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Archive for the ‘PEO-Soldier’ Category

US Army Begins Fielding Next Generation Squad Weapons

Thursday, September 21st, 2023

Having recently completed Production Qualification Testing of the XM7 Rifle and XM250 Automatic Rifle, the US Army has begun issuing the first of the Next Generation Weapon System to 2nd Bde, 101st Airborne Division. Of note, the famed 101st was also the first unit to receive the M17 Modular Handgun System.

The capability

Manufactured by SIG SAUER, the NGSW consists of the two weapons along with a new hybrid cartridge in 6.8x51mm. These new weapons are being referred to by the Army as the, “most lethal small arms capability in the world” and are intended to replace the M4A1 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, and 5.56mm family of ammunition. But not every Soldier is getting these new weapons. They are reserved for the Close Combat Force which consists of Infantry and Cavalry Scouts as well as select Combat Engineers and enablers. All told, the Army aims to field around 100,000 XM7s and 20,000 XM250s.

XM7 Rifle

XM250 Automatic Rifle

6.8mm Family of Ammunition

The Common Cartridge Family of Ammunition has similar performance to the commercially available .270 Win Short Mag cartridge and consists of the XM1186 GP ammo along with reduced range, blank, tracer, and a marking round for force-on-force training.

XM157 Fire Control

To further enhance lethality, NGSW is paired with a new Fire Control System manufactured by Vortex Optics. It integrates a number of advanced technologies including a variable magnification optic, backup etched reticle, laser rangefinder, ballistic calculator, atmospheric sensor suite, compass, Intra-Soldier Wireless, visible and infrared aiming lasers, and a digital display overlay.

The NGSW-FC is the planned replacement for the Close Combat Optic, Rifle Combat Optic, and Machine Gun Optic within the Close Combat Force.

It is important to note that the Army’s position is that Fire Control doesn’t replace training but enhances the fundamentals.

For those of you wondering, the XM157 uses two CR132 batteries and the life is 250 hours on the low setting.

Additionally, the Army has conducted integration testing between the XM157 and Integrated Visual Augmentation System in each iteration, including IVAS 1.2 which is currently in testing.

The team

To field NGSW, the Army has assembled a team of teams which include PEO Soldier, JPEO Ammunition, Close Combat Cross Functional Team and Army Test and Evaluation Command.

The road to the selection of a NGSW system was started about six years ago with a short lived quest for an Interim Combat Service Rifle in 7.62 NATO which quickly morphed into the search for 6.8mm weapons which resulted in contract award in April 2022.

SAAC Study

The Small Arms Ammunition Configuration study was published 26 June 2017 and several conclusions informed the requirement for NGSW.

They are:

-Caliber doesn’t matter

–Secondary performance driver

-Ballistic energy on target does matter

-Advanced bullet tech matters

-Fire control matters

-Aim error reduction has largest impact on performance

–Advanced fire control reduces aim error in lieu of extensive shooter experience /ability or significant training

The path ahead

On 25 Sep 2023 the A Co, 2-502nd, will go through New Equipment Training followed by a demonstration of the new capabilities of NGSW brings to the table.

Beginning 10 Oct 2023, the unit will participate in a Limited User Test which will examine Soldier mobility (timed) with both the new weapons as well as legacy systems. They will also evaluate overall system performance, how Soldiers interact with the new weapons, and how they feel about them. The NGSW team will also begin to consider how they may transform TTPs.

Additionally, a squad from the Ranger Regiment will join the members of the 101st in the LUT to gain SOF insight into the weapons.

In the coming months is environmental testing including desert, jungle and arctic and an Operational Assessment will be conducted 1st qtr 2025. This is an event designed to determine how Soldiers will fight with the new capability.

The Army plans for the 1st Bde, 101st to be the first unit equipped in 2nd Qtr, FY24, likely in March.

Turning cover into concealment

During a visit earlier today to Aberdeen Army Test Center, PM SL representatives demonstrated that the 6.8mm round will defeat cinder blocks used in the construction of buildings around the world and a barrier which the 5.56 cartridge fired by the M249 SAW will not penetrate through and through. This new capability is a huge advantage for those fighting in built up areas and against trench and bunker complexes.

