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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Joint Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (JCALS) System is a multi-Service, geographically distributed client-server digital system. It is designed to process all data and information required to manage, control, and produce each Service's technical manuals at designated processing sites. The Defense Information Systems Network provides wide area network connectivity. Local area network connectivity among workstation servers, workstations, peripherals, collocated legacy systems, and to the wide area network is provided by the Fiber-optic Distributed Data Interface Ethernet. Each functional user site has one or more JCALS client-server nodes based on the site's processing requirements and organizational dispersal. All JCALS data are stored in the Integrated Weapon System Data Base- a logically centralized, physically distributed relational data base. Data management and access is provided by the Global Data Management System. The System Operational and Support Capability provides overall JCALS system management. The functional user performs system administration at each site.

An initiative to develop a paperless technical and logistics information system for weapons systems began in 1986 with the Army Computer Aided Logistics Support (CALS) program. Due to the burden from excessive paper processing encountered during the M-1 tank development, the Army decided to automate the process. In 1991, the CALS program expanded to all of the Services and was renamed the Joint CALS (JCALS) program.

The JCALS program is developing the infrastructure to logistically support weapons systems throughout their life-cycle. The first application will manage, acquire, update, publish, stock, and distribute each Service's technical manuals.

JCALS will specify, acquire, implement, and field a JCALS architecture and its interfaces to a supporting system. The JCALS system will satisfy the Services' and Defense Logistics Agency's needs for integrated digital technical information. The JCALS program is following an incremental fielding strategy.

The first JCALS increment approached Initial Operational Testing in 1996 on two separate occasions. The Test and Experimentation Command (TEXCOM) sponsored an Operational Test Readiness Review (OTRR) in April, followed by another in June. During each OTRR, it was clear that problems discovered during DT would preclude a successful operational test. Later in 1996, JCALS went through a Limited User Test. The results indicated JCALS was immature with significant shortfalls in training. Since January 1997, JCALS has been undergoing robust software development testing, in-plant software qualification testing, site acceptance testing, and improved training at 13 sites. JCALS has shown steady improvement in maturity, stability, and integration.

In January and February 1998, TEXCOM conducted an Initial Operational Test on JCALS hardware and the first JCALS software increment, Software Package #2 (SWP2), in compliance with the TEMP approved by DOT&E in May 1997. The testing was at 12 Service sites and the System Operational and Support Capability Center. The focus of the test was to examine technical manual activities at the Service test sites and management/administration capabilities at the System Operational and Support Capability Center. Over 500 users tested SWP2 using free-play exercises and scripted scenarios. Users pre-loaded the technical manual data bases and scanned technical manuals that contained supporting management data.

DOT&E's oversight and focus on conducting a thorough, robust DT better prepared JCALS for Initial Operational Testing than in the two previous 1996 attempts. Also, DOT&E representatives were present at the test sites and personally interviewed test participants. The Initial Operational Test was adequate.