A Continuum of Testing (presentation)

Prepared for the National Test & Evaluation Conference, March 200

Modern military evolutionary acquisition and the ramifications of RAMS

This paper describes the administrative philosophy that currently guides the (evolutionary) acquisition of U.S. military systems. It then sketches a preliminary mathematical model that allows study of the effect of various ways to spend a fixed budget for Block b+1 upgrade so as to obtain a maximum expected number of fielded system upgrades that is effective in the field. This includes the option of simply fielding more of the previous, Block b, design units. Effectiveness/capability growth is the design objective, but testing and fault removal provides for reliability growth. The model accounts for various levels of developmental and testing effort at various rates, and for obsolescence of the previous (Block b) and forthcoming (Block b+1) system versions