Necessary DoD Range Capabilities to Ensure Operational Superiority of U.S. Defense Systems

Rigorous operational testing (OT) of weapon systems procured by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is fundamental to ensuring that these sophisticated systems not only meet their stated requirements, but also perform under realistic operational conditions when faced by determined adversaries employing their own highly capable offensive and defensive weaponry. DoD's test and training range enterprise provides the geography, infrastructure, technology, expertise, processes, and management that make safe, secure, and comprehensive OT possible. The challenges facing the nation's range infrastructure are both increasing and accelerating. Limited test capacity in physical resources and workforce, the age of test infrastructure, the capability to test advanced technologies, and encroachment impact the ability to inform system performance, integrated system performance and the overall pace of testing. Necessary DoD Range Capabilities to Ensure Operational Superiority of U.S. Defense Systems assesses the physical and technical suitability of DoD test and evaluation ranges, infrastructure, and tools for determining the operational effectiveness, suitability, survivability, and lethality of military systems. This report explores modernization, sustainment, operations, and resource challenges for test and evaluation ranges, and makes recommendations to put the DoD range enterprise on a modernization trajectory to meet the needs of OT in the years ahead. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 An Envisioned Future of Operational Test and Evaluation 3 Testing for Future Combat: Multi-Domain Operations, Connected Concurrent Kill Chains, and Mitigating Encroachment 4 Digital Infrastructure Needs for Operational Testing 5 Speed-to-Field: Restructuring the Requirements and Resources Processes for DoD Test Ranges 6 Conclusion and Summary of Recommendations by Actor Appendixes Appendix A: Statement of Task and Completion Matrix Appendix B: Site Visit Summaries Appendix C: Committee Member Biographies Appendix D: Disclosure of Unavoidable Conflicts of Interest Appendix E: Abbreviations and Acronyms