Operational Test and Evaluation
Operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) is the formal process of testing new weapons, combat systems and capabilities, tactics, and procedures in realistic operational conditions for the purpose of evaluating their effectiveness, suitability, and survivability while executing the intended mission. This critical process can be viewed as the final gate in a system acquisition process intended to insure that the warfighter receives the capability that was intended and that it enhances the warfighter’s mission effectiveness.
Executing the OT&E process effectively demands the convergence of a spectrum of capabilities, experience, and knowledge to include:
- Understanding of the operational environment and concept of operations,
- Technical understanding of the system or capability being tested; its capabilities and limitations,
- Test design,
- Operations and data analysis techniques and tools, and
- Need for unbiased, scientific rigor in all aspects of the process.
For engineers and scientists engaged in the OT&E process, it represents an exciting opportunity to apply hard-earned technical disciplines, to interact with the organizations that develop the systems and with the operators that will use them in the field, to participate in the field testing wherever it might occur at home and abroad, and to have the satisfaction of participating in the delivery of new capabilities to our military and intelligence services.
Our corporate capabilities for OT&E are derived from past and current work in support of Department of Defense, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Intelligence Community systems and capabilities. The projects have involved a diverse range of technologies and operational conditions: collection systems for the Intelligence Community, ground combat and CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) systems for the Marine Corps, shipboard systems for the Navy, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for the Department of Defense. Most of our people who work these projects have advanced degrees in the engineering and scientific disciplines and experience in operations analysis.