As LTC Micah Rue, Product Manager Soldier Weapons, PEO Soldier put it, “NGSW turns cover into concealment.”

Ammunition production

Currently, the Army is manufacturing the 3-piece GP projectile which is based on Enhanced Performance Round technology and SIG is producing the cartridges at their factory in Arkansas.

Lake City Army Ammunition Plant will establish an interim capability in 2024 and transition to an enduring capability in 2026. All the while, SIG SAUER will continue to produce ammunition, pursuant to their contract.

The Elephant In The Room

If there’s a common criticism of the XM7 it’s the weight. Weight is certainly an issue for the Soldier and there is some good news and some not so good news when it comes to NGSW.

The raw data when comparing an M4A1 with Close Combat Optic to an XM7 fitted with the XM157 NGSW Fire Control System and suppressor sees the XM7 at three pounds heavier. However, that would be comparing apples to oranges. With the XM7 the Soldier is not only getting an Infantry Rifle capable of firing a more lethal projectile, but also a suppressor and an advanced optic which greatly increases the ability to hit targets, particularly out past 300 meters.

On the other hand, the great news with the XM250 is that it is 2.7 pounds lighter than the M249 SAW it replaces, both with 100 round belts in place. The Soldier is also getting a suppressor with the XM250 and that same 6.8mm round which will defeat cinder blocks at ranges exceeding 300 meters.

Constant improvement

As a completely new capability the program has faced some engineering challenges including toxic fumes, reliability and dispersion. However, the PM has worked with industry to quickly solve these problems and keep the program on track.

Other changes have been made to the weapons to enhance their performance. For example, SIG added an additional feed pawl to the feed tray cover which makes it easier to load a belt without lifting the cover. They also removed the forward assist from production versions of the XM7 to reduce the weight of an unneeded feature.

This is happening

NGSW is an Army modernization priority as they push forward with their fielding plan. Although there are still several events between now and First Unit Equipped, it is only six months away. This program is moving very quickly and will transform the squad in ways we are not even aware of yet.

All images and charts provided by PEO Soldier.

Army Accepts Prototypes of the Most Advanced Version of IVAS

Friday, August 4th, 2023

This week, the Army accepted delivery of the first 20 prototypes of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) 1.2 variant. The milestone is the latest step in the process of getting the most advanced version of the situational awareness system in the hands of Soldiers.

Microsoft delivered the 20 prototypes to Project Manager Soldier Warrior (PM SWAR), the program office within Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier responsible for overseeing the development of IVAS.

IVAS is a single platform that features an all-weather fighting goggle and a mixed reality heads-up display that integrates next-generation situational awareness tools and high-resolution simulations to provide Soldiers with improved mobility and lethality, during the day or at night. IVAS provides Soldiers with a single device to fight, rehearse and train.

“This is a really big deal for the program,” said Col. Anthony Gibbs, PM SWAR. “A little over a year ago we did an operational test with version 1.0 of the system. We learned a lot. We got a lot of good Soldier feedback. So last summer we came back and restructured the program. We took those lessons learned and all that Soldier feedback and in less than a year have what we now call version 1.2 of the system.”

Soldiers and squads will use IVAS to gain a fuller understanding of their operational environment. Its enhanced low-light and thermal sensors improve target identification. IVAS integrates with ground and air platform sensors, allowing Soldiers to see outside vehicles before dismounting into a hazardous situation. IVAS provides 3D mapping and navigation capabilities and can ingest data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

“[IVAS] complements what’s currently in the Army’s inventory while expanding close combat force capabilities by leveraging the digital architecture for shared awareness and computing at the edge,” said Lt. Col. Denny Dresch, Product Manager IVAS. “IVAS provides a first-person augmented reality perspective that enables the integrating of operational data such as routes and control measures into the person’s field of view.”

The system’s embedded training tool, the Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer (SiVT), also provides Soldiers objective-based scenarios and battle drills through holographic and mixed-reality imagery, giving units the flexibility to train their squads with minimal resources.

IVAS 1.2 builds and improves on the capabilities of previous versions of IVAS (IVAS 1.0 and IVAS 1.1). Specifically, IVAS 1.2 incorporates reliability upgrades, features an improved low-light sensor and introduces a new form factor with a lower profile heads-up display (HUD) with a distributed counterweight for improved user interface and comfort.

