AFOTEC puts Air Force systems through 'crucible'

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • Kirtland Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  When the Air Force is preparing a new system to go into full rate production, it turns to the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center to rigorously test the system to ensure all the kinks have been ironed out.

It's a process AFOTEC Commander Maj. Gen. Matthew Molloy calls "the crucible."

"We have the critical role of informing the warfighter of the operational viability of their systems, and we are going to put them through the paces," Molloy said. "We are going to stress the system, using threats as close to the real deal as we can find. We are going to do everything we can to see how the system does in the hands of the operator so there are no surprises in combat."

Operational tests are designed to address critical issues regarding a system's performance in combat-like environments when operated by field personnel. They seek to answer questions about how safe, effective, reliable, maintainable, compatible and logistically supportable new Air Force systems will be.

Although AFOTEC is best known for testing aircraft and weapons systems, the unit tests systems that are widely varied, including software applications, uniforms, chemical-biological protection gear and equipment Airman will use in combat. AFOTEC supports operational testing of more than 90 programs.

Molloy said giving the warfighter an unbiased and objective look at a system and how it performs in an operationally realistic environment is only one of the center's purposes. AFOTEC's tests also help inform national decision makers on the status and health of their acquisition programs.

"My reports give them the information they need to render good judgments," he said.

AFOTEC is a direct reporting unit, which Molloy said is important in doing his job correctly.

"I'm independent," he said. "No one is going to filter or bias or jaundice my evaluation of how that weapon system is doing. I use a very objective lens when I look at a weapons system, and care about how I write my reports and render that final judgement."

AFOTEC doesn't tell developers how to fix the problems its testers find, they simply report truth, laying out strengths and weaknesses and other valuable information.

"We leave it in the hands of the operators to maximize strengths and avoid the risks and mitigate weaknesses," Molloy said. "This is what you said it was supposed to do and here's how it performed. These are the strengths and these are weaknesses. That's what our test reports provide. I don't tell them how to fix it or what to do with the information."

Molloy wants the AFOTEC reports to mean as much to the owners of the systems as it does to him and the workers in his unit. He understands that what he delivers isn't always good news, but the process should be trusted and respected because ultimately it will save money and, more importantly, lives.

"It's better to sweat it out in operational testing and find out now if there are issues, than to bleed in combat," he said. "When I see bad news, I'm not going to hold my cards close to the vest. The last thing I want to do is hide surprises. I can save the taxpayers money by being very transparent."

Molloy said he has a very technically competent and operationally savvy workforce. He said he is developing "competent next generation testers" who will continue to consistently provide operational truth to the warfighter.

AFOTEC is headquartered at Kirtland, but the majority of the unit's 640 employees are assigned to detachments throughout the United States, including Edwards AFB, California, Peterson AFB, Colorado, Eglin AFB, Florida, and Nellis AFB, Nevada. It also has multiple operating locations around the country.