DERIVATION OF FUNCTIONAL TESTING REQUIREMENTS FROM WEAPON SYSTEM MISSION REQUIREMENTS

THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL EXAMINE PARAMETRIC AND FUNCTIONAL TESTING REQUIREMENTS AND DEVELOP THE RATIONAL FOR COMPARING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TWO. FUNCTIONAL TESTING ADDRESSES THE TOTAL WEAPON SYSTEM ABILITY TO MEET THE MISSION REQUIREMENTS RATHER THAN EVALUATING THE INDIVIDUAL SYSTEM PARAMETERS. PARAMETRIC TESTING MAY REQUIRE SERIAL TESTING THAT CAN BE TIME CONSUMING AND THUS VERY COSTLY. ALSO, ONE PARAMETER VALUE MAY BE INFLUENCED BY OTHER PARAMETERS WHICH CAN FURTHER COMPLICATE THE TESTING PROCEDURE AND RESULTS. THUS, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BENEFITS OF FUNCTIONAL TESTING VERSUS PARAMETRIC TESTING IS THE GOAL OF THIS PHASE I EFFORT. THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL FORMULATE THE CONCEPTS FOR QUALITY FUNCTIONAL TESTING AND IDENTIFY THE DATA NEEDED TO DEVELOP FUNCTIONAL TEST METHODOLOGIES.