IN THIS ISSUE  
Evaluator Digest

"ONLY THE BEST PASS THE TEST"

 
  August 2000  
   

View from the Top

C4ISR
Current Testing
VT UAV



Career Opportunities
Explore a new career at COMOPTEVFOR which offers you a daily challenge with advancement potential.  Get the facts here.  


60 Division Chief is "Professor" for a Day

In June EWC(SW) Stocke attended a meeting of the CNO 091 sponsored Simulator Validation Working Group (SVWG) at the Naval Postgraduate School, in Monterey, California. The chairman of the SVWG, Dr. Phillip Pace, called upon Chief Stocke to present a lecture on OPTEVFOR's mission to the postgraduate school's electrical engineering and computer science faculty and students as part of their continuing education program.

In his typical fashion, Chief Stocke captivated the students with a lecture centered around defense acquisition, and the role of operational testing in ensuring the success of each program. At the end of the presentation numerous questions were answered regarding the acquisition and testing process. The Chief called this opportunity "a great honor", and added that he got a great sense of satisfaction from such an unusual request of an enlisted person.

Retirement

    This summer also sees the loss of a key member of the testing staff. AGC Jack LeClair will retire in August, taking with him three years of testing experience. His relief, AGC David CROOK, has already taken up the load and is pressing forward with enthusiasm. We take this opportunity to thank Chief LeClair for his consistent support and wish him fair winds and following seas.

       

68 th MORS

    On the professional development front, two of our analysts recently completed the Army's undergraduate analytical course (ORSA MAC I) at Fort Lee, Virginia. Four other ananlysts, LCDR Hernandez, LT Smith, Mr. Hogan, and Mr. Defoor attended the 68 th Military Operations Research Society (MORS) Symposium at the USAFA, Colorado Springs, Colorado in June. Mr. Defoor co-chaired the Test and Evaluation Working Group (WG-25). The Code 64 analytical team found the presentations to be informative and useful.

       

69 th Symposium

    The 69 th MORS Symposium will be held at the USNA in June 2001. The Code 64 analytical team has several projects that we will share with that symposium. We encourage all analysts and testesrs to consider presenting your project at next year's MORS symposium. Volunteering to coordinate a working group, tutorial, composite group or special session can also be a rewarding experience.

       
       
    MISSION STATEMENT
COMOPTEVFOR is the Navy's sole independent agent for operational test and evaluation, adding discipline to the Navy's acquisition process. For new or improved capabilities proposed for fleet use we will:
     
     - Conduct operational test and evaluation in a realistic environment against the anticipated threat.

 - Advise the Chief of Naval Operations on operational effectiveness and operational suitability and make recommendations for fleet introduction.

      - Develop and evaluate tactics and procedures
   
     


60 Division Web Page

 
                                                           
  Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence           
CAPT T. J. Frey
            60
   
             

Rapidly Changing Technology

        The ancient Chinese curse had been visited upon us all, we do indeed live in interesting times. The systems we have in test, or will shortly test here at Code 60 in OPTEVFOR are designed to significantly improve the operations of the fleet.

Theater Battle Management Core System (TBMCS) which completed a Multi-service Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E) in July significantly decreased the time required to develop the Air Tasking Order (ATO) and Airspace Control Order (ACO) while improving the accuracy of both products over those produced with the legacy Contingency Theater Air Planning System (CTAPS). In spite of shortcomings identified in the Interim Summary Report (ISR), it is clear that TBMCS provides greatly increased capability and flexibility to the Joint Force Commander in the planning and execution of the deep battle and theater air operations.

Automated Digital Network System (ADNS) will expand and improve the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) backbone, essential for IT-21 services, to all ships and deployed units. The performance of ADNS is key to the success of the Horizontal Integration (HI) initiative, recently announced by the Commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command to provide a standardized infrastructure for each deploying battle and amphibious ready group.

For the shore side, Navy and Marine Corps Intranet will be revolutionary to the way we procure and field Information Technology (IT). It also presents a wide variety of testing challenges to OPTEVFOR.