IVAS 1.2 also has the capability to attach to a combat helmet with a “hinged” device to allow Soldiers to raise and lower the display, similar to traditional night vision goggles.

IVAS 1.0 and IVAS 1.1 will primarily be issued to schoolhouses and operational units for use in training to support the Army’s Campaign of Learning. The close combat force will receive IVAS 1.2.

“Anybody who has had IVAS on, even the early versions, knows that this is a transformative capability and really has the potential to change the way that we fight,” said Gibbs. “This new version, 1.2, we think it’s really going to hit the mark in terms of what we need to put out there for our Soldiers to give them the situational awareness and the leap-ahead capability they need to stay ahead of our peers.”

The 20 prototypes will be featured at a User Assessment in August, during which two squads of Soldiers will use IVAS 1.2 to measure the system’s performance and ensure engineering efforts are on schedule and meeting design objectives.

Story by Frederick Shear, PEO Soldier

In Memoriam – MG Anthony Potts

Sunday, July 30th, 2023

We are saddened to report that MG Anthony “Tony” Potts, was the only fatality of a single engine plane crash last week in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Commissioning in the Aviation branch in 1986, general Potts was a Master Army Aviator having flown the AH64 Apache helicopter. During his service in the Acquisition Corps he held several posts including four years as Program Executive Officer Soldier where he oversaw multiple initiatives including the Next Generation Squad Weapons program.

Most recently, MG Potts served as Program Executive Office Command, Control & Communications-Tactical and was planning to retire soon.

General Potts will be greatly missed by his colleagues, friends and family.

May He Rest In Peace.

The Field of the Future: PEO Soldier Demos New Equipment at 25th ID

Saturday, July 15th, 2023

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – The 25th Infantry Division hosted a Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier portfolio overview/demo town hall and operational kit analysis overview, July 11-13, 2023.

The two-part multiday event was held for PEO Soldier to gather holistic data and receive feedback from Soldiers about innovative solutions and for 25th Inf. Div. Soldiers to gain a better understanding of products that are being developed and fielded to the force.

PEO Soldier is one of the Army’s leading producers of capabilities such as body armor, helmets, legacy weapon systems, sensors and lasers.

“We’re the acquisition organization that deals with everything the individual Soldier wears, shoots and uses,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Daniel Rose, the PEO Soldier sergeant major. “What we’re doing is making sure Army Soldiers have overmatch over the enemy by increasing capabilities, lethality, situational awareness and protective equipment.”

During the analysis, PEO Soldier representatives gathered equipment inventories, conducted targeted questionnaires and interviews, and received Soldier feedback, while during the demo, 25th Inf. Div. leaders and Soldiers gained insight and were provided a firsthand look at future technology and equipment set to be implemented within the Army.

“It was a great feeling to pick up and grab the new systems and gear that I can potentially use in the future,” said U.S. Army Pvt. Jeremiah James, an indirect fire infantryman assigned to 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Inf. Div. “I think it improves unit morale and sparks excitement amongst Soldiers, especially infantrymen, when we have something cool to look forward to learning and using.”

Throughout the demo, PEO Soldier showcased an array of updated equipment, to include the Next-Generation Squad Weapon (NSGW) rifle and automatic rifle, the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) headset, the new integrated head protection system, and the Aircrew Combat Equipment (ACE) vest — one that 25th Inf. Div. Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers are currently the only Army unit to train with.

“It’s good to see that the Army is constantly improving our equipment, and that PEO Soldier is here to help us as jungle Soldiers,” said James. “Hopefully, PEO Soldier continues the demo, so we can always have a vision of what’s to come in the future.”

The Operational Kit Analysis portion consisted of Soldiers from both the 2nd and 3rd IBCT’s conducting a squad-level organizational clothing and individual equipment (OCIE) layout, where PEO Soldier examined what equipment 25th Inf. Div. Soldiers would bring into a 72-hour jungle operational environment.

