Building Effective Systems: A Short Course on Live Fire Test & Evaluation (LFT&E)

Course Description:

Taught by a seasoned professional with up-to-date knowledge, this three-day intensive course consists of a multi-faceted look at the legislation, directives, requirements, preparation, and execution of Live Fire Testing, a statutory requirement for most major defense acquisition programs since 1987. Discussions cover the history of LFT&E legislation, the Joint Live Fire Program, LFT&E candidacy, and preparation of Live Fire Test Plans and Detailed Test Plans in the context of the Test and Evaluation Master Plans. Also covered is the role of modeling and simulation in LFT&E, including pretest predictions and test assessment. Congressional and DoD reporting requirements and the role of the LFT&E waiver from full-up system-level testing (including its purpose, implementation, and historical precedents) are discussed, as is the role of Battle Damage and Repair in LFT&E, test article realism, and LFT&E test facilities.

Heavy emphasis is placed on LFT&E lessons learned and common misunderstandings regarding LFT&E program execution. The course includes lectures, photos, video clips of LFT&E events, hardware exhibits, group discussions, and individual and group exercises. Also included is an actual case study for class groups to practically apply what has been presented. There will also be ample time for addressing student questions, and each student will receive a notebook of presentation material, excerpts from selected publications, and a certificate of completion.

LFT&E Course Topics:

• Introduction & LFT&E Origins
• Joint Live Fire Charter & Mission
• LFT & JLF Key Events
• LFT&E Legislative History
• LFT&E Objectives
• LFT&E System Reports
• LFT&E Oversight Structure
• DOT&E LFT&E Roles
• User Casualties
• Definitions of Terms
• LFT&E Waiver
• Threat Definition
• LFT Oversight List
• COTS / NDI Systems
• LFT&E Test Planning
• LFT&E Targets
• Battle Damage & Repair
• Full-Up System-Level LFT&E
• Benefits to Military & Civilian Platforms
• OSD/Service Interaction
• Modeling and Simulation in LFT&E
• Systems of Systems/Interoperability
• Special Topic
• Cascading Damage Mechanisms
• Risk/Benefit of LFT&E
• LFT&E Funding
• Management of LFT&E
• MBO in LFT&E
• Keys to Effective LFT&E
• LFT Best Business Practices
• Acquisition Reform/SBA
• Lessons Learned: Land
• Lessons Learned: Air
• Emerging Air Threat
• Aircraft BDAR
• Aircraft User Casualties
• Stealth vs. Vulnerability Reduction
• Lessons Learned: Sea
• Lessons Learned: Lethality
• JTCG/ME, JASPO
• DOT&E Initiatives
• Live Fire Testing & Training
• LFT&E Test Facilities
• LFT&E Misperceptions
• Case Study
• New Technology, New Threats

Who should attend?

The course is designed to provide information regarding LFT&E requirements and conduct to military and civilian personnel involved in defense acquisition and program managers and contractors involved in weapon system design. The course will also benefit those conducting and overseeing T&E and funding of acquisition programs, as well as those assessing the vulnerability, lethality, and survivability of defense programs; executives, managers, and analysts responsible for T&E by government agencies; engineering centers, R&D labs; industry; academia; and test facility managers.

About the instructor

Jim O'Bryon has been involved with DoD testing for over 35 years. He has a BS in math from The King’s College, an MS in OR/SA from George Washington University, and an MS in electrical engineering from MIT. His experience includes aeroballistics and weapons effects at the Ballistic Research Laboratory, the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity (where he served as Chief of the Survivability Branch), and the JTCG/ME Office. From 1986 to 2001, Jim served in senior positions at OSD, including Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of Defense/Live Fire Testing; Director, Live Fire Testing; Director, Weapon Systems Assessment; and Deputy Director, OT&E/Live Fire Testing. He has testified before Congress on several occasions and authored numerous technical publications and over 70 open-literature articles on T&E, survivability, M&S, and related topics. Currently, Jim serves as Chairman, NDIA T&E Division, and is a Distinguished Lecturer at DAU, ICAF, DSAM, the University of Texas, and the Naval Postgraduate School. He is also a consultant to DoD, DHS and several private firms.

Registration

Restrictions: Unclassified, U.S. Citizens Only

Class Size: To encourage discussion and student interaction, class size will be limited. So register early.

Payment Terms: A check or purchase order, payable to SURVICE Engineering, is required at the time of registration. Credit card payment (Visa or MasterCard) is also acceptable.

Cancellation: Payment is non-refundable for failure to attend without notification at least 5 work days prior to the start of the course. Substitutions are permitted without loss of fee.

Confirmation: Your course registration will be confirmed after receipt or guarantee of payment. Please contact us if you have not received confirmation within 5 working days following payment of course tuition.

Course Materials

Attendees will receive notebooks containing all presented briefing charts. Other related issue papers will also be shared.

Certificates of Completion

Attendees will receive a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the course.