Operational Testing and Evaluation of Defense: U.S. Department of Defense Operational Test and Evaluation and Fiscal Year Budget Assessment Report

Key Chapter Title List

1. Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E) Mission Description and Budget Item Justification
2. OT&E Program Changes Summary and Analysis
3. OT&E Program Plans and Accomplishments Overview
4. Live Fire Test & Evaluation (LFT&E) Mission Description and Budget Item Justification
5. LFT&E Program Changes Summary and Analysis
6. LFT&E Program Plans and Accomplishments Overview: Joint Live Fire, Joint Aircraft Survivability, Joint Munitions Effectiveness Technical Coordination Groups
7. Operational Test Activities and Analysis (OTAAA) Mission Description and Budget Item Justification
8. OTAAA Program Changes Summary and Analysis
9. OTAAA Program Plans and Accomplishments Overview: Joint Test and Evaluation, Test and Evaluation Threat Resource Activity, Countermeasures Center, Strategic Initiatives, Policy and Emerging Technologies
10. Cross-Program Budget Adjustment Explanation: Efficiency Gains and Cost Optimization Based on Executive Order

Document Introduction

This report provides an authoritative analysis of the budget, functions, and strategic planning of the Department of Defense (DoD) Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) office, based on Volume 5 of the DoD's Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget documents. The report focuses on ensuring the independent, realistic assessment of the effectiveness, suitability, and survivability of weapon systems in an operational environment prior to their deployment within the U.S. defense acquisition system. This is the core statutory duty mandated to the office by Congress through legislation in 1983.

The core content of the report revolves around three main budget program elements. First, the ## Operational Test & Evaluation section details how DOT&E exercises oversight over approximately 250 Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) and other accelerated acquisition pathway programs. This includes approving Test & Evaluation Master Plans, overseeing operational testing in the field, and reporting results to the Secretary of Defense and Congress. This section particularly emphasizes its growing cybersecurity assessment function, planning to sponsor about 65 and 70 cyber assessment events with Combatant Commands and Services in FY2025 and FY2026, respectively. The focus is on the application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies in cybersecurity, vulnerability remediation for critical infrastructure (Find-Fix-Verify process), and simulating advanced cyber and electronic warfare threats.

Second, the ## Live Fire Test & Evaluation section provides an in-depth analysis of the work of the Joint Live Fire Program, Joint Aircraft Survivability Program, and Joint Munitions Effectiveness Technical Coordination Groups. Its core mission is to ensure the vulnerability and survivability of manned platforms, as well as the lethality of conventional munitions, are fully understood and acknowledged before entering Full-Rate Production. The report lists specific plans for FY2025-2026, including developing full-spectrum survivability and lethality analysis tools, advancing digital engineering and modeling & simulation integration, updating the Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manual, developing assessment tools for High-Power Microwave and Cyber Operations lethality (e.g., COLE, JHAWKS), and supporting Joint Electronic Attack effectiveness assessments, all aimed at building a more lethal Joint Force.

Finally, the ## Operational Test Activities and Analysis section covers four key activities: Joint Test and Evaluation, Test and Evaluation Threat Resource Activity, Countermeasures Center, and Strategic Initiatives, Policy and Emerging Technologies. These activities are dedicated to providing test policy updates, threat intelligence support, countermeasures testing, and driving Test & Evaluation enterprise modernization. The report specifically notes that the SIPET initiative leads transformation through five strategic pillars (Test as We Fight, Accelerate Delivery of Effective Weapons, Enhance Survivability in Contested Environments, Test Variable Weapon Systems, Cultivate an Agile Test Workforce) and plans innovative integration in areas such as digital twins, artificial intelligence, and software-intensive systems.

The budget change summary across all programs shows that the FY2026 budget request has been adjusted compared to previous years, primarily due to implementing the President's Government Efficiency/Cost Efficiency Initiative under Executive Order 14222. This involves reducing contractual reliance on advisory and assistance services and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers to enhance efficiency. This reflects a policy orientation of optimizing resource allocation under budget constraints. This report provides first-hand, data-supported professional analysis for understanding the operational logic of the U.S. defense test and evaluation system, future technology investment priorities, and budgetary focus areas.