Digital Engineering to Automate the Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) to Expedite Air Force Acquisitions

DAF weapons systems are a priority area that requires modernization to support DAF warfighters properly. Significant challenges remain with the DoD’s Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) for the Next-Gen Polar (NGP) and Fully Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) programs. Our discovery efforts with the DoD show that it takes up to 12 months for a TEMP to be developed and approved, slowing down the agile delivery of new capabilities by preventing programs from transitioning between critical acquisition phase gates. A current TEMP document can consist of 100+ pages of information and require 12+ months to approve, which, once approved, becomes immediately out of date due to its static nature.   The urgency of the situation within the Space Sensing Program Executive Office (PEO) is driven by the imperative to deliver persistent space sensing capabilities across the entire program lifecycle, encompassing prototyping, development, production, fielding, and operational sustainment. This aligns with broader Air Force and DoD objectives to shift from paper-based to digital engineering practices, with the TEMP representing a key document poised for digitization to enhance efficiency and readiness. Furthermore, the NGP and FORGE programs require integration of their test plans to ensure a successful end-to-end test of the full system delivery. Any changes in a single program must be communicated and reviewed for impact by other integrated systems.  Celeris Systems presents a viable solution with its iRIS test management platform, which will seamlessly integrate essential test functions and data into a high-performance digital engineering environment for the Space Sensing PEO. Given its already established roots in test management, iRIS is well-suited to automate TEMP generation. In this Phase II effort, we will work with the Space Systems Command – Space Sensing PEO to automate the TEMP for the Next-Gen Polar program. With oversight of a substantial $23B portfolio, covering missile warning, tracking, defense, space-based environmental monitoring, and more, the Space Sensing PEO must embrace commercially digital engineering technologies and tools to stay ahead of evolving threats. Introducing Celeris Systems’ technology will accelerate reviews and approvals throughout the agile development lifecycle while delivering new capabilities to benefit the warfighter.