Downloaded from https://www.everyspec.com reporting, and resolution of deficiencies on newly produced materiel and to ensure that developmental test requirements are identified to allow appropriate flexibility regarding the test, such as— (1) Tailoring sample sizes to meet specific contract requirements. (2) Terminating during early testing if performance is so poor that re-testing will be required regardless of the results of the remaining portion of the tests. (3) Reducing, eliminating, or terminating early certain tests when a low rate of failure or when process quality control provides sufficient confidence that the materiel meets the requirements. g.
Testing during operational support includes surveillance and reconditioning tests that are required to measure the ability of materiel in the field, in storage, and after maintenance actions (including repair, rebuild, retrofit, overhaul, and modification) to meet user requirements. It may also contain tests in support of PDSS as described in paragraph a (5). (1) Surveillance tests. Surveillance tests include destructive and nondestructive tests of materiel in the field or in storage at field, depot, or extreme environmental sites.
Surveillance tests are conducted to determine suitability of fielded or stored materiel for use, evaluate the effects of environments, measure deterioration, identify failure modes, and establish or predict service and storage life. Surveillance test programs may be at the component-through-system level. System-level programs may include dedicated hardware allocated for this purpose, fielded materiel, or supplies in storage. Storage sites may include depots, field storage, or extreme environmental locations. “Libraries” of component parts provide a baseline for subsequent surveillance test data comparisons and may be established at contractor or Government facilities.
Criteria for surveillance testing will be prescribed in the appropriate technical bulletins (TBs), technical manuals (TMs), storage serviceability standards, and surveillance test program plans. Criteria for recondition- ing testing, including pilot reconditioning tests, initial reconditioning tests, control tests, acceptance tests, total systems tests, and baseline evaluation tests at depot or contractor facilities, will be incorporated in depot maintenance work requirements, modification work orders, TMs, TBs, and contracts. Test criteria will be based on performance demon- strated during development and production.
The number of items to be tested and the duration of tests will be based on sound engineering practices that consider schedules, costs, item complexity, known problem areas, statistical confi- dence, and other factors. Prior test data and analytically derived design data will be used when the test and sampling plan is developed. Existing test facilities will be used rather than building new Government or contractor facilities. (2) Reconditioning tests. Reconditioning tests fall into the categories described in ( a ) through ( e ) below. (a) Pilot reconditioning tests.
Pilot reconditioning tests are conducted to demonstrate the adequacy of the docu- mented technical requirements, processes, facilities, equipment, and materials that will be used during volume recon- d i t i o n i n g a c t i v i t i e s . T h e p i l o t m o d e l w i l l b e r e c o n d i t i o n e d i n s t r i c t a c c o r d a n c e w i t h d e p o t m a i n t e n a n c e w o r k requirements, modification work orders, TMs, TBs, and contracts. Pilot reconditioning tests will be applied when depot maintenance work requirements, TMs, or TBs are used for the first time when major changes are made. (b) Initial reconditioning tests.
Initial reconditioning tests are conducted to demonstrate the quality of the materiel when reconditioned under volume (rate) procedures and practices. These tests relate to PVTs during production. Initial reconditioning tests will be conducted when an item is reconditioned for the first time by a Government or contractor facility, when changes in processes or facilities occur, or when there has been a significant break in reconditioning operations. (c) Control tests. Control tests are conducted on randomly selected items from volume reconditioning operations to verify that the process is still producing satisfactory materiel. Criteria should be the same as for initial reconditioning tests.
Control tests relate to comparison tests during production. (d) Acceptance tests. Acceptance tests are conducted on in-process materiel and when reconditioning activities are completed. An accept or reject decision is based on an acceptance test. (e) Baseline evaluation tests. Baseline evaluation tests are conducted simultaneously on reconditioned and new production materiel of the same configuration to compare performance and to determine the degree of reconditioning required.
Baseline evaluation tests will be considered when the item is being reconditioned for the first time, when significant modifications affecting performance are incorporated, or when data are needed to decide on upgrading versus new procurement. (3) Planning, programming, and budgeting for testing during the operations and support. This phase will begin early in the life-cycle. In general, this testing, including materiel and conduct of tests, will be OMA funded. (4) Operations and support test requirements. These will be identified in the TEMP in support of the FRP decision review.
Chapter 5 Operational Testing Although DT and OT are discussed in separate chapters in this regulation, as discussed in paragraph 3–1h, T&E programs will be structured as an efficient, integrated continuum that obtains necessary, validated data from many sources. The efficient, integrated continuum constitutes a process that will be used to provide the maximum benefits 21 AR 73–1 • 1 August 2006