LFT&E

Abstract

This Program Element (PE) directly supports the Congressional statutory requirements for oversight of Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E). The primary objective of LFT&E is to assure that the vulnerability and survivability of Department of Defense (DoD) crew-carrying platforms and the lethality of our conventional munitions are known and acceptable before entering full-rate production. LFT&E encompasses realistic tests involving actual United States (U.S.) and foreign threat hardware or, if not available, acceptable surrogate threat hardware. The objective is to identify and correct design deficiencies early in the development process. A completed LFT&E program and test report is required before programs proceed beyond low-rate initial production (BLRIP). LFT&E also includes realistic modeling and simulation (M&S) to examine survivability and lethality attributes not assessed during testing. The LFT&E program is essential, especially in view of the escalating costs of technologically sophisticated weapons systems. This program element also supports DoD’s Joint Live Fire (JLF) Program and other LFT&E related initiatives. JLF was begun in 1984 under an Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) charter to test fielded front-line combat aircraft and armor systems for their vulnerabilities as well as fielded weapons, both U.S. and foreign, for their lethalities against their respective targets. Funds are also used to support other initiatives related to quick reaction requests from theater and other areas of personnel survivability. This program element includes funds to obtain Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) expertise in performing analyses in support of described tasks, as well as travel funds to carry out the LFT&E program. This program element is budgeted in Budget Activity 6, RDT&E Management Support, to support LFT&E management activities for the oversight of RDT&E of new systems, as well as RDT&E of fielded systems.

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Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2011
Source ID
2_0605131OTE_6_0460_PB_2011

Tags

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Munitions and Ordnance Engineering

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