Modernizing a DoD ATS Family – Part II Martin W. Reagan

NAVAIR PMA260/DoD ATS Executive Directorate Eagle Systems Inc. Patuxent River, MD

martin.reagan@navy.mil

Abstract - This paper follows up the paper “Modernizing a DoD ATS Family” by William A. Ross that was published in the Proceedings of IEEE AUTOTESTCON 2005. That paper reviewed the Navy’s CASS modernization planning, including the requirements leading to a need to modernize CASS, the goals and objectives of the modernization program, identification and evaluation of alternatives, and major issues to be addressed. It concluded with the Navy’s vision for the modernized CASS. This paper reviews the activities and events that actually happened between the initial planning through award of the eCASS System Design and Development contract in March 2010. It compares the current objectives and expectations of the program with those listed in 2005. It details exactly which configurations of the CASS family will be replaced by eCASS, and it describes the eCASS mission areas and how they will be addressed through the implementation of Mission Equipment Kits. It describes the initial architecture and instrumentation of the eCASS station and discusses the migration of test program sets to eCASS from mainframe CASS. It describes the plans for taking eCASS into product-ion and fielding, and for sustaining mainframe CASS during the fielding process. Keywords-CASS, eCASS, ATE, management, acquisition, NAVAIR, PMA260

I. MODERNIZING CASS The Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) is the Navy’s standard automatic test equipment family for electronics and avionics support. Managed by the Naval Air Systems Command’s Aviation Support Equipment Program Office (PMA260), CASS entered the Fleet in 1994 and the last of the 613 production mainframe CASS stations was delivered in December 2003. The Navy and Marine Corps use 553 of these stations for afloat and shore-based maintenance support; the remainder are used by other government organizations and eight foreign countries. Mainframe CASS is fielded in five versions that are designed for specific testing requirements. The Hybrid version is the basic core five-rack station that provides analog and digital test capability. Other CASS configurations add capability to the basic Hybrid Station to test radio-frequency components (CASS RF), high power radar systems (CASS HP), electro-optics (CASS E-O), and communications/navigation/interrogation systems (CASS

CNI). The Reconfigurable Transportable CASS (RTCASS) tester, a sixth configuration, is currently being fielded to support all USMC fixed wing aircraft and some rotary wing aircraft in addition to USMC and US Special Operations Command V-22 aircraft. 160 RTCASS stations will be used by the USMC.

Figure 1. Mainframe CASS – RF Configuration CASS supports electronic systems from the F/A-18, AV-8B, EA-6B, EA-18G, E-2C, T-45, H-60, H-1, C-2, and V-22 aircraft. It is also used to support electronics from the LM-2500 gas turbine engine system, the HARM missile, various torpedoes, and other diverse weapon systems. CASS is used by nine countries world-wide. As soon as PMA260 exercised the last production option for mainframe CASS in 2002, planning for a replacement started in earnest. CASS had already begun experiencing obsolescence and infrastructure deterioration issues, and PMA260 knew that forthcoming weapon system updates would require new test technologies to be introduced into CASS. The three major blocks of CASS stations needed to more alike and it was time to implement a truly open architecture. For about 10 years, PMA260’s R&D funds had been used in cooperation with industry to develop promising new test technologies and test architecture elements that would likely be useful in the future CASS modernization effort. The 2005 “Modernizing a DoD ATS Family” paper by William A. Ross [1] stated that “PMA260’s ultimate goal is to have all CASS stations in equivalent configuration based on the open ATS architecture; for current and future TPSs to be transportable among all configurations, for CASS to be capable of interoperability with other Services, for new test

978-1-4244-9363-0/11/$26.00 ©2011 IEEE

technologies to be easily inserted and for stations to be easily reconfigurable (scalable) to meet specific UUT testing requirements with only the minimum required assets in the stations.” The paper continued by listing specific objectives of the CASS modernization program including: • Update current test capability and add test capability to

support emerging weapon system requirements • Deal with obsolescence • Address the aging station infrastructure • Implement an open system via the DoD ATS Technical

