Introduction
The 27th Annual National Test & Evaluation Conference is sponsored by the NDIA Test & Evaluation Division and supported by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (AT&L) and the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). Cosponsors of this symposium are the C4ISR Division and Systems Engineering Divisions of NDIA.
Test and Evaluation is often looked at by Program Managers, Program Executive Officers and other proponents of weapon systems as an unwelcome obstacle to the deployment of systems to the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. T&E is often seen as a source of bad news which can potentially delay the deployment of these systems and add to their eventual cost.
Most engineers, technicians and program administrators recognize that test and evaluation is an integral part of the scientific method of systematically assessing the effectiveness, suitability and survivability of hardware, software and personnel.
This national conference will focus on policies, methods, and approaches that could better serve the ultimate consumer of our T&E efforts, the Warfighter. Given that Tampa is the home of both the U.S. Special Operations Command and the U.S. Central Command, it will provide a fertile opportunity to see and hear first-hand about how T&E could better serve our fighting forces.
With the recent combat surge into Afghanistan and change in our operational support in Iraq, it is vital that we take note of the recent lessons learned in both rapid deployment as well as tailoring our responses to the changing environments and tactics our fighting forces are now facing.
Increasing fiscal pressures also prompt us to address T&E approaches to saving time and money as well as to examine those other disciplines which feed the T&E activity, including Systems Engineering, Logistics, C4ISR, and R&D and Training.
Recent policy initiatives will also be addressed as to their implications, applications and effectiveness. Discussions will include how the recent legislative initiatives requiring additional T&E statutory responsibilities for Developmental Test and Evaluation are being implemented. Multiple topic tracks and tutorial sessions will be included in the conference to enable more focused discussions of specific topics enabling additional time for Q&A as well.