How the Acquisition of AGM088E Military Equipment Has Been Managed through the Process of T&E - Coursework Example

Introduction: Cho and Pan define acquisition as an initiation, conceptualization, development, design, modification and disposal of defense weapons for purposes of satisfying the needs of the department of defense. These objects that are acquired by the department of defense are intended to support the various military missions that are carried out by the government. One of the major methods in which the department of defense makes an acquisition is through the use of the test and evaluation method. Kinsey (2012) explains that the main aim of the T & E acquisition system is to provide support in the acquisition and system development through acting as a feedback mechanism at the iterative systems of the engineering process. Furthermore, this system helps in developing and deploying military systems that are difficult to acquire. Cho and Pan (2014) argue that this system consists of three major activities, namely the acquisition of pre-systems, acquisition of the systems, and sustainment. One of the military facilities that have been acquired through the T&E acquisition method is the guided advanced anti-radiation missile, commonly abbreviated as AGM088E. This paper analyzes how the acquisition of this military equipment has been managed through the process of T&E. The AGM088E is an air to ground missile which has a medium range capability. This weapon was developed by Alliant Techsystems. The main function of this missile system is to target the air defense system of enemies, and destroy them. This missile system has the capability of engaging a relocatable integrated air defense target that are fitted with a shutdown capability. The AGM088E is a follow up project of the High Speed Anti-Radiation weapon (HARM) developed by the US Navy. This missile is the only tactical extended multi-role, supersonic strike weapon that is controlled by the US military, and the Italian army. As of September 2012, the US Navy gave ATK a contract that was worth $ 71 m for purposes of developing and producing these weapons. This weapon is mostly in use by the US marine, and the US Navy. The Acquisition Process: As noted earlier, the T& E acquisition method has three major activities, and these activities are pre system acquisition stage, system acquisition and its sustainment. The pre-system acquisition stage has two major components, namely the identification of the equipment or concept, and the development of the technology under consideration. Under this stage, there is a need of providing the description of the weapon under consideration, and outlining the capabilities of the weapon. For instance, while making the order, the US Navy was categorical that it needed a missile that has the capability of attacking, detecting and destroying a radar antenna with minimal input of the aircrew. Furthermore, this missile should have the capability of moving at a supersonic speed. This is the description of the technological weapon that identifies the AGM088E. Once this was identified, the department rolled out a contract to ATK, the defense contractors responsible for coming up with the technology under consideration. SCHOLAR explains that ATK was responsible for carrying out the evaluation of the software needed to develop this missile, and conducting the tests as to whether the missile was effective in meeting its objectives. The government also played a role in this acquisition process, and its major responsibility included monitoring, and technically assessing the contractor with the view of finding out whether the contractor has the capability of coming up with the technology under consideration. Kinsey (2012) further explains that the payment system of acquiring this missile was cyclical in nature. For example, the US Navy required 1,319.6 million dollars for this acquisition program. However, this money was paid by the department of defense in a period of 85 months, as of the year 2003, and after 104 months as of the year 2011. This was a 22.4% change in cycle time. As of June 2003, ATK was able to receive a down payment of 223 million dollars from the US Navy. Furthermore, in developing this defense system, the Department of Defense of the US, and the Italian defense ministry entered into a joint agreement for the development of this missile. This took place in the month of November 2005. As of July 2007, ATK signed a memorandum of understanding with the German defense ministry, and it began evaluating on how the Germans could be incorporated in developing the missile under consideration. As of the year 2008, the missile received the Milestone C approval rate, which is always granted when a defense contractor is responsible for developing a low rate initial product. Stage 2 of the T & E acquisition program began in the year 2009, and this is when there the operation test and evaluation of the missile began. The stage 2 of the T& E is referred to as the system acquisition, and it consists of two major activities, that is the development and demonstration of the system and the second part is the production and deployment of the system. Demonstration focuses on the testing and evaluation of the missile under consideration. As noted earlier, the testing and evaluation of AGM088E began in 2009, and the US Navy stopped this activity in the month of September 2010. This is because issues dealing with software application led to the failure of the missile. The software and hardware problems that were found during the testing and evaluation phase were improved during the developmental training activity. The conclusion of this activity happened in July 2011. It is during this period of time that the Navy began conducting the operational tests for the missile, managing to complete 40% of the operational tests. This amounted to approximately 150 hours of the operational time for the missile. During this period, the US Navy was able to fire about four AGM088E missiles at an hypothetical threat. This helped to check the reliability, maturity and effectiveness of the system. From these tests, the US Navy was able to find out that the software and hardware failures that made the missile effective in the first phase of the testing were improved, and the system was now effective. In as much as the second test proved to be successful, the US Navy was still concerned about the quality of the missiles that were under the acquisition program. Schwartz (2009) explains that the AARGM program had a stable design and a mature technology that the US Navy could rely on. However, the T & E programs that occurred in the years 2009, and 2010 was able to indicate that the millimeter wave sensors, the major technology for the acquisition program was able to create a great risk on the reliability and effectiveness of the missiles. On this basis, the design of the missiles remained constant, while the expected designs of the drawings continued to increase from the beginning of its development, to the end of its production. Based on these facts, the department of defense denoted that the acquisition program was able to experience some quality problems as early as the year 2008. However, Kinsey (2012) explains that at this time, the production process for the manufacture and acquisition of the missiles was still immature. Since this period of time, Schwartz (2009) further argues that the production and the manufacture of the missiles experienced a multiple periods of production delays, and a variety of problems in the operational test failure. As noted earlier, these were brought about by the hardware and software failures. The major reason as to why the hardware failure occurred is the use of many sub-contractors, which led to the development of below standard missile parts. Furthermore, Schwartz (2009) explains that the major contractor of this program encountered problems with people who were responsible for supplying them. The final stage of the T & E acquisition program is the operations and support stage. At this stage, the Army or Navy is involved in a series of supporting or operating the system after it has been acquired. The Navy is involves in operational procedures and evaluations that includes control of the missile, for the main purpose of identifying the quality of the missiles under consideration. These procedures and evaluations involve carrying out a routine test on the missiles, with the main purpose of identifying their defects, and effectiveness. These flight tests normally take a period of three hours. Kinsey (2012) believes that there is a need of increasing these periodic flight tests from three to six hours, as this is a sufficient time in managing to effectively check the condition and the quality of the missiles. In carrying out these routine tests, SCHOLAR explains that the missile is able to receive tactical intelligence information, by the use of an embedded integrated receiver broadcast system (IBS-R). This helps the missile in its movement towards the target enemy. Conclusion: In conclusion, this missile has been produced with the latest software, giving it the capability to counter the radar shutdown, and passive radar by the use of a millimeter wave seeker. The Navy was able to demonstrate the capability of this missile through an operational test that was conducted in the spring of the year 2012, and this is by firing 12 missiles. Based on successful testing of these missiles, the Navy was able to authorize a full scale production of these missiles, acquiring 72 missiles in the years 2012, and their delivery date was 2013. References: Cho, Y., & Pan, J. (2014). Hybrid Network Defense Model Based on Fuzzy Evaluation. The Scientific World Journal, 2014, 1-12. Kinsey, C. (2012). Contractors and war the transformation of US expeditionary operations. Stanford, California: Stanford Security Studies, an imprint of Stanford University Press. Schwartz, M. (2009). Department of Defense contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan background and analysis. 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