As we test each of these programs, we will keep needs of the fleet first and foremost in accordance with our mission statement. Which brings me to you, the individual reading this. In your job today, you probably used a wide variety of systems. Many of them were of tremendous assistance to you as you either trained to fight the enemy or worked to provide, train, and equip forces to fight the enemy. However, there may have been one or two systems that you spent more time and effort fighting than you would have had available to deal with an enemy. You may have even asked yourself "Who let this (provide your own adjectives here) system into the fleet?" I would like to extend my personal invitation to you to join our small, elite group of operational testers at Code 60. Several billets will be opening in the next few months, they are described under " COMOPTEVFOR Career Opportunities ." If you are interested, please drop me an e-mail at freyt@cotf.navy.mil with the billet you are interested in and a brief biography.




    

   
                 
                           
Current Testing
   
         

Current Testing

        Developmental Testing for Area Air Defense Commander (AADC)Capability took place onboard USS SHILOH (CG-67) during RIMPAC 00. This multi-national exercise, held in the Hawaiian OPAREA, provided the perfect backdrop for the first test of the Prototype module. The exercise scenario was enhanced to include significant TBM threat play, which allowed for a robust stress of the planning and operations cells. The module itself was manned primarily from Reserve units and was headed by the Deputy 3 rd Fleet Commander, RADM KERR. Overall exercise execution went extremely well, with outstanding support from the ship's crew, lead by CAPT R. D. LIGGETT.  

      Testing of the Operational Evaluation of Theater Battle Management Core Systems(TBMCS) occurred in July onboard the 3 rd Fleet Command Ship, USS CORONADO. The ship and staff picked up the test requirements just after completing RIMPAC 2000, having the test software installed during their transit from Pearl Harbor to San Diego. The outstanding support of the ship, staff, and all the active duty and reserve units which sent personnel for three weeks of testing were essential to the successful completion of a very thorough Multi-service test. The Air Force acted as lead test agent and coordinated activities with all four services across the United States. Units included the PRNOC Hawaii; USS CORONADO; 12 th Air Force at Davis-Monthan AFB; MCAS Cherry Point, NC; US Army Battlefield Coordination Detachment from Germany; USAF units in Florida and in Massachusetts. The test period included a final dry run test from 17-22 July and the actual MOT&E from 25-31 July. Support from all services was exceptional, bringing about an on-time completion of the test. The Interim System Report will be written at Kirkland AFB during 10-15 August.

      August has already started with a final Developmental Test of the Global Command and Control-Maritime (GCCS-M) software system onboard USS ENTERPRISE. This test will clear up remaining issues in support of the SEP-OCT 00 Operational Evaluation of Software Version 3.1.2.

 
 

   
                 
                                              
UAV Highlights
   
           

UAV Highlights

          Technology is catching up with demand in the reconnaissance world as the Navy and Marine Corps field a state of the art vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV). Designated the Fire Scout, this new UAV is being built on a proven manned helicopter which is in use nationwide for traffic surveillance and border patrol. Fire Scout will be replacing the aging fleet of Pioneer UAVs, expanding the combat radius and adding synthetic aperture radar to the infrared and electro-optical reconnaissance capabilities. Additionally, Fire Scout will be deployed on all air capable ships expanding the current capability from amphibious ready groups to include carrier battle groups as well.

      Along with the new generation of UAVs will come a new joint control system. UAV Tactical Control System (TCS) will bring the potential to receive data from and control UAVs of other types and services from a single platform. USJFCOM views the flexibility to assign various UAVs through the air tasking order and hand them off to multiple control platforms regardless of service as a key capability. Initially, TCS will provide air vehicle control and data dissemination capability for the Navy and Marine Corps VTUAV, the Army Tactical UAV (currently under development), and a limited capability to the Air Force Predator.
 

   
                   
                   
               

Top of page.


   
              COMOPTEVFOR Career Opportunities    
           

1110  LCDR Surface EW Systems
1110  LCDR Combat Direction Systems
1110  LCDR AIS Systems
1320  LT AIS Aystems
1050  LCDR Combat Direction Systems
ET 1(SW) Radar Maintenance Technician
ET 1(SS) or IT 1 Communications
DS 1 Data Systems Development


   
          To Subscribe and Unsubscribe    
          To be added or removed from the subscription mailing list, please send an e-mail to subscribe or unsubscribe .
 
   
               
            All information contained in this newsletter is accurate and valid as of the date of issue.        

COMOPTEVFOR
7970 Diven Street
Norfolk, Virginia 23505