Architecture Framework • Fewer configurations of CASS • Reduce Total Ownership Costs

II. ACTIVITIES LEADING TO CONTRACT AWARD Serious acquisition planning for CASS modernization began in 2005. The independent cost and benefit analysis PMA260 had commissioned resulted in selection of the alternative to replace CASS with a new tester to be named “eCASS”. In 2005, PMA260 developed the first detailed project schedules and began adjusting budgets to align available funds with requirements. PMA260 then began drafting the eCASS Capability Development Document, which is the definitive statement from the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) that officially documents the need for the program. The CDD includes not only the operational requirements for eCASS, but also its concept of operations, system capabilities, and key performance parameters. 2007 saw the beginning of the public side of the eCASS program. PMA260 issued a “sources sought” notice in FEDBIZOPPS and held an industry day immediately following AUTOTESTCON 2007. The procurement process was kicked off with a Procurement Planning Conference in fall 2007 after which the initial Statement of Work was drafted. By 2008, the 20-person core eCASS team was devoted to eCASS virtually fulltime. A procurement of this size requires the participation of many people and organizations representing every niche of the acquisition, engineering, logistics, cost, source selection, financial management and testing communities. The growing team began developing the myriad of acquisition documents required by DoDI 5000.02 and other directives, including the SEP, PHS&T, TMCR, FMECA, MaPl, TDP, DMSMS, RMP, APB, ASR, RFP, Engineering Spec, TEMP, AP, RVTM, HIS, GFPP, and NTSP. In December 2008, the CDD was approved by OPNAV after almost three years of routing and changes, and in April 2009, the NAVAIR Assistant Commander for Acquisition, AIR-1.0, approved the eCASS ACAT IV-M Acquisition

Strategy stating that eCASS will be subject to all milestone reviews commencing with Milestone B, followed by a Milestone C decision for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) in FY-13, and a Full Rate Production (FRP) milestone decision in FY-15. The ACAT IVM designation means that total procurement costs are under $660M and total R&D costs are under $140M in FY2000 dollars and that NAVAIR will conduct an Independent Development Test and Evaluation. Needing a real Independent Cost Estimate, PMA260 worked with the Center for Naval Analyses, a think-tank organization reporting to the Office of Naval Research, and the NAVAIR Cost Department, AIR-4.2, to generate cost estimates that successfully validated the original financial estimates. During 2009, PMA260 continued making revisions and getting signatures on the acquisition documents listed above, and held a pre-solicitation conference. The final Request for Proposals was released on 1 April and the proposals were received on 30 June. Since PMA260 had been open in discussing with industry the expectations for eCASS, the companies that submitted proposals had an adequate time to get their proposals ready; not just the three months between RFP release and the due date. By October, the source selection team had established the competitive range and received authorization to conduct discussions with the bidders. This gave each company an opportunity to clarify aspects of their proposals to ensure that the team understood what they were proposing. In early 2010 PMA260 finalized and got signatures on the remaining major acquisition documents: the Test and Evaluation Master Plan, the Acquisition Program Baseline Agreement, the Acquisition Plan and the Acquisition Strategy. The source selection team completed their work in February and, in March, AIR-1.0 gave approval to proceed to Milestone B and award the contract. On 24 March 2010, the eCASS cost-plus-incentive-fee development contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support (now Lockheed Martin Global Training and Logistics) in Orlando, Florida. The System Design and Development (SDD) contract includes building Engineering Development Models of eCASS as well as Low Rate Initial Production quantities. This phase will last through FY 2014 by which time the contractor will have built 36 eCASS stations. The EMD phase of the contract includes all efforts to design and develop a system that meets the requirements of the six eCASS mission areas: • Hybrid • Radio Frequency (RF) • Electro-Optic (E-O) • High Power (HP) • Communication, Navigation and Interrogation (CNI) • Depot

The Full Rate Production milestone decision pFY2015 and deliveries of eCASS stations tobegin in FY 2016. The Initial Operational CaMay 2016. The total inventory objective for stations. The SDD phase is well underway. The eCASDesign Review was completed this summermodification is in-work to incorporate designpopulating unused core assets for the E-O andthat will enable significant LCC savings, possmillion. The testing of eCASS will be conducted infashions for each of the mission areas. Sincnumber of Test Program Sets (TPSs) are eCASS E-O, HP, and CNI missions, all of thbe formally tested on eCASS. For the eCASRF missions, only a representative samplenumber of Hybrid and RF TPSs will be testedof Hybrid and RF TPSs will be carefully selecthe high risk TPSs and to ensure that a full rafunctionality is tested.

