number of radios to participate in a qual- ification test, involving straightforward lab and field assessments in a controlled environment. Products that meet speci- fications will proceed to an operational test featuring Soldier scenarios in a more dynamic environment. Te operational test results will inform the Army’s selec- tion of vendors, who will then compete for delivery orders for each radio.
Te strategy also includes on-ramp oppor- tunities for vendors whose technologies mature significantly following the first round of tests, and the Army is develop- ing the protocols to support that process. We must also be able to tailor the tests to focus on specific new features—such as greater range, processing power or bat- tery life—as they emerge on the market,
without neglecting the rest of the system. As with apps, the key to successful testing supporting the radio marketplace will be flexibility and communication between the acquisition and test communities, so that we can decide in partnership how to match the process to the product.
FACING THE FUTURE TOGETHER Aside from specific capabilities, we have taken other steps to deepen the acqui- sition-test partnership that
the future
force demands. For example, we are holding regular summits and method- ology discussions that unite program managers and test experts as well as affected Army commands, to foster dialogue and increase understanding of various areas including cyber and the collection of reliability, availability and maintainability data.
THE ARMY HAS DEVELOPED AN ITERATIVE PROCESS OF QUALIFICATION TESTING AND OPERATIONAL TESTING THAT WILL ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM VENDOR PARTICIPATION AND FLEXIBILITY FOR TECHNOLOGY TO EVOLVE IN AREAS SUCH AS WEIGHT, RANGE, PROCESSING POWER AND BATTERY LIFE.
By helping program offices grasp differ- ent test techniques and boosting testers’ knowledge of the technologies they will evaluate, these sessions contribute to suc- cessful test preparation and execution, saving time and cost. Additionally, as the Army continues to refine its cyber mis- sion, assign responsibilities and identify needed capabilities, we will need to apply smart testing and procurement principles so we can rapidly respond to and correct vulnerabilities. ATEC, U.S. Army Cyber Command and PEOs that provide defen- sive and offensive cyber capabilities are contributing to an overall test strategy to better examine cyberprotection early and often at the system-of-systems level.
CONCLUSION We are also moving forward together to execute the Army’s revised construct for the NIE. Beginning in FY16, it will become an annual event focused on program-of-record testing. Te new Army Warfighter Assessment, also held
at Fort Bliss, will take the place of the other semiannual NIE event and provide a more experimental venue to focus on doctrinal development supporting new technologies for Force 2025 and Beyond.
While Army leadership is still finalizing several details of the transition, we believe the new approach will make disciplined use of test resources while continuing to modernize the network incrementally for the future force. Like other initiatives to support Force 2025, the future NIE con- struct will require the acquisition and test communities to adapt in several areas, from the timing of risk reduction and training to holding tests at other venues so that we continue to meet milestones. In all of these cases, it is our role to work together to provide the agility that will translate the 2025 vision into reality.
For more information, visit
http://www.atec.
army.mil/ or
http://peoc3t.army.mil/c3t/; or the articles at
http://www.army.mil/ standto/archive_2014-10-21/, http://
www.army.mil/article/125511/ and
http://www.army.mil/article/127310/.
MG PETER D. UTLEY is the commanding general of ATEC. He holds an M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and a B.S. in biology from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina.
MG DANIEL P. HUGHES is the PEO for C3T. He holds an MBA from Oklahoma City University, an M.S. in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and a B.A. in political science from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is Level III certified in program management and a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.
ASC.ARMY.MIL
21
ACQUISITION
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