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Testing of Defense Systems in an Evolutionary Acquisition Environment (2006) / Chapter Skim
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3 Combining Information in Staged Development
Pages 28-33

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From page 28...
... In particular, statistical models can be used to link the performance of a system in developmental tests with that of previous versions of the system in developmental tests, between different stages of the system in operational tests, between developmental and operational test results for various versions of the same system, and linking test data with field performance data. There are both informal and formal methods for combining information from various sources (see, for example, National Research Council, 1992, 2004)
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From page 29...
... Rather, this decision is based on strategic consideration about the new additional capabilities that are needed for the system in the field. In each block there are several types of experimental strategies that could be considered, such as screening experiments for identifying important factors, response-surface designs for determining the optimal factor combinations, and so on.1 Their usefulness for developmental and operational testing is discussed in Statistics, Testing and Defense Acquisition: New Approaches and Methodological Improvements (National Research Council, 1998; see also National Research Council, 2004; Box, Hunter, and Hunter, 1978; Box and Draper, 1987; Myers and Montgomery, 2001; Wu and Hamada, 2000)
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From page 30...
... of the analysis and conclusions (see, for example, National Research Council, 1992, 2004)
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From page 31...
... The techniques discussed in the appendixes and similar ones need to be formalized and more broadly adopted and institutionalized in the documentation and casebooks of best practices. Recommendation 5: The Service test agencies should undertake a pilot study, involving a few selected systems developed under the evolutionary acquisition paradigm, in order to identify specific opportunities for incorporating information from previous stages to improve system design and analysis.
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From page 32...
... In the mid- to late 1990s, the Air Force Operational Test Center had a pilot project in which it attempted to employ modeling and simulation to track development of the B1B Defensive System Upgrade. The idea was to incorporate the information gained in developmental testing, operational testing, live-fire testing, training exercises, etc., into one software representation.
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From page 33...
... This simulation and analysis system therefore provides a key component of what one would need to know in an evolutionary context in order to plan for and accommodate changes resulting from component upgrades, possibly through redesign of other parts of the existing system. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT IN AN EVOLUTIONARY CONTEXT Software development is one area in which evolutionary acquisition is expected to play a major role.
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Key Terms

  • feedback loops
  • field performance
  • test designs
  • combining information
  • acquisition programs

  • acquisition program
  • evolutionary context
  • operational test
  • methodological improvements
  • test agencies

  • experimental design
  • operational evaluation
  • improve test
  • training exercise
  • various sources

  • service test
  • test design
  • software engineering
  • previous stages
  • research council

  • national research
  • training exercises
  • test results
  • operational tests
  • relevant technical

  • increasing role


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