Scientific Test and Analysis Techniques

Scientific Test and Analysis Techniques (STAT) Center of Excellence (COE)

Mission

The STAT COE provides independent STAT consultation to designated acquisition programs and special projects to improve Test and Evaluation (T&E) rigor, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Vision

Modernizing the culture of Test and Evaluation.

About

DASD (DT&E), predecessor to D,DTE&A, in collaboration with the Commander, Air Education and Training Command, established the OSD STAT Center of Excellence (COE) in April 2012 under the stewardship of the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). The COE attained Full Operational Capability in July 2012. See www.afit.edu/STAT/index.cfm for more information.

The STAT COE currently supports approximately 20 major defense acquisition programs. The COE’s recent work includes STAT T&E injections to:

Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD): Leading the effort to discover, expand, and implement digital engineering to optimize and to accelerate the test campaigns leading to Initial Operational Capability (IOC) while increasing the effectiveness, efficiency, and rigor of T&E events
Long-Range Stand Off (LRSO): Performed an in-depth assessment of the flight test matrix associated with a single separation and control test vehicle mission, resulting in over 100 test points to be executed in the single mission
Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM): Delivered analysis products to characterize the CIRCM system performance and demonstrate required system effectiveness
Next Generation Jammer (NGJ): Provided screening test designs to test advanced jamming techniques and continue to work on additional designs for follow-on testing

Current Special Projects include:

Advancements in T&E of Autonomous Systems – developing DTE&A guidebook in collaboration with a wide-range of government agencies, identifying the novel T&E challenges, and capturing best practices
Scientific Test and Analysis Techniques (STAT) applied to Automated Test & Analysis (SAAS) to include the Software Acquisition Pathway –STAT injection to Agile software development and DevSecOps pipelines to improve T&E outcomes
Applying STAT to Digital Engineering (DE)—Development of model readiness levels (MRLs) to assist with the challenges to curating Programs’ authoritative sources of truth

Significant Impacts/Accolades

$204M in Test Cost saved across 64 programs (2012-2022)
Navy Littoral Combat Ship: Called out as one of four best practices of 2018.

“Delivered a fully compliant test outcome, while simultaneously reducing the number of development test (DT) and operational test (OT) raid events. As a result, they avoided $16M in test costs, saved over 72 missiles and 25 surface targets… and achieved IOC… approximately 3 months earlier.” Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition (HON James “Hondo” Geurts)

Army CIRCM: “The support you've provided… has been priceless.” –Kirklin Williams, T&E Branch Chief, Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) PMO
Director, Operational Test and Evaluation: “Programs who engage with the STAT COE early have better structured test programs that will provide valuable information. The STAT COE has provided these programs with direct access to experts… which would otherwise have been unavailable.” 2016 Annual Report
Joint F-35 Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) Estimated test and program cost savings of at least $1.5M. Strategy prevented fleet grounding, eliminated need for follow-on flight tests, provided two additional tests, and shortened test time
Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) STAT infusion generated baseline case for risk in flight test; first of its kind inclusion of STAT requirements language in contracting documents to inform embedding STAT process into the upcoming Mission-Based Systems Engineering tools