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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY99 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Transportation Coordinators' Automated Information for Movements System (TC-AIMS) II addresses critical shortfalls in the movement of materiel and personnel in support of DoD operations. It merges the best business practices of the current Service-unique transportation automated information systems (AIS) into a single AIS that combines the requirements for the Unit Movement and Installation Transportation Office/Transportation Management Office functional areas and integrates the following legacy systems:

At full operational capability, TC-AIMS II will provide an integrated transportation information system capability for routine deployment, sustainment, and redeployment/retrograde operations. The system must be integrated with installation, unit, and depot-level supply systems to manage inbound and outbound movement documents and requisition information (less household goods). TC-AIMS II will automate installation shipping/receiving and deployment, sustainment and redeployment/retrograde processes; produce movement documentation; and furnish timely information to the major Service commands, United States Transportation Command, transportation component commands, and the joint deployment community, and will also support warfighters at the unit level. As a DoD source movement information system, it will provide in-transit visibility and control over cargo and passenger movement. TC-AIMS II supports the Joint Vision 2010 concept of dominant maneuver by improving joint capabilities for rapid worldwide deployment and reducing "buildup time." It supports the Joint Vision 2010 concept of focused logistics by enabling rapid crisis response at unit and installation transportation offices. TC-AIMS II allows the direct delivery of tailored logistics and sustainment packages at the strategic, operational, and tactical level of operations.

TC-AIMS II will be developed and fielded in functional blocks. The acquisition has been underway since 1996, but was delayed by disagreements among the Services on requirements, particularly the Key Performance Parameters. The Joint Requirements Oversight Council finally approved the Operational Requirements Document (ORD) in March 1999. However, the program does not yet have an approved Acquisition Program Baseline.

The lack of an approved ORD held up the development of a TEMP, but a draft is now being staffed. IOT&E is tentatively planned for Version 3.01, the first major release, during summer 2000. In the meantime, the Army and Marine Corps used the latest TC-AIMS II software to support JCS exercise FOAL EAGLE in the United States Pacific Command during September-December 1999. OPTEC, the independent OTA, conducted an OA during the exercise. Unfortunately, the emerging results are not encouraging.

The system was used by only a small percentage of the FOAL EAGLE players to perform a very limited number of the Services' transportation processes. (Most of them continued to use their Service-unique legacy systems. Some of the users also reverted to their old system when they experienced problems with TC-AIMS II.) The latest software version was used (Build 60), but it was very immature and had not undergone adequate DT. For example, the software had a "quick fix" to correct a problem in generating Army Transportation Control Numbers, but during the OA it was found to incorrectly modify Unit Line Numbers for the Marine Corps. Experienced and enthusiastic Marines in Okinawa were innovative in trying to use the new system, but although some were very positive about its potential, they were unable to make it work effectively.

For the first time, a single system, TC-AIMS II is being developed to integrate the transportation and movement control systems/procedures for all four Services. However, before the processes can be automated successfully, the procedures must be jointly agreed upon and standardized. This has presented a substantial institutional challenge in the past, but progress is being made. As TC-AIMS II continues development, its numerous external system interfaces will present significant technical and operational challenges. Unresolved technical problems noted during Exercise FOAL EAGLE appear to indicate that the system may not be ready for operational test at the time currently scheduled (summer 2000).