The Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Agile Combat Support Directorate (AFLCMC/WNA) has a requirement for an enterprise contract to support and sustain Automatic Test Systems (ATS).

The AFLCMC/WNA mission is to lead the development, acquisition, and sustainment efforts necessary to meet AF Major Command (MAJCOM) ATS requirements. The division customers included globally across Department of Defense (DoD), United States of the Air Force (USAF) and USAF-R (Reserve), Air National Guard (ANG) and joint warfighter as well as international partners through Foreign Military Sales (FMS). Aircraft platforms supported include fighter, bomber, cargo/airlift/tanker, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and special operations that include helicopter platforms. The division manages end-to-end lifecycle of AF ATS encompassing complex aircraft and armament system-specific test systems in support of warfighter operations and maintenance (O&M) at operating locations worldwide. ATS performance parameters are defined by requirements unique to each Customer’s mission and unique system O&M testing needs.

ATS are fully integrated, computer-controlled suite of electronic test equipment and instrumentation hardware, software, documentation, and ancillary items designed to verify at any level of maintenance the functionality of Unit Under Test (UUT) assemblies. The term UUT includes, but is not limited to, Shop Replaceable Unit (SRUs), Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), Shop Replaceable Assemblies (SRAs), Weapons Replaceable Assemblies (WRAs) circuit cards, aircraft “black boxes”, and other removable components from weapons platforms or support systems.

Whether it is the acquisition or sustainment phase of an ATS, emphasis remains on timely delivery and sustained total test system performance. In order to meet the challenge of executing an increasing number of programs with the same number of resources, AFLCMC/WNA must streamline and standardize its acquisition and support procurement processes. The AF has addressed this challenge in other commodity program offices through previous and current utilization of competitively awarded Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts that utilize task orders to both large and small businesses.

• ATE – An integrated assembly of stimulus, measurement, and switching components under computer-control that is capable of processing software routines designed specifically to test a particular item or group of items. ATE software includes operating system software, test executive software, and instrument control software. ATE are designed to automatically conduct analysis of functional or static parameters and to evaluate the degree of UUT performance degradation; and may be used to perform fault isolation of UUT malfunctions. The decision making, control, or evaluative functions are conducted with minimum reliance on human intervention and usually done with a computer.
• Test Program Set (TPS) – ATE interface hardware and other ancillary equipment that connects the UUT to the ATE, plus test program software specific to the UUT with required documentation. The TPS software directs all test functions including fault isolation and diagnostics and can certify the condition of a UUT. Ancillary hardware consists of cables, probes, holding fixtures and peculiar instrumentation.
• Test Environment – The test environment includes a description of the ATS architecture, programming and test specification languages, compiler, development tools and provisions for capturing and using UUT design requirements and test strategy information in the generation and maintenance of TPS software.