Air Force Expectations for Software

1. Air Force Expectations for Software Col William “Bill” P. NelsonDir, Architecture and Interoperabilitywilliam.nelson@pentagon.af.mil (703)-588-6170

2. Outline • Software Sustainment Issues • National Science Foundation (NSF) Findings • Software Personnel • Software Intensive Systems Steering Groups • Key to Success

3. Software Sustainment Issues* • Staffing: Software engineering staff instability or shortages • Computer Resources and System / Software Engineering Environment (S/SEE) Capability: Obsolete and/or saturated computer hardware; adequacy and long-term viability of the support / test environment, programming language, etc. • Training: Lack of appropriate and timely training • Documentation: Inadequate or outdated system/software documentation • Guidance: Lack of policy, guidance, and methods for SIWS acquisition and support *AF CIO directed study “Weapon System Software Sustainment Study”, Apr 2001

4. NSF Findings* • Software has to many surprises • Immature or poorly integrated software domain sciences, construction principles and engineering processes • Critical software components • Scalability; evolvability; dependability; usability; performance; and predictability of cost and schedule • Software technology is hard to transition * Final Report, “NSF Workshop on a Research Program for the 21st Century”, 1998

5. AF Picture:Software Personnel • Software professionals very important part of the Air Force -- communications and information community in particular • Information War over Kosovo • American troops rescuing flood victims in Mozambique and providing aid to reduce human suffering • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) • Smart bombs • B-2

6. Types of Programmers* • Two camps of programmers in the Air Force • System programmers-- TBMCS, GCCS, and other application-oriented software • Specialized software professionals--designed and built the code embedded in our weapon systems • That distinction is disappearing as we move into the 21st Century • Our weapons are becoming increasingly networked—“on the net” until the moment of impact • As network evolves to a weapon system, distinction between “traditional” and “weapon system” software professionals blurs • Development methods/sustainment procedures for both beginning to resemble each other *Lt Gen John L. Woodward, Jr remarks to Software Technology Conference 1 May 2001

7. Software Career Field*(Communications-computer career field perspective) • Fiscal year (2000), only 29% of first-term enlisted programmers reenlisted (AF goal is 55%) • As of May 2001, only 31% of second-term enlisted programmers who are eligible for reenlistment have done so (AF goal is 75%) • No longer track officer programmers in communications-computer career field but continuation rate of these highly-skilled officers appears to be below Air Force average • In Air Logistics Centers, missed hiring targets for civilian programmers in 1999 and 2000 *Lt Gen John L. Woodward, Jr remarks to Software Technology Conference 1 May 2001

8. Software Intensive Systems Steering Group (SISSG) • DoD SISSG • Establish strategic direction, oversee the DoD software intensive systems effort, and prioritize joint activities that have significant improvement potential • SAF/AQRE current AF rep • No AF/SC and PDAS-BIM (AF software team ???) • AFMC SISSG • AFMC software intensive systems focus • Charter under revision • Morph to AF SISSG • AF-level software intensive systems focus

9. Key Factors for Success... • Corporate Approach • Senior Leader Oversight Ability • Enforceable policies (SC & AQ) • Business process definition • Software belly-button (AF Software Team) • Identification of software houses (who is doing software in the AF)

10. QUESTIONS ???