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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The New Attack Submarine (VIRGINIA) is intended to be an affordable submarine, which will support Joint Vision 2010 and the strategy of maintaining maritime superiority. VIRGINIA is to have a broad range of missions. These include Covert Strike Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Covert Intelligence Collection/Surveillance, Covert Indication and Warning and Electronic Warfare, Anti-Surface Ship Warfare, Special Warfare, Covert Mine Warfare, and Battle Group Support. VIRGINIA will use advanced technology and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment to reduce acquisition and life cycle costs while retaining mission effectiveness.

VIRGINIA is required to be capable of launching MK 48 ADCAP torpedoes, mines, and Tomahawk missiles, supporting dominant maneuver as well as full-dimensional protection for afloat forces. Its sonar capability will be similar to SEAWOLF's, and its electronic support suite and combat control system represent improvements over legacy systems. The external communications system will be an improvement over SEAWOLF and legacy systems, providing full, high data rate interoperability with U.S. and allied forces. These characteristics provide intelligence and strike capabilities to support the Joint Force Commander in precision engagement. VIRGINIA is required to maintain a level of stealth equivalent to SEAWOLF (SSN 21) class submarines.

The Milestone I DAB approved VIRGINIA to enter Phase I in August 1994. For Milestone II, COMOPTEVFOR conducted a very aggressive and thorough EOA of VIRGINIA, concluding that VIRGINIA was potentially operationally effective. The EOA identified one high-risk area and a number of areas of moderate risk, which merited close attention by the program office. These risks were discussed in the classified version of the FY96 Annual Report. The Program Office and Navy sponsor cooperated fully with COMOPTEVFOR in this EOA and generally agreed with the findings.

DOT&E recommended and the Secretary of Defense approved a waiver to full-up, system level live fire test of VIRGINIA. DOT&E approved the alternative LFT&E plan submitted in lieu of full-up system level LFT&E in June 1995. This plan includes a Ship Shock Test of VIRGINIA. The Milestone II DAB approved VIRGINIA to enter Phase II on June 30, 1995. In September 1998, the Secretary of the Navy announced that the first NSSN hull would be the USS VIRGINIA (SSN 774). In November 1998, Mr. Dalton announced that the second hull would be the USS TEXAS (SSN 775).

DOT&E approved Revision B to the TEMP, which included a revised LFT&E Strategy, in November 1998. This TEMP revision includes another OA by COMOPTEVFOR, which requires an interim as well as a final report. In FY00 an interim report will be produced that addresses two of the three high risk areas identified in the 1997 OA: ECS and towed arrays. The final report is due in late FY01.

The Submarine Combat Systems program office is conducting sonar development. Its leading sonar program, commonly known as Acoustic Rapid COTS Insertion (ARCI), is oriented towards the use of COTS technology to upgrade all classes of attack submarine sonars, including VIRGINIA. The ARCI submarine sonar systems were recently designated as the AN/BQQ-10 sonar series. The series has four phases. Phase 1 is for towed array narrow band and broad band signal processing; Phase 2 is for towed array spacial vernier processing and includes the first advanced processing build for TB-23; Phase 3 is for spherical array processing; and Phase 4 is for high frequency sonar processing. Phase 1 and Phase 4 variants are currently being operated and developed on SSN 688 class submarines.

VIRGINIA Related AN/BQQ-10 (ARCI) Activity. (1) COMOPTEVFOR conducted an OA of the AN/BQQ-10 Phase 1 in February 1998. Due to deficiencies cited, a post-OA exercise was required in May 1998 to assess readiness of an SSN 688 class submarine to deploy with an AN/BQQ-10 phase 1 system. (2) A combined TACDEVEX /DT Assist was conducted in order to test the AN/BQQ-10 Phase 1 sonar with the Towed Array Advanced Processing Build (TA-APB-98). TA-APB-98 is specifically designed with new operator-machine interface displays and improved signal processing algorithms for the TB-23 towed array. (3) A combined DT Assist/DT was conducted which tested algorithms expected to be used in the AN/BQQ-10 Phase 4 and VIRGINIA high frequency sonars. This test demonstrated the performance of new processing techniques and displays for use in mine detection and avoidance using both the chin mounted array and the new HF sail array. (4) A DT Assist, involving side-by-side testing of three sonar systems, the baseline (legacy) AN/BQQ-5E, the AN/BQQ-10 Phase 1, and the TA-APB-98, was conducted in the Atlantic in May 1998. This was the most extensive side by side testing ever done on submarine sonar systems, with the three sonar systems examined in three different acoustic (and geographic) environments. DOT&E observed a portion of this testing.

Technical testing in support of VIRGINIA propulsor development continued throughout the year. The VIRGINIA program has opted for a different design for its propulsor than that used on the SEAWOLF class, taking advantage of advances in technologies that have evolved since the original SEAWOLF design. Further details are provided in the classified version of this report.

In FY98, the Navy developed and DOT&E reviewed and commented on the VIRGINIA detail design vulnerability assessment report (VAR). The Navy and DOT&E also jointly participated in the update/improvement of the LFT&E Strategy in the VIRGINIA TEMP. DOT&E participated in VIRGINIA working group meetings and provided insight as well as oversight to the Navy as the VAR update progressed. DOT&E also supported the Navy in its planned efforts to shock qualify COTS equipment and the shock mount configuration for the Command and Control Systems Module (CCSM), upon which VIRGINIA COTS equipment will be mounted.

OPTEVFOR concluded that the AN/BQQ-10 Phase 1 is potentially operationally effective and suitable, however, as currently configured, the severity of the major deficiencies may preclude effective operational employment of the system in some circumstances. DOT&E agrees with this assessment. Details are provided in the classified version of this report. Because of the ARCI program's relationship to the VIRGINIA, DOT&E will continue to monitor the ARCI program.

The VIRGINIA program office (PMS-450) and the shipbuilders, Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding, have been aggressive and systematic in utilizing SEAWOLF "lessons learned" in VIRGINIA development. These include the lightweight wide acoustic aperture sonar, the propulsor, and weapons launch systems.

The 1997 OA cited the Exterior Communications System (ECS) as high-risk, and DOT&E agrees with this assessment. The ECS must be fully capable in order to assure VIRGINIA's Battle Group and Joint Interoperability, as required by the ORD. The Navy's C⁴I acquisition practices, with shorter and shorter generation cycles to employ state-of-the-art communications capabilities, have caused much instability. The program has logically responded by delaying until as late as possible what the final radio room equipment list will be. The high data rate antenna and the reduced equipment rack availability (nine racks for VIRGINIA as opposed to fourteen racks for the 688 class) are additional challenges.

The Navy has evaluated six damage scenarios for the detail design VAR. However, these scenarios do not reflect the effects of secondary damage (e.g., fire). At a shock intensity of ten percent more than the required design level operational shock factor, modeling and simulation predicts few significant equipment malfunctions and no significant personnel injuries. Due to modeling and simulation limitations, as well as funding constraints, the Navy is currently reluctant to extrapolate the six damage scenarios higher than 110 percent of the design level. DOT&E believes that further extrapolation is necessary in order to determine the levels at which significant damage might result, and through this extrapolation obtain a more meaningful vulnerability assessment. Furthermore, examination of higher levels of shock intensity is necessary to determine the predicted damage, including secondary damage and crew casualties, needed to establish damage scenarios for the post-delivery Total Ship Survivability Trial (TSST). DOT&E will continue to work with the Navy to resolve this issue.