A Framework for Improved Automated Test and Costwise Life-Cycle Support

Migration of the Department of Defense (DoD) toward net-centric warfare makes information transfer and sharing available to various application users. The concepts of net-centric warfare applied to autonomic logistics and streamlined maintenance implies increased operational effectiveness with lower life-cycle costs and reduced manning. A unified diagnostic framework that defines standards for data representation and services for reusability of support data across all levels of maintenance enhances this technology. It would also eliminates an environment that manifests as a continued expanding of dedicated test equipment, incomprehensible and unusable data, and ever increasing manpower and training requirements. This paper presents use cases and example applications that demonstrate a realization of greater interoperability and weapon/repair system effectiveness through automated data processing and knowledge sharing enabled by standardized data streams and information services. The maintenance process begins with available onboard data sources, followed by repair processes through all maintenance levels, and lessons learned from life-cycle tracking to affect positive change in emerging and evolving systems. The emerging framework for automated test systems is examined as a vehicle to sustain and advance future support systems.