The CNAD Life Cycle Management Group AC

1. The CNAD �Life Cycle Management Group� AC/327 October 2008

2. LCMG contribution to Armaments Activities The work of CNAD falls into three areas: � Interoperability, Information Exchange, Programmes. A good way to achieve interoperability is to do things in similar ways. Common standards in nations approaches to quality, to testing, etc., mean, as for example when we go shopping ourselves, we have a degree of faith in quality, safety, durability of the products we are buying. Similarly learning from each other and sharing experiences through information exchange helps shape best practices. The end game is to have the means to work together in NATO or multinational cooperative programmes � and also to use the products of the NATO work back home in national programmes. This may not be exciting new technology �stuff�, but it is all about how one provides for the �war-fighter� the systems and equipments needed. If equipments do not work after one hour, one day, one month in the battlefield environment, that equipment is a liability, not a friend. The work of CNAD falls into three areas: � Interoperability, Information Exchange, Programmes. A good way to achieve interoperability is to do things in similar ways. Common standards in nations approaches to quality, to testing, etc., mean, as for example when we go shopping ourselves, we have a degree of faith in quality, safety, durability of the products we are buying. Similarly learning from each other and sharing experiences through information exchange helps shape best practices. The end game is to have the means to work together in NATO or multinational cooperative programmes � and also to use the products of the NATO work back home in national programmes. This may not be exciting new technology �stuff�, but it is all about how one provides for the �war-fighter� the systems and equipments needed. If equipments do not work after one hour, one day, one month in the battlefield environment, that equipment is a liability, not a friend.

3. Supporting this in NATO: Recognising the need to introduce the life cycle approach in the NATO armaments business, CNAD took the opportunity of group reorganisations in 2003 to introduce a Life Cycle Management Group to lead this approach. Based on the agreed NATO Policy for System Life Cycle Management, the LCMG is