Defence Maps the Way Ahead for Test and Evaluation

Test and Evaluation (T&E) are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of high-technology ADF combat platforms and Defence is managing its T&E activities very carefully.
The release last year of a new Defence Policy document for T&E, along with recent major structural changes to T&E organisations within Defence, are just two examples of the most radical changes in the way Defence conducts T&E in the last twenty years.

An ANAO audit published in 2002 took an in depth look at how T&E was conducted in Defence and came up with some far reaching recommendations which have in part contributed to this recent shake-up. The increased appreciation of the importance of capability development in Defence's post-Kinnaird procurement process has meant some fundamental changes to the way defence T&E is performed. As part of this there is now a recognition that the traditional segregation of DT&E, AT&E and OT&E into defined blocks of the acquisition process is no longer appropriate.

The reissue of the defence policy on T&E has moved away from use of these terms and now refers to the T&E continuum with elements of each type of T&E being used throughout the system life cycle. This move has, for example, recognised the importance of operator input early in the system development phase where changes can been implemented at a fraction of the cost when compared to post production.

Advances in technology, particularly in the area of computer based modelling and simulation have also changed the way T&E is conducted. Using simulation and other techniques before a system has even completed design would have been unheard twenty years ago, but is now recognised as fundamental to delivering a combat capable system to war fighters that does not need large and expensive amounts of post production modification.

One of the fundamental ways Defence aerospace T&E has changed to meet this challenge has been the formation of the Aerospace Operational Support Group (AOSG) which now has oversight of all Army and RAAF aerospace T&E. Group Captain Steve Fielder, Commander AOSG and formerly Officer Commanding the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) believes these changes will have a significant and positive effect on not only the material acquisition side of the house but also the in-Service capability.

Fielder says, "One of the things we have now implemented across the Force Element Groups (FEGs) is small T&E cells who are responsible for operational application of T&E of in-service and newly introduced equipment. Their particular focus will be on the development of procedures and tactics to ensure full advantage is taken of the capability these systems deliver.

"In the past we have often introduced significant upgrades to systems and subsystems and simply continued to operate as though we were using the old kit it replaced. In many cases it was a very gradual change and appreciation of what new systems could provide us in terms of war fighting capability."

"What we want to do now is take a new system and work out its benefits and limitations early in the piece so we can take full advantage of new capability in months instead of years."

This new appreciation of the importance of the operational aspects of T&E fits well with the increased emphasis on capability development and quantifying exactly what capability we are getting. One of the Defence suppliers leading the way in this area is Nova Aerospace, the largest civil employer of T&E specialists in Australia.

Jim Whalley Nova's Managing Director and a Former F/A-18 Test Pilot said "Nova recognised a few years ago that OT&E was going to be a significant part of the T&E landscape, particularly given the amalgamation of the acquisition and running system and increased emphasis on quantifying and achieving capability." Nova has been involved in several T&E and OT&E campaigns across a variety of platforms including the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C), F/A-18, Seahawk and AP-3C Orion.

Graeme Nayler, Nova's lead on OT&E and himself a former member of ARDU, said, "OT&E is fundamental to us understanding and maximising the capability we can obtain from new weapons systems and system upgrades." Nayler has taken a lead in this role by developing and delivering an OT&E course to Nova's customers in Defence that is focussed on capability outcomes and the revised Australian Defence capability acquisition process.

According to Steve Fielder the next stage in this process is accreditation; "Now that we have T&E cells set up within the FEGs and recognising that we have Defence contractors supporting much of our T&E work, we need to make sure quality and consistency is maintained"

"Ultimately AOSG will have oversight over all Defence aerospace T&E and that means making sure we have Units and people inside Defence, and organisations outside Defence like Defence contractors with specialist T&E skills, are accredited. We need to make sure that T&E, whether it is Developmental, Operational or whatever, is being performed by people and organisations with recognised skills, training and experience. Due to the complexity of current and emerging weapon systems, far more validation effort is required to ensure the capability sought is the capability acquired."

We are about to see this philosophy applied to the Developmental and then Operational T&E phases of the RAAF's Wedgetail AEW&C program; and the application of sound T&E principles is playing a key role in the successful delivery of the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter capability.

So the future of T&E may be radically different to what it has been in the past. It must serve the needs of an improved defence capability definition and acquisition process. Meeting cost and schedule targets is fundamental to a successful acquisition program. So is meeting capability targets: capability must be defined and quantified if it is to measured in the same terms as cost and schedule, and the use of T&E to achieve this can only be a positive step for Australian war fighters and their support structures.

ADM gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Jim Whalley of Nova Aerospace and GPCAPT Steve Fielder, Commander AOSG, in the preparation of this article.

By Gregor Ferguson, Adelaide