Using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment to meet joint service requirements

This paper offers guidance in utilizing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics hardware to meet critical requirements of the joint services. The common munitions BIT/reprogramming equipment (CMBRE) program utilized COTS hardware to initiate BIT and reprogram smart munitions in the extreme environments of the Air Force/Navy flight lines. The CMBRE program benefited from the use of COTS in many areas such as cost, schedule and performance. This paper provides a contractor´s view of how to successfully utilize COTS hardware and share in the benefits COTS provides