III. ECASS DESCRIPTION

Figure 2. eCASS Generally speaking, eCASS will use commshelf (COTS) equipment in an open-systemhoused in a ruggedized enclosure. eCASS wTest (BIT) to automatically verify communicathe system computer and subassembly COTThe Self Maintenance and Test (SMATmanually initiated to perform more in-deptverification of eCASS COTS instrument and seCASS will incorporate industry standardssystem architecture such as VXI, PXI and LXI eCASS will be fielded in three configurationsand HP) to satisfy the six missions by addinrack core station, which includes the commoused in all eCASS missions as well as sevinstruments, Mission Equipment Kits (MEKmissions as shown in the following graphic.

point will be in o the fleet will apability date is

eCASS is 338

SS Preliminary r. A contract n changes (de-d HP missions) sibly over $100

n two different ce only a small

used for the hose TPSs will SS Hybrid and e of the high d. This subset cted to include

ange of eCASS

mercial-off-the-m architecture,

will use Built-in ations between

TS instruments. ) program is th testing and subassemblies. s for an open I.

s (Hybrid, E-O ng to the four-on subsystems veral ancillary

Ks) for specific

Figure 3. eCASS M The eCASS Hybrid station, also will be capable of executing alladdition, the eCASS Hybrid capabilities currently provided ancillaries: UUT forced air management capability, Mult(MAC), Analog Test Instrum(ATI/BTI), Manchester HarpoonStrobe Raster Display (MPSRD)Generation/Measurement AssembAncillary Set (ULAS), Video PaMounting Assembly Set. The eCASS RF station will beCASS Hybrid and CASS RF TPSMission Equipment Kit (MEK). The eCASS CNI station will beCASS Hybrid, CASS RF and Cboth the eCASS RF MEK and eC The eCASS HP station will be cHybrid, CASS RF and CASS HP and HP MEKs in addition to reusPower Device Test Set (racks 7High Power configuration). Thsome legacy CASS HPDTS reuracks 7 & 8. The eCASS E-O station will be cHybrid and E-O TPSs by usingaddition to reusing the legacy CA The eCASS Depot station will bCASS Hybrid and RF TPSs thrDepot MEKs. The eCASS Depotadditional capabilities of the Depconjunction with the Digital Teconstitute the eCASS Depot MEK eCASS will reuse over 700 CASavionics units, the items mentionCASS shipboard foundations and Expected major improvements inc

Hybrid EO RF

CA

SSeC

ASS +

Mission A

• EO MEK • Reuse CASS EO3

• RF• HP• Re

• RF MEK

Hybrid EO RFHybrid EO RF

CA

SSeC

ASS +

Mission A

• EO MEK • Reuse CASS EO3

• RF• HP• Re

• RF MEK

Mission Areas

known as the core station, l CASS Hybrid TPSs. In station will include the by the following CASS capability with air flow

tiple Analog Capability ment/Bus Test Instrument n Interface, Multi-Purpose ), ancillary power, Synchro

mbly (SGMA), UUT Loads attern Generator (VPG) and

e capable of executing all Ss by using the eCASS RF

e capable of executing all CASS CNI TPSs by using CASS CNI MEK.

capable of executing CASS TPSs by using both the RF

sing the legacy CASS High & 8 of the legacy CASS he HP MEK also includes use items not contained in

capable of executing CASS the eCASS E-O MEK in

ASS E-O console.

be capable of executing all rough the eCASS RF and t Mission will also have the pot Ancillary Kit which, in st Unit (DTU) Probe, will

K.