“As we look to build the Soldier of 2030 and 2040, we’re here trying to collect information on what the current jungle Soldier looks like and what they may need,” said Rose. “Operational testing is super important to us. We want to make sure we’re informing the Soldiers and leaders of how important those touch points within the organization are, and how valuable it’ll be for them to have overmatch on the battlefield in the future.”

The nine-Soldier squads from each brigade completed an observational day of layouts, and also had the opportunity to speak with PEO Soldier representatives one-on-one about their thoughts on current equipment, and what may be needed in the future.

“I’m definitely happy that [PEO Soldier] is coming straight to the Soldiers using the equipment and asking us what it’s like,” said U.S. Army Spc. Carson Frantz, an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd IBCT, 25th Inf. Div. “It’s important to get feedback from us. I hope they continue the analysis because there’s always going to be new weapon systems, new problems, and different environments, so making the equipment better makes the Soldier better.”

Story by SGT Alvin Conley, 25th Infantry Division

New Logo for Program Manager Soldier Warrior

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

The latest version of the Program Manager Soldier Warrior (PM SWAR) features an XM7 rifle outfitted with the XM157 Next Generation Fire Control System and an Integrated Visual Augmentation System ver 1.2, depicting the Army’s newest system for the individual Soldier.

Project Manager Soldier Warrior is part of Program Executive Office Soldier and is comprised of Product Manager Integrated Visual Augmentation System, Product Manager Soldier Precision Targeting Devices and Product Manager Soldier Maneuver Sensors.

PEO Soldier Assumes Responsibility for Lethal Unmanned Systems Directed Requirement, Initiates Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) Program

Saturday, July 8th, 2023

Fort Belvoir, Va  –  

Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier assumed responsibility of the Lethal Unmanned Systems directed requirement on May 4, 2023, and initiated the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program under Project Manager Soldier Warrior and Product Manager Soldier Precision Targeting Devices. PEO Soldier is currently using an urgent capability acquisition pathway to rapidly deliver this capability to the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT).

In addition, PEO Soldier’s teammates at the Maneuver Capability Development and Integration Directorate (MCDID) at Fort Moore are actively developing the enduring requirement to support a future program of record.

LASSO is a man-portable, tube launched, lethal payload munition, unmanned aerial system. It includes electrical optical /infrared sensor, precision flight control, and the ability to fly, track and engage non-line-of-sight targets and armored vehicles with precision lethal fires. LASSO currently consists of three modules: the launch tube, unmanned aerial system, and fire control station.

“We’re really excited to partner with industry and bring this capability to our IBCTs,” said Maj. John Dibble, Assistant Product Manager for LASSO. “This anti-tank capability is a key contributor to our efforts to increase the lethality of the Army of 2030’s IBCT and maintain overmatch against our near-peer threats.”

By Jason Amadi

Project Manager Soldier Warrior’s Vuille Reflects on Career as a Quality Assurance Professional

Thursday, June 8th, 2023

Fort Belvoir, Va –

For over four decades, Alison Vuille has helped direct the quality assurance process for the Army’s sensors, goggles, night vision devices and numerous other platforms and programs. Vuille has spent the last two decades improving the PEO Soldier portfolio. She currently leads the Quality Assurance section of the Project Manager Soldier Warrior (PM SWAR) Quality Assurance-Test Directorate. In recent years, she helped refine the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binocular (ENVG-B), Joint Effects Targeting System (JETS) and the Family of Weapons Sights (FWS) as these products moved through development, production, testing, and fielding.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Vuille performed quality assurance on sensors, night vision goggles, and night sights mounted on tanks during her tenure at then-Night Vision Lab and Project Manager Night Vision Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition and served as a liaison between Army Communications-Electronics Command Research and Development Center (CECOM RDEC), the Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts and Project Manager Soldier.

After PEO Soldier stood up in 2002 and absorbed many of the Army’s Soldier sensor programs, Vuille transitioned into the command shortly after, providing her expertise on the development of products and equipment that were in high demand, due to the Army’s increased operational tempo overseas in support of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.

Vuille, who retired as a full-time government civilian in 2022, was brought back to PM SWAR to helped ensure continuity after Project Manager Soldier Maneuver and Precision Targeting (PM SMPT) merged into the then-Project Manager Integrated Visual Augmentation System (PM IVAS, now PM SWAR) during PEO Soldier’s reorganization in the summer of 2022. 

