Lessons learned from combined testing

Mark Jordan, AV-8B Weapon Separation Test Team Lead, NAVAIR, Patuxent River, USA

Abstract

The AV-8B Harrier test team has had multiple programs in recent years that have a combination of Combined Testing. While combining test programs has its draw backs, it also offers significant cost and schedule savings. Three different programs will be highlighted each with a different approach to combined testing: Advanced Air Delivered Sensor (AADS), GBU-32, and Dual Mode GBU-12F/B. While these programs combined testing differently, each of them faced many of the same issues on how to find synergy in test requirements.

The AADS certification program on the AV-8B aircraft was a joint Air Force and Marine Corps program. Individual tests were not combined for this test program, however, assets from one test were used for multiple tests. Marine AV-8B’s were used to deliver the AADS onto an Army range during the separation test program. Once the AADS were delivered, a ground test was begun that utilized both Army and Air Force assets. The main hurdles that had to be overcome were asset availability and defining test requirements such that independent test plans could cover delivery and ground testing of the AADS without compromising safety.

The GBU-32 recertification program was a quick turn around program designed to test fixes to deficiencies found late in developmental testing. This program faced limited funding and a compressed schedule to limit delays to fielding GBU-32 on the AV-8B. The GBU-32 recertification program on the AV-8B aircraft was a combined separation and integration test program. Under this test program, separate test plans were utilized for the separation and integration test flights. Many of the test points were able to be overlapped, because of the limited flight envelope that was to be tested. Through cooperation between the test teams, many of the test points were combined to reduce the number of flight required.

The GBU-12F/B program was developed to quickly field an all weather GPS/INS/Laser capability to the fleet. The fleet deployment goals required a significant reduction in the test schedule. The GBU-12F/B certification program on the AV-8B was a combined developmental, captive carriage, separation, integration, and First Article Test (FAT) test program. A single test plan was used to cover all of the certification requirements. This approach required compromising desired vs. required test requirements. This approach also required the team leader to have an understanding of all aspects of the test program to provide realistic direction on how to combine test points that may not on the surface look similar enough to be combined.