Test and Evaluation in a Time of War: Making Defense Systems Reliable
Abstract
With our nation engaged in the historic Global War on Terrorism, every element of our national security apparatus must maintain a sharp focus on how to best aid this effort. Test and Evaluation (T&E) is no different in this regard and is doing many things with the single aim of getting effective and suitable weapon systems to our warfighters in the field as quickly and efficiently as possible. To accomplish these goals, the T&E community is engaged on two fronts: first, we are responding to today's call for urgency in all we do to support the warfighter's operational needs; and second, we are working to effect lasting policy changes that will result in more reliable future defense systems. To ensure that systems designed to meet urgent operational requirements are deployed as quickly as possible and with as much confidence as possible, the T&E community has developed and is utilizing organizational commitment-and individual creativity-and flexibility. These characteristics are necessary ingredients because requirements and concepts-of-operations terms for urgently needed systems are often vaguely stated. Many times, the requirement is simply boiled down to "something better than what we have." Another characteristic of urgent operational requirements is shortened timelines, which often means fielding without the usual breadth of testing, because when threat operational modes change, our engaged warriors must have responsive systems immediately. When all of these factors are considered, it is obvious to see why the T&E community is working so hard to react to and accommodate shortened timelines that are consistent with meeting urgent requirements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA516843
Entities
People
- Charles E. Mcqueary
Organizations
- Office of the Secretary of Defense