Test & Evaluation

Joint Test and Evaluation (JT&E) Program provides quantitative Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) information used for analyzing joint military capabilities and develops potential options for increasing military effectiveness. This program complements the Acquisition Process under DoD Directive 5000.01 “The Defense Acquisition System”.  A JT&E is OT&E that brings two or more Military Departments or other […]

Integrated Testing is a process intended to result in resource efficiencies (time, money, people, and assets) and an enhanced data set for separate evaluations. The goal of integrated testing is to conduct a seamless test program that produces credible qualitative and quantitative data useful to all evaluators and to address developmental, sustainment, and Critical Operational

Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) is conducted after the Full-Rate Production (FRP) decision and during fielding/deployment and operational support. The tests are conducted in a realistic tactical environment similar to that used in Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E), but fewer test items may be used. Normally FOT&E is conducted using fielded production systems

Survivability includes the elements of susceptibility, vulnerability, and recoverability. As such, survivability is an important contributor to Operational Effectiveness and Suitability. A survivability assessment should be conducted for all systems under Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) oversight that may be exposed to threat weapons in a combat environment or to combat-induced conditions that may degrade

Qualification testing is performed to verify the design and manufacturing process, and it provides a baseline for subsequent acceptance tests. The production qualification testing is conducted at the unit, subsystem, and system-level on production items and is completed before the production decision. The results of these tests are a critical factor in assessing the system’s

Electromagnetic Environment Effects (E3) Testing tests the ability of a system to operate in its intended electromagnetic environment.  Failure to conduct E3 testing can adversely affect the operational effectiveness of military forces, equipment, systems, and platforms. Additionally, today’s complex military operational environment is characterized by an increasingly congested electromagnetic spectrum coupled with a reduction of

Under Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E), testing must verify the level of operational effectiveness and suitability a system has to meet the user’s needs. The evaluation is conducted at the Full-Rate Production Decision Review (FRPDR). During Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E), an estimate of the operational effectiveness and suitability of the system is developed.

In each of the Services, operational testing must be conducted under the auspices of an organization that is independent of the development agency according to Title 10 USC 2399 “Operational test and evaluation of defense acquisition programs”.  To accomplish this, each service has developed its own independent testing agency that satisfies this requirement and is

Critical Technical Parameters (CTP) are measurable critical system characteristics that, when achieved, enable the attainment of desired operational performance capabilities. They’re derived from user capabilities and are normally used in Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E). CTP are not the Key Performance Parameters (KPP) and/or Key System Attributes (KSA). [1] CTP’s must have a direct or

Critical Operational Issues (COI) are the operational effectiveness and operational suitability issues (not parameters, objectives, or thresholds) that must be examined to evaluate/assess the system’s capability to perform its mission. Not all operational issues are critical. COIs must be relevant to the required capabilities for a system to be operationally effective and suitable and represent

The Beyond Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Report is a report generated before the Full-Rate Production Decision Review (FRPDR) by the office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation and provided to the Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary (A&S), and the armed services committees of Congress. The report is directed by 10 U.S.C. 2399 and is

An Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) is a demonstration of the maturity and potential of advanced technologies for enhanced military operational capability or cost effectiveness. They may provide early insights into available technologies for incorporation into developmental or mature, post-prototype systems. ATDs are identified, sponsored, and funded by Services and agencies. They follow Advanced Technology Development.

  Note: The Test and Evaluation Strategy (TES) is no longer a required document in DoD Acquisitions.   The TES describes the concept for tests and evaluations throughout the program life cycle, starting with Technology Development and continuing through Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development (EMD) into the Production and Deployment (PD) Phase.  The TES is submitted

Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) (10 USC 4171) is a fielded test, under realistic combat conditions, for a Major Defense Program (MDP) of any item or component of a weapons system, equipment, or munitions for the purposes of determining its operational effectiveness and operational suitability for combat. To ensure test adequacy, OT&E testing should only

The Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) is conducted on production, or production representative articles, to determine whether systems are operationally effective and suitable for intended use by representative users to support the decision to proceed beyond Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The IOT&E will normally test the values in the Capability Production Development (CPD). The

Developmental Test & Evaluation (DT&E) is a test that verifies that the system’s design is satisfactory and that all technical specifications and contract requirements have been met. It’s conducted throughout the acquisition process to assist in engineering design and development and to verify that technical performance specifications have been met. DT&E is planned and monitored

The Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) describes an acquisition program’s planned Test and Evaluation (T&E) activities over a program’s life-cycle and identifies evaluation criteria for the testers. It serves as an executive summary and provides a framework within which to generate detailed T&E plans and document schedule and resource implications associated with the T&E

Test and Evaluation (T&E) is a crucial process to assess the performance, reliability, and safety of various systems, products, or technologies. It involves systematically examining and validating these items to ensure they meet specified requirements and perform as intended. T&E helps identify flaws, weaknesses, or areas for improvement, enabling developers to make necessary adjustments before