Methodology for constructing a modernization roadmap for Air Force automatic test systems

Nearly all Air Force electronics are tested and repaired using automatic test systems, each of which consists of a set of automated test equipment and a suite of software designed to test and facilitate repair of specific units. Most of these testers were designed and built for specific weapon systems, many of which are ageing. These test systems are beset by increasing hardware and software obsolescence, which is compounded by the number and variety of legacy tester types. Moreover, current Department of Defense policy is to use families of common test systems. The Air Force is thus planning to modernize its component repair capabilities accordingly. This report focuses on the economic aspect of the rehosting decision, i.e., which component repairs should be rehosted to use resources most efficiently while maintaining repair capabilities. The authors developed a methodology for formulating rehosting decisions for each legacy tester for each associated unit under test. They found rewriting software to run on the new systems to be the major cost driver. In some situations, an incremental rehosting strategy may be justified. In other cases, an entire workload may need to be rehosted because so few testers of a particular type are available. Finally, the long-term benefits of modern, common testing equipment make a strong case for making common families be the foundation of automatic test system acquisition for future platforms.