PM SWAR’s leadership recognizes Vuille’s significant contributions to the development of improved products and equipment for the force. 

“Alison is the cornerstone of our quality and test programs here at Project Manager Soldier Warrior,” said SWAR Deputy Project Manager Mark Stephens. “Our products delivered to Soldiers are directly tied to her 40 years of experience.  She built our testing and quality standards based on MIL STD [Military Standard] 810 and is our zealot for accepting a quality product. Her Quality Assurance mentoring both to government and industry partners made our defense industry stronger.”

Currently Vuille is focused on updating SWAR’s quality/test orientation training and the Quality Assurance Standard Operating Procedure, as well as internal training programs.

Vuille shared her thoughts about her experiences as a quality assurance professional and why quality assurance is essential to developing better equipment for the force by answering a few questions.

—-

Q. What is Quality Assurance? 

A. Quality can be defined as the degree to which the products we buy for Soldiers satisfies the user and specification requirements, as well as customer expectations. My definition of Quality Assurance is the process by which we ensure a high-quality product.

Q. What is the origin of Quality Assurance?

A. While the origins of Quality could be traced back to the formation of craftsmen guilds in medieval times, it became more important during the industrial revolution, and continuing through World War II. The factory environment created a much greater need for quality concepts, principles, and tools in order for manufacturers to build high quality products and be competitive. Throughout the 20th century, pioneers such as Deming and Juran promoted quality concepts, analysis, and implementation. Employment of quality practices are the reason Japanese cars became dominant in the automotive marketplace, and eventually US manufacturers followed suit. You might remember the term Total Quality Management, which was fully embraced as an overarching principle within the federal government, and after that Lean Six Sigma came in focus. An international standard for Quality, ISO 9001, was established in the latter part of the 20th century, and many manufacturing companies are certified to this standard.

Q. How did you learn about Quality, Reliability, and Testing?

A. The Army used to have an intern training center at Red River Army Depot for Quality and Reliability Engineering. I was recruited from the university I attended and spent one year covering a wide variety of associated subjects, followed by on-the-job training at the Aviation School. After transferring to the Night Vision Lab, I also took a number of technical training courses in reliability testing, environmental testing, environmental stress screening, ISO 9001 quality management, parts screening, sensor technical training, and many others, as well as courses at Defense Acquisition University.

Q. Why do you implement Quality Assurance in Army Acquisition?

A. The Army has a regulation regarding Quality, AR 702-11, and it is actually a requirement to implement Quality in Army Acquisition. Quality applies across all aspects of acquisition. The Army Regulation is principle oriented rather than process, and requires practices such as customer requirements assessment, fact-based decision making, effective root cause corrective action for failures, independence of quality personnel, use of metrics and continuous improvement, and risk-based management. From a personal standpoint, I implement Quality because I am passionate about ensuring only high-quality systems are fielded to the Army. Soldiers deserve high quality, reliable equipment in their fight for our country and freedom across the world.

Q. Why is it important to conduct environmental tests?

A. Environmental tests are a subset of Developmental Tests. Our Soldiers have very little ability to control most of their environment, so their equipment must operate in whatever environment they need to fight in. I call the environments the silent Key Performance Parameter (KPP), as they can impact whether the system meets a critical function during operational use. We must at least ensure Army systems are tested in critical environments before we field, at least to the extent that we can tell Soldiers the system limitations. Examples of limitations might be the system can’t be immersed in water, operate in winds greater than 20 mph, or won’t function below a certain temperature. Limitations must be accepted by the user representative.  Military and commercial standards have been created to emulate and characterize environments, threats, and other situations that equipment may encounter. Use of standards and common test methodologies are what allow the development of facts to evaluate equipment performance.

Q. Why did we come up with CDRLs (Contract Data Requirement Lists) and DIDs (Data Item Descriptions) for testing and Quality Assurance?

A. CDRLs and DIDs for Quality are generally required so that there is sufficient information in test plans and procedures to properly evaluate the specified performance, ensure applicable standards are followed, as well as document Government concurrence on the test plans and procedures. Also, that the test report has sufficient evidence that proves a given system meets its requirements. By defining areas that should be addressed, CDRLs and DIDs for failure reports ensure contractors have done a thorough job addressing the failures and allow the government to better understand whether a root cause was determined and evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective action accomplished by the contractor.

