Challenge
During Op HERRICK, the Force Protection Delivery Team (FP-DT) procured four Intelligence Surveillance Targeting Acquisition & Reconnaissance (ISTAR) systems as Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs).
As these systems were procured as UORs they were fielded with a balance of Operational risk and specification compliance. In addition to this, an iterative improvement process is often implemented to ensure that the highest level of capability is continually afforded to the front line. Unfortunately, this resulted in the systems’ configuration, and therefore compliance with requirements & legislation, being unknown.
To develop these systems into sustainable “Core” capabilities, the U2C: GBI [UORs into Core (U2C): Ground Based ISTAR (GBI)] programme had a requirement to baseline these systems to identify any deficiencies between the mandatory standards for a MOD Core programme. This included the physical system, as well as the supporting documentation, processes and systems currently in place. The necessary updates were then to be implemented to ensure that the optimum solution will be provided to the User as an organic capability.
Approach
RED Scientific, teaming with WEMEC Ltd, undertook a full characterisation & issue resolution programme on the four systems as part of the process to produce a confirmed ‘Core Update Pack’. It was envisaged that this ‘pack’ would be used to update the systems to meet the specified requirements as part of establishing the systems as Core capabilities. The system compliance testing fully utilised the MIRA EMC Testing Chamber facility based at Nuneaton.
Outputs
The work resulted in these key capabilities being brought into “core”. The end customer was extremely happy with the work carried out, as well as the high standard delivered.
On completion of testing the systems were rectified, re-baselined and returned to the customer with the following documentation:
- IO Compliance Report
- OI Core Update Pack
- EC Technical File
- Configuration Change Impact Assessment
