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Fires
U.S. Army
Operational Test Command Mission
1655 Randolph Road, ATTN: TEOT-FT
Fort Sill,
Oklahoma 73503-0530
The Fires Test
Directorate has the mission of planning,
conducting, and reporting on independent
operational tests, assessments, and experiments
in order to provide essential information for
the decision making process for the acquisition
and fielding of fire support, field artillery,
and air defense artillery systems.
In accordance with the BRAC 2005 implementation
plan for Fort Sill/Fort Bliss, the Fire Support
Test Directorate (FSTD) and the Air Defense
Artillery Test Directorate (ADATD), Fort Bliss,
Texas, realigned 25 September 2009 to create the
Fires Test Directorate at Fort Sill.
Who We Are
Testing since 1902, we are the longest standing test directorate within OTC. Our directorate consists of the Artillery Test Division, Missile Test Division, and Support Division.
What We Do
Team with Army evaluators, developmental testers, and materiel, combat, and training developers to address test and evaluation requirements of fire support, field artillery, and air defense artillery system.
Design and conduct operational tests.
Assess rapid acquisition initiatives.
Provide data collectors to serve on Forward Operational Assessment (FOA) teams.
Develop and maintain fire support instrumentation.
Represent OTC at the Fires Center of Excellence.
Major Programs
Excalibur Precision Engagement Projectile
Patriot Post-Deployment Build (PDB)-7
Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS)
Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS)
M109 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM)
Terminal High titleitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Enhanced Q-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar
Digitized M119A2 105mm Light Towed Howitzer
Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar (LCMR)
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Warhead (GMLRS-AW) Rocket
Computer Meteorological Data-Profiler (CMD-P) Block III
History
On 25 June 1902, the United
States Army Field Artillery Board was formally constituted at
Fort Riley, Kansas, and charged with the mission of providing
recommendations for improving field artillery equipment. In 1913, the Field Artillery Board moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. At Fort Sill, the Board became involved with testing and evaluating field artillery tactics as well as materiel.
In 1922, Major General
William J. Snow, Chief of the Field Artillery, moved the Board
to Camp Bragg, North Carolina, to be near the manufacturing
centers on the east coast.
During World War II, the Field
Artillery Board monitored the actual battlefield performance of
materiel by maintaining observers on all fronts. In 1946, the
organization was restructured as part of the Army Ground Forces
Board Number 1 which established service test sections for field
artillery, communications and electronics, Army aviation, and
airborne.
In June 1954, the Field
Artillery Board returned to Fort Sill. The purpose of the move was
to facilitate coordination and the interchange of ideas and
information between the testing community and the Field Artillery
School. In 1962, all Headquarters Continental Army System Command branch boards were placed under the command of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (TECOM) in the Army Materiel Command (AMC). This organization allowed for developmental and operational service testing under one command.
In 1975, the Field Artillery
Board, along with other branch-oriented boards, was reorganized
under HQ, TRADOC, and placed under the supervision of the Deputy
Chief of Staff for Test and Evaluation (DCST&E). This reorganization
collocated the branch-oriented school and the respective test board.
In March 1985, TRADOC test
activities were placed under the supervision of the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Combat Developments (DCSCD). Technical supervision
transferred to the Commander, TRADOC Combined Arms Test Activity
(TCATA). TCATA subsequently became the Test and Experimentation
Command (TEXCOM).
In November 1990, the
Operational Test and Evaluation Command (OPTEC) was formed with the
mission of conducting, reporting, and evaluating the results of the
testing of Army materiel and equipment for the Army community. At
this time, the testing boards throughout the United States were
renamed directorates. The TEXCOM Field Artillery Board was renamed
the Fire Support Test Directorate.
In October 1999, OPTEC was
renamed the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) and given the
mission of conducting, reporting, and evaluating the results of both
developmental and operational testing. TEXCOM became the U.S. Army
Operational Test Command (USAOTC), but the Fire Support Test
Directorate retained its name.
During its history, the Fire
Support Test Directorate has tested every fire support system
fielded: the Sense and Destroy Armor Munition, the Advanced Field
Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), Army Tactical Missile
System (ATACMS) Brilliant Antiarmor
(BAT) Munition, and the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)
Launcher. Throughout its long and colorful history, the USAOTC Fire Support Test Directorate has remained heavily committed to the accomplishment of its mission of planning, conducting, and reporting on operational tests and other type tests of fire support materiel and information to the Army community on materiel and concepts necessary to maintain and improve the latest weaponry, materiel, and tactics. |