A different degree of “normalcy”

  5. ATEC’s Support to Rapid Fielding CLR, Safety Confirmation Warfighter Feedback Warfighters Forward Operational Assessment (FOA) Teams FOA System DB FOA System Info FOA System Exsum Rapid T&E ATEC will test and evaluate within your (rapid fielding proponent) decision cycle.

  6. Things We’ve Seen and Heard in Theater • 1st MRAP – “It’s too big. It hits wires and bridges. It’s hard to maneuver through the city and breaks all the time. BUT I don’t care, it makes me feel safe.” • “Very unreliable, used on two missions, retrograde from theater and recapitalize parts.” • “New armor kits are saving lives every day.” • “Complete failure in its main intended function.”

  7. Things We’ve Seen and Heard in Theater (cont.) • System performs well against the intended threats. However, the threats changed, needed another solution. • Home grown armor solutions sometimes make the situation worse. • Robots – They work fine when operated in the open, but could not be operated from inside vehicles. • Tow bars – Bought some, but they broke under the weights used in theater. • System broke every 34 hours; quick test-fix-deploy, improved to over 1500 hours. • Seismic sensor had a large number of false alarms, lost trust in the system. • Aluminum underwear – cannot be washed.

  8. Rapid T&E Lessons Learned • User requirements may not exist • TTP and CONOPS may be undeveloped • Systems not always ready • Supportability not well thought out • Systems are not always as good as the proponents indicated • Significant design improvements can be made quickly through contractor/government partnerships • Use of Mission Based T&E and Design of Experiments thought processes are far more important for rapid programs

  9. Summary • ATEC Decisively Engaged in Oversees Contingency Operations, Rapid Initiatives & Traditional Acquisition • T&E Impacts to Rapid Fielding • Assists the Warfighters in understanding the capabilities and limitations of the systems • Provides recommendations for system employment and operation • Provides the known safety hazards and their mitigations • Uses a test-fix-deploy-observe methodology to improve systems capabilities • Early culling of ineffective systems • T&E provides confidence to the Commanders at all levels that the equipment they are receiving is effective and safe.

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