SS TPSs to test over 1,100 ned above, and the existing d facilities infrastructure.

clude:

HP CNI “Depot”

+

Areas

• RF MEK • Reuse CNIAS

F MEKP MEK euse CASS HP

• RF MEK• Depot MEK

N/A

HP CNI “Depot”HP CNI “Depot”

+

Areas

• RF MEK • Reuse CNIAS

F MEKP MEK euse CASS HP

• RF MEK• Depot MEK

N/A

• Ultracaps technology vice lead acid batteries for power backup

• Multi-runtime test system environment (LabWindows CVI, ATLAS, Test Stand, TestStudio, etc)

• State-of-the-art synthetic instrumentation • Allocated space, cooling and power to support the

addition of future instrumentation and/or capabilities • Computer and display monitors that run on 24V

emergency power to remain operational when the station is powered down

• Dual station display monitors • Integration of many current external ancillaries inside

the station • Internal UUT blower • Periods processing (classified to non-classified, and

vice versa) To satisfy future weapon system testing requirements, eCASS will include emerging test capabilities such as phase noise measurement, vector signal generators, fiber channel and more. Additionally, Lockheed Martin has committed to providing eCASS with the capability to support several forthcoming weapon systems, including the Joint Strike Fighter. How will eCASS reduce ownership costs? • The official CBA determined that developing eCASS

would save $2B over its projected 20-year lifetime compared to piece-meal modernizing the current CASS stations

• Station quantities will be reduced by approximately one-third based on projected future station workload

• eCASS Core stations will have a similar footprint and use the same hotel services as CASS, which will save Ship Alteration costs

• The Open System Architecture of eCASS will reduce engineering costs when addressing obsolescence of test instruments in the future

• Reliability, maintainability, availability improvements: o Reliability growth is a contract requirement o The maintainability program will improve

operational availability and reduce maintenance time

o TPS runtimes are required to be as fast or faster than CASS, which will allow increased throughput of aircraft UUTs

o Replacement of lead acid batteries by Ultracaps is expected to reduce life-cycle costs of the back-up power system by 75%

o During sustainment, reliability improvements will be a PBL incentive

What changes will the fleet operators see with eCASS? • The DTU coaxial cable bundle will be reduced to ultra-

thin ribbon cable with locking connectors for ease of maintenance

• Ultracaps technology vice lead acid batteries for power backup

• Computer and monitors will run on 24V emergency power to remain operational when the station turns off for a fault condition

• Two separate monitors per station • Many of the existing ancillaries (such as ULAS) are

integrated inside the station • Internal UUT blower and monitor • Periods processing • Storable work surfaces • Reduced internal station cabling • Faster TPS runtimes in many cases

IV. MANAGING THE SUNSET OF MAINFRAME CASS PMA260 continues to focus on sustaining CASS while eCASS is being developed and fielded. Although investments in changes have to be minimized due to funding constraints, PMA260 is working on some critical improvements to CASS including an Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) to address a battery safety issue, adding TCP/IP capability, changing the optical media, and an adding the Inertial Device Test Set ECP (a reuse item). To continue to maintain availability of mainframe CASS, last year PMA260 put in place a new Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract that will run through 2015. The CASS PBL program won the 2009 Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics Award. PMA260 has produced new aircraft carrier CASS shop layouts to get ready for eCASS. The number of stations will be reduced from 19 CASS stations to 15 eCASS stations aboard each carrier. PMA260 is working with the Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) and the Naval Sea Systems Command to standardize and consolidate some of the several CASS work centers aboard each ship. This consolidation effort will release for other uses at least 10,797 ft2 across the 10 in-service aircraft carriers.

V. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE NAVAIR is already looking at a commercial variant of eCASS to potentially provide support at Fleet Readiness Centers, industrial facilities and depots. A current study is examining potential development, production and sustainment savings that might be associated with developing a commercial variant of eCASS. By 2022, mainframe CASS should be completely replaced by eCASS in the fleet.

REFERENCES [1] W. A. Ross, “Modernizing a DoD ATS family,” in IEEE

AUTOTESTCON 2005 Proceedings, pp. 333 - 342.