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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

INTEGRATED DEFENSIVE ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES
(IDECM)

	Navy ACAT II Program 548 systems Total program cost (TY$) $1.93B Average unit cost (TY$) $1.3 M Full-rate production 1QFY01 Prime Contractor SANDERS a Lockheed Martin Company

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The IDECM contributes to full-dimensional protection by improving individual aircraft probability of survival.

The IDECM suite is intended to provide self-protection and increased survivability for tactical aircraft against radio frequency (RF) and Infrared (IR) surface-to-air and air-to-air threats. The major hardware component to be developed by the IDECM program is the IDECM RFCM (radio frequency counter measure) system. The additional major functional component to be developed under the IDECM program is IDECM Integration.

IDECM will integrate specific electronic self protection systems on the host aircraft. For the IDECM lead aircraft, the F/A-18E/F, these systems are defined as the radar warning receiver (RWR), the Common Missile Warning System (CMWS, after completion of it's own OPEVAL in the USMC AV-8B and the USAF F-16 Block 40 CAS), the AN/ALE-47 chaff/flare dispenser, the AN/ALE-50 (off-board decoy) launch controller/dispenser and the RFCM. Upon completion of its own OPEVAL, the Advanced Strategic Tactical Expendable (ASTE) is one of several expendables which may be dispensed by the AN/ALE-47. Integration of these systems is intended to provide threat system warning, threat missile detection/warning, and the most effective countermeasure response, to increase survivability of the host aircraft against IR and RF threats.

The RFCM consists of an onboard receiver/processor/techniques generator which stimulates a fiber optics towed decoy (FOTD) for transmission of the countermeasure technique. The FOTD is intended to be compatible with and deployed from the AN/ALE-50 (off-board repeater) launch controller/dispenser. An optional onboard transmitter is a possible addition to the configuration.

IDECM RFCM is intended to fill the electronic self protection operational deficiency for Navy tactical aircraft so equipped. USAF requirements for a common FOTD and techniques generator were included in the IDECM EMD contract. USAF has selected components of the IDECM RFCM for integration into the B-1B Defensive System Upgrade Program architecture, and is considering IDECM RFCM components for integration into the defensive system architecture of the F-15.

The IDECM acquisition/operational test and evaluation strategy for the F/A-18E/F includes an operational assessment (OA) of the RFCM to support a RFCM LRIP in 2QFY99. The OA will be based on flight testing in an avionics test bed aircraft which is an F/A-18E/F surrogate implemented in an F/A-18C/D airframe. Due to airframe limitations, the AN/ALE-50 launch controller/dispenser with the FOTD will be pod carried and interfaced with the internal avionics.

On a parallel schedule, the F/A-18E/F platform OPEVAL is scheduled from 3QFY99 through 1QFY00. Because the F/A-18E/F OPEVAL is scheduled to be conducted before the more capable IDECM RFCM is available, the OPEVAL aircraft will not be equipped with the IDECM RFCM. It will have the IDECM RFCM FOTD Launch Controller/Dispenser (AN/ALE-50) with the existing Advanced Airborne Expendable Decoy (AAED) to fill part of the self defense requirement in support of the overall F/A-18E/F OPEVAL survivability assessment. In addition, FOTD mass model testing with the F/A-18E/F is being done as a DT event for the IDECM RFCM, as an early demonstration of capability to employ the FOTD.

F/A-18E/F FOT&E with IDECM RFCM is planned concurrently with the RFCM OT phase IIA (OT-IIA) which is to be the OPEVAL for the RFCM supporting RFCM Milestone-III and BLRIP in 1QFY01. OT-IIB is planned as the OPEVAL for IDECM Integration (subsequent to the CMWS Milestone-III and integration in the F/A-18E/F) supporting the IDECM Integration Milestone-III in 3QFY02.

Milestone-II was achieved 1QFY96 without a DOT&E approved TEMP. Since 4QFY95, the Navy test and requirements communities, and the IDECM program management, have worked closely with DOT&E staff towards closure on DOT&E TEMP issues. This effort yielded a January 1996 agreement among TEMP IPT principles on resolution of DOT&E issues. A March 1996 COMOPTEVFOR IDECM Test Concept paper was formally endorsed by DOT&E as answering critical DOT&E TEMP issues. COMOPTEVFOR "scrubbed" the affected portions of the current "Navy approved" TEMP to incorporate the test concept and resource requirements agreements, and provided proposed TEMP changes to the IDECM program manager in June 1996. The IDECM program manager chose to delay re-submission of the TEMP to OSD until the April 1997 time frame. A new TEMP IPT was constituted in September 1996 with their focus on incorporating the previous agreements in conjunction with changes required to reflect the December 1996 completion of the IDECM critical design review.

The TEMP IPT/test planning working group continued work on the update TEMP, and more detailed test planning with a focus on T&E resources and executability of the approved T&E concept. This has included a tightly coordinated effort on resource sharing for combined DT/OT. In addition a dedicated effort to finalize Modeling and Simulation plans supporting the T&E concept was continued.

A large shortfall in the IDECM program T&E funding budget was identified in mid-FY97. The program management and the user operational requirement sponsor have pursued internal budget action to bring funding in-line with the DOT&E approved COMOPTEVFOR OT&E concept requirements, and the coordinated DT&E requirements. In addition, following adverse Navy Comptroller FY98 and FY99 marks in the FY97 and FY98 Navy budget estimate submission process, the Navy Director Test and Evaluation and Technology Requirements has been engaged in a two year effort to maintain Navy T&E infrastructure investment funding for Electronic Warfare (EW), Program Element (PE) 0604256N E0602.

DOT&E concurs with Navy T&E and COMOPTEVFOR that adequate FY98 and FY99 funding of PE 0604256N E0602 is critical to the planned IDECM T&E. Delay in funding these investments, if not resolved, is projected by the Navy to result in a two year delay in completing IDECM RFCM IOT&E, with a corresponding delay in IDECM availability for the F/A-18E/F. At the time of drafting this report, the Navy is still working funding alternatives to mitigate program delays.

An IDECM Modeling and Simulation Plan, based primarily on currently available digital models is expected in early FY98. The planned modeling and simulation is assessed to be adequate to address the bare minimum of the Navy IDECM requirement by supporting planned open air range and hardware in the loop simulations.

The IDECM TEMP, which was disapproved by DOT&E when it was first submitted 1QFY96 after the Navy MS-II approval, is now anticipated to be re-submitted for DOT&E approval in early FY98. This TEMP submission is expected to reflect the outcome of both the internal IDECM program management action resolving the IDECM program T&E budget shortfall, as well as a schedule aligned with the funding for the PE 0604256N E0602 T&E infrastructure investments.