1. 20 Years of DOT&E What Have We Learned & How Can We Make It Better

2. Reasons for Testing
To deliver relevant increments of combat and support capability – a continuing challenge
Systems that perform as advertised in the relevant environment – in hand
Systems of systems that provide both the platform capability and the systems that enable the potential capabilities – the new challenge
Secondary at best: Testing to specifications
Specifications not likely to be explicitly relevant to the future environment
Transformational capabilities more often a surprise than a plan

3. The Legacy Requirements unrelated to combat reality
Rudimentary testing in success oriented scenarios
Combat discovery – some Vietnam examples
Fuzes – delivering explosives to the enemy
Air-air Missiles – frustration10
Caseless ammunition – realistic environment impact

4. The First Evolution Combat oriented requirements
Commitment to performance testing
Spiral development
Well defined performance and test requirements for each increment
But some excessive rigidity
F-15A top speed
AMRAAM compatibility
The delivered product
Systems that served the combat forces by performing as expected but . . .

5. The First Evolution (cont)
Binary approach – one or zero
Exquisite performance definition
Omnipotent foresight assumed
Runaway cost and schedule
Acquisition reform assumptions doomed to failure
Abandoned spiral development
Total Package Procurement - abandoned government authority and accountability

6. The Next Evolution Capability-based needs
Tolerant of threat variations
Essential in the more complex and unpredictable environment
Return to spiral development and spiral testing
Spiral requirements and spiral test goals – not rubber requirements and goals
Fielding useful increments on the path to the capability-based goal
System-of-systems needs
Optimize the system not the elements (platforms)
ISR, C2, platforms, weapons, etc.
Vastly more complex testing requirements

7. Capability-Based System of System Goals – Some Examples
Precision Strike – strike any target anywhere in the world in any weather at any hour of the day in the face of any defenses to achieve the desired effect and only the desired effect
Ballistic Missile Defense – defend the United States, our deployed forces and our allies by defeating ballistic missiles of all ranges in all phases of flight
The path to the capability-based goal is spiral development to field a system of systems with useful increments of capability

8. FCS – A System of Systems in a System of Systems
System Capability
Core FCS Systems
Multiple Unit of Action Complementary Systems
UE and Above Complementary
UA SoS
UA Complementary
FCS
Core
Systems
INTERDEPENDENCE
Complementary programs at the various levels provide an extensive range of capabilities that will be needed to succeed with the FCS concept of operations. Some of these programs may be more vital to the ultimate success of the FCS concept than are some of the hardware programs within FCS proper. Critical communications systems such as JTRS, WIN-T, and DCGS-A are foundations for FCS operational concepts, but are not managed within the FCS program.
In addition, as will be discussed in the third section, the network-centric networks and services that are the responsibility of DISA, JFCOM, and STRATCOM will be essential for FCS.
Many Unit of Employment & Above Systems