Q&A: Colonel Richard "Eric" Burns
Written by Marty Kauchak
Director
Comparative Testing Office,
Office of the Under Secretary
of Defense for Advanced
Systems and Concepts
Q: What’s the mission of the Comparative Testing Office [CTO]?
A: We fund testing of a wide range of products that solve warfighters’ problems. Since these products are already developed, we can get needed capabilities to warfighters quickly and save development costs. Our focus is on supporting irregular and conventional warfare, and we have successfully met a number of these pressing needs. One key measure of this success is 80 percent of the products we have tested lead to service and U.S. Special Operations Command [USSOCOM] procurements.
CTO has two programs: the Foreign Comparative Testing [FCT] program and the Defense Acquisition Challenge [DAC] program. FCT searches internationally, and has tested various products from 29 nations. This program reflects a U.S. commitment to a “two-way street” in procurement, other nations’ willingness to share technology and their desire to compete. DAC focuses on U.S. products, annually soliciting proposed improvements to systems, components or their production. For more information, visit www.acq.osd.mil/cto/.
Q: How can companies with home offices outside the United States work through your organization to provide products to DoD?
A: For foreign comparative testing projects, companies can contact the Comparative Testing Offices in the Office of the Secretary of Defense [OSD], services or USSOCOM. When in the United States, they can make appointments by contacting OSD’s Comparative Testing Office at 703-602-3740.
Anyone can present items for Foreign Comparative Testing by the services and USSOCOM. More importantly, they should check www.fedbizopps.gov for Foreign Comparative Test requests for proposals or requests for information. And companies can invite office representatives to conferences, trade shows and industry tours in their countries. We identify systems through such visits, advertisements and from U.S. warfighters who see foreign systems in use.
Q: Cite examples of training products originating overseas that your office helped field these last five years.
A: Deployable Multipurpose Moving Target System: from Germany’s Thiessen Training Systems. Used in training Marines in anti-armor engagement tactics. It moves and pops up targets for targeting and marking.
Laser Marksmanship Training System “Hummerbook”: from Seoul Standard Co. Ltd. in the Republic of Korea. Used in Marines marksmanship training. Hummerbook is a ruggedized scoring device used with the Laser Marksmanship Training System, enabling the system’s use in harsh outdoor environments.
40 mm Training Cartridge MK281: from Germany’s Rheinmetall. Used by the Army and Marine Corps to train operators of the Mk19 Grenade Launchers. Compared to previous training munitions, these cartridges produce a more noticeable impact and a red/orange flash leaving no energetic material. Seen at over 1,200 meters, they are suited for air-ground training. Portable Undersea Training Range: from Australia’s Nautronix/ Maripro. Employed by the Navy’s 7th Fleet for antisubmarine warfare training in shallow littorals. System uses a transponder hub with proven in-water protocols. It is deployable and provides a core for an undersea range.
Special Effect Small Arms Marking Systems: from Canada’s SNC Technologies. Used by the Marine Corps for force-onforce training, preparing units for Iraq. These systems provide specialized bolts for M16A2 rifles and M249 squad automatic weapons, allowing them to fire paintball-like cartridges, or “simunitions,” with fluorescent blue or red marking medium. Unit of Employment Battle Command: from Denmark’s Systematics and the Netherlands’ Capgemini. Used by the Army to train commanders. This software is a surrogate for Army Battle Command Systems used in real-world operations, providing battlespace command and control tools in battle lab experiments.
Urban Deployable Instrumented Training Systems: from Sweden’s Saab Training Systems AB. Used in training Marines for urban combat. Trainees and buildings are instrumented, enabling simulated fire fights and confirmed hits. Also, simulates indirect fires, mines, chemical weapons and improvised explosive devices.
In 2009, we are testing proposed training systems for the Carl Gustaf 84 mm anti-armor and anti-personnel weapon, providing realistic blow-back firing sequences to shooters.
Q: May companies resubmit products if not selected by a program?
A: Yes. With time, priorities and requirements change. Program managers often resubmit proposals previously not selected. As a result, companies need to keep the service and USSOCOM comparative testing offices and their program managers informed of any changes to their products.
Q: Anything else?
A: We encourage free and open competition, to include U.S. vendor participation in foreign comparative testing, if they can meet needs. We want our warfighters to have the best possible products—especially in training systems. After combat, warfighters have said these systems foster skills that keep them alive. ♦