Aircraft Capability Round Up
The most significant transformation of the Air Force’s equipment and capability since the 1960s has been underway for some time.
As always, acquisition of new systems has seen some schedule slippage. In complex defence projects, this is not unexpected. Given the scale of our resources set against the challenges the projects represent, New Zealand’s performance in acquiring air systems when set against that of some of its better-resourced friends and allies engaged in the same business, is highly respectable.
The purpose of this capability ‘round up’ is to let you know how we are progressing as we move from the Introduction into Service Planning Phase, to the all important Implementation Phase, explain the importance of Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) to this process and provide you with insight as to how Air Force Capability will be developed and delivered beyond the current ‘transition surge’.
Preparing for Future Capability
As the Introduction into Service teams have generally ‘wrapped up’ the planning for the introduction of the fixed wing systems into operational service, the teams have moved to the Implementation Phase of their business.
This has been an opportune time to re-evaluate the way we do the ‘capability business’ from ‘Concept to Capability’.
Accordingly, back in November 2007, the Air Force Leadership Board approved a transition plan to allow the Air Staff Capability Directorate to re-structure to deliver future capability beyond the current ‘bow wave’ of major equipments. This structural transition is well underway and will be complete by 31 March 2008.
The elements of capability are defined in NZDF doctrine as the ability to: Command and Inform; Prepare (for operations); Project (air power); Protect (our assets); and Operate and Sustain (our effort). This is known by the acronym CIPPPOS. The shape and size of the new Capability Directorate will give it the ability to deal with the full spectrum of capability across the CIPPPOS spectrum. Key enablers are to take an integrated approach to Major, Minor and Discretionary Projects through a single Capability Roadmap; the setting up of a Battlelab at Auckland to experiment and innovate; and the growth of project management and systems expertise in the Capability centre of excellence.
By this means, the delivery of effective air platform protection, fixed wing night capability, flexible, modern air to surface weapons and effective data streaming systems can be properly addressed, in a whole of capability manner.
The Importance of Operational Test and Evaluation
Managing the information required for new systems is an extremely important part of introducing new capabilities into service. Some of you may recall the well publicised saga of the Tornado F2 fighter entry into RAF service a few years before ‘Gulf War 1’. It was delivered to the front line ‘on schedule’ to ensure that the much heralded delivery date was met and that a ‘NATO declaration date’ was achieved. Unfortunately, some of the aircraft delivered had concrete ballast in the aircraft nose, as radar development and production had fallen behind the rest of the project. This was seized upon by the Press, who dubbed the radar the ‘Blue Circle’ radar after a well known concrete manufacturer.
The RNZAF is but a short time away from receiving the first of its upgraded systems back from MoD contract. All of the fixed wing aircraft upgrades are unique, with the RNZAF being the first military customer and operator of the type. While this presents issues of its own, a major challenge is understanding what each of the systems can actually do in the operational environment, against what we expect and need it to do.
This is why investment in OT&E of the systems is of critical importance. There are no ‘operators’ manuals’ being delivered to us with tactics and techniques telling us how to use the systems to best advantage and avoid the weakest areas of performance. We have to find this out for ourselves, whether this be to determine the best ‘turn-round’ method and time in which to re-role the B757 from freight to Aeromedical fit, or providing vital P-3K2 information at the right time, in the right format, to the right people, in support of national surveillance tasks.
All of this will require in-depth ‘characterisation’ of the systems and how they interact with one another and with external systems. Add to this the complexity of the human/machine interface (commonly referred to as HMI) and the altered dynamics of crew interactions, as well as increased volumes of information, presented in different formats, and the scale of the challenge starts to become apparent.
Turning to the moral of the ‘Blue Circle’ radar story, there is little point in delivering an immature piece of equipment ‘on cost and on schedule’ if there is no resultant capability. All parts of the cost/schedule/capability equation need to be balanced and a system with the appropriate level of maturity needs to be taken into OT&E. However hard an acquisition system tries, no new system is ever close to operational perfection and systems must mature in service. In the case of the RNZAF, we need to conduct OT&E to understand if the system is fit for the operational environment. We then need to offset any shortfalls through appropriate risk management (modified tactics for example) and play to our strengths.
CAF has recently authorised the use of a bounded Operational Evaluation (Opeval) process to evaluate the new systems at the end of OT&E and fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of our new platforms and their support. For the introduction of our new capabilities, we are going to be under the spotlight. All of us need to be aware of the vital power of information to increase knowledge and to build (or erode) reputations.