Q. What training did you have to research and send folks to in order to implement Quality Assurance?

A. At the time I started my career in 1980, the Army had a one-year certificate program at Red River Army Depot in Quality and Reliability Engineering for basic training of new interns in acquisition, with recruitments at universities. There was also a shorter Quality Assurance certification program at Rock Island. Until recently, there was a DAU certification career program in Production and Quality Management (PQM), which was essentially the career path for a Quality professional in the government. DAU discontinued the PQM certification, but they still have basic training in quality in several courses that are mandatory across the entire functional area workforce. They also offer online courses as part of their College of Contract Management offerings. DAU is currently working on additional courses with a manufacturing and quality focus. For my team, in addition to DAU courses, I have periodically brought courses to Belvoir applicable to their work in various topics such as Quality Engineering, Auditing to ISO 9001, Environmental Test Methods, Electromagnetic Environmental Effects and Testing, and short courses in Reliability, among others.

Q. What was your most difficult challenge in Testing and Quality Assurance, and what obstacles do you have to overcome to have a successful Quality and Test team?

A. The most difficult challenge is balancing fielding equipment fast with the desire to field a high-quality product to our Soldiers. We want to field new capabilities as fast as possible so Soldiers have the latest and greatest equipment to help achieve mission success, but it would be doing Soldiers a disservice if that equipment is unreliable or does not meet required performance. There is a balance in quality versus fielding. We would never field any equipment if we were to wait until the system is perfect and without issues. The key is to gather facts from operational, developmental, and production test data, and then identify and manage risks.  This problem is particularly prevalent in development of complex sensors.  One of the primary obstacles is the perception that requirements for Quality will always cost more and negatively impact schedule. This may sometimes be the case, as Quality professionals are focused on performance of the system rather than cost or schedule. But as many may recall, the majority of a system’s life cycle cost is in sustainment, so efforts up front to ensure a high-quality and reliable product can reap many benefits in reduced cost over the life cycle.

Q. How do you ensure Quality and reliability are designed into the product?

A. To deliver a high-quality product, the most efficient means is to start with a good design and build process. Development should include all the appropriate system engineering tools and analysis to ensure the design meets the specified requirements, and design reviews should address the results of analyses such as thermal analysis, stress analysis, finite element analysis, tolerancing, etc., and identify how they influenced the design. All that said, no design is perfect, and there will likely be trades and faults identified, which is where a manufacturer’s failure reporting analysis and corrective action system (FRACAS) becomes critical.

Q. Why is a FRACAS system so important?

A. Effective FRACAS is a basic requirement of a Quality Management System. Since no design is perfect, and failures frequently occur during manufacturing and qualification as well as in operational use, addressing failures in a robust manner is critical to eliminating those failures and improving product performance and reliability. Effective FRACAS is critical to the Army in order to meet requirements and reduce costs over the product’s life cycle, as well as to the manufacturer to control production costs. About 20 years ago, the Army did a study which illustrated most systems that were subjected to a formal operation test failed to meet the system operational reliability requirement. That stimulated the Army to place a greater emphasis on FRACAS, design for reliability and reliability growth testing, as well as other disciplines such as Physics of Failure, Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) and Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS).

Q. Why do reliability growth testing?

A. Not all equipment needs to have reliability growth testing, but some of our more complex sensors have had a hundred or more failures in their first phase of development and operational testing and did not initially meet the required reliability. Because corrective actions are typically not completely effective and sometimes unearth new problems, it may require several phases of testing followed by a corrective action period to identify and resolve failures in the design and manufacturing process. Realizing this allows us to better plan a program schedule that will allow sufficient time to resolve issues found and allows the design to incrementally improve and meet the reliability requirement. Our contracts require a failed item analysis report (FIAR) to document resolution of each failure and ensure a closed loop process; the FIAR process can be painful and sometimes take a great deal of time to resolve, significantly impacting schedule.

