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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Global Combat Support System-Air Force (GCSS-AF) will upgrade existing software applications to provide Air Force decision makers with critical, concise, timely, accurate, economical, and relevant information. GCSS-AF is an evolutionary, incremental development covering numerous support applications spread across 13 functional areas such as logistics, civil engineering, and maintenance.

GCSS-AF will incrementally modernize the software portion of selected standard base-level automated information systems to reside on a common operating environment. It will support users at all Air Force active duty, Reserve, and Guard sites worldwide. The software modernization will be accomplished application by application. The common operating environment will consist of a uniform set of development and runtime software applications and services to meet system requirements. As such, GCSS-AF primarily concerns software that will be designed to run on open systems hardware available from existing government contracts.

Implementation towards an open systems environment will enable current "stove pipe" systems supporting the wing mission to be integrated at the data level.

GCSS-AF indirectly supports Joint Vision 2010 by providing a broad-based integrated platform for an improved capability of focused logistics.

GCSS-AF is the second phase of an umbrella program to modernize standard base-level automated information systems, which began as the Base Level System Modernization (BLSM) program in 1989. The program was redesignated as GCSS-AF and designated a Major Automated Information Systems Review Council program on January 25, 1994. In December of that same year, the first portion of the program (BLSM I) was delegated to the Air Force approval authority. The current portion (BLSM II) is still on OSD level oversight, resulting in a Milestone 0/I on September 15, 1995 and a Milestone II on August 15, 1996. The contract was awarded at that time.

GCSS-AF will pursue three types of modernization on existing automated information systems: (1) functional; (2) technical; and (3) re-host. Functional modernization will be performed on a system when new functionality or changes in end-user business practices are needed and cost-effective. These changes will be accomplished using the procedures of business process re-engineering to field a completely redesigned system. Technical modernization is the re-engineering of an existing software application without business process improvement. Re-hosting will occur when a system is already technically modernized and is essentially porting usable code from one operating system to another.

The first increment of GCSS-AF includes the re-hosting of four systems (Manpower Data Systems, Logistics Module, Air Force Operations Resource Management System, and Cargo Movement Operations System). The functional modernization of the current supply system is included in the first increment, with a planned IOC of December 1998. Additional increments will modernize numerous additional systems through a combination of functional, technical, and re-host modernization.

After the IOT&E of both GCSS-AF (expected in 3QFY00) and the Integrated Maintenance Data System (IMDS) expected in 4QFY99, IMDS will be absorbed into GCSS-AF. Thereafter, the programs will be treated as a single program under the GCSS-AF banner. From that time, merging the two systems will create a notional, fully integrated Combat Support Information System.

Test activity is currently limited to test planning and test documentation preparation. DOT&E approved a Capstone TEMP on June 12, 1997. The TEMP to support the IOT&E is being developed.

DOT&E is working closely with the GCSS-AF Program Management Office to develop an acceptable test strategy. History has shown that significant risks are associated with new information systems that impact business processes. Often to exploit new automated information system technologies, associated business processes, practices and training must be re-engineered.