Q. Why do you continue to conduct conformance inspection testing throughout production?

A. Manufacturers are continually improving their design and process, developing new suppliers, training new assemblers, buying new parts and materials, and there are a multitude of other things which could result in issues that are not immediately apparent. In my experience, issues continue to arise, some catastrophic, even after many years of production. No matter how much the prime believes they have supplier control, suppliers sometimes make changes they believe would not impact form, fit, and function, and fail to notify the prime contractor. To maintain a high level of quality requires some level of production testing against critical performance tests, reliability, and environments that are subject to variation. For high volume production, we frequently require lot testing on a monthly basis. As production continues, the level of testing can be reduced or adjusted, or even eliminated, based on results, evidence of process control and good field reliability performance.

Q. Tell me more about the FIAR process.

A. Resolving FIARs in both development and production phases is the most critical aspect of our job in Quality Assurance in fielding high-quality and reliable equipment. The first thing we ask ourselves when confronted with a failure is, “how will this failure impact the Soldier?”. We are particularly relentless at resolving any failures that will cause the Soldier to abort his mission or turn in his equipment. Resolution of the failure requires our contractors to dig into why the failure occurred and find the root cause, determine a corrective action, and prove the corrective action is effective and does not cause any other issues. This process can hold up production, affect a contractor’s money stream, sometimes for long periods, and therefore can be very contentious. The government conducts FIAR Risk Assessments as needed to make decisions on acceptance and fielding of product. In the long run, there are positive effects for both Government and contractor. Fewer defects means improved field reliability for Soldiers and less rework and scrap costs, and higher production rates, for the contractor.

Q. Should Quality be implemented in COTS (Commercial off-the-Shelf) products?

A. In the past, I have had some people suggest that Quality does not apply to COTS products. The fact is that Quality principles apply across the board on all products the Army purchases, and across all disciplines, whether the product is developed by the Army, COTS, GOTS (Government off-the-shelf) or modified COTS. Any COTS product must be first evaluated to ensure it is effective, suitable, and survivable, and meets Soldiers’ needs, to include required performance in the operational environmental in which it will be used. Any limitations should be identified, and agreement reached with user representatives on whether those limitations are acceptable in a fielded product. Let me just give you a broad example. Let’s say the Army needs a widget to perform a certain function, and in the commercial world there are some that would suffice, but the COTS products were only designed to operate in a limited band around room temperature. If the Army needs to use this product in Alaska or various other places during the winter, as well as in spring or fall, this product will not meet the Army’s needs. This may result in the user community requiring a modification, such as a heater, or an entirely new Army developed product to meet the requirements.

Q. Why should Quality Assurance be independent of the Product Manager?

A. Quality and test personnel must be free to identify areas of concern regarding performance without the pressure applied from cost and schedule. This enables a thorough understanding of the issues and risks to the Product Manager and Program Manager. While Program and Product Managers maintain the ultimate decision authority to procure and field equipment, the Quality Assurance team provides independent feedback on the product quality, reliability, and ability to meet test requirements that is used to understand risks and make decisions.

Q. Overall, from all your service over the last 40 years, what do you consider the most important lessons learned from a Quality Assurance perspective?

A. My team and I have a long list of detailed lessons learned over the years that we review periodically and keep adding to. But the biggest lesson is more strategic. Recently we have tried to field systems faster, without having resolved many of the failures experienced in testing prior to entering production. The result has been that too many defects perpetuate into production, production is constantly being interrupted to address failures and rework product, and in some cases field reliability is negatively impacted, which can result in Soldiers losing confidence in your equipment. The best way to a healthy production line is to fix problems early during development, eliminate failure modes with a robust FIAR process, test sufficiently to validate that your problems have been resolved, and don’t go into full rate production until you have reduced the level of defects to a very low level.

By Frederick Shear Army

Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer

Saturday, April 29th, 2023

One feature of the US Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is the Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer (SiVT) which facilitates squad-level training in a mixed reality-based synthetic environment. It can be used to train almost anywhere at any time; bringing training to Soldiers instead of bringing Soldiers to training.

Taking full advantage of Microsoft’s HoloLens technology which IVAS is based in, Soldiers are immersed in a synthetic, virtual reality environment and can interact, including movement and engagement, with various scenarios, even those created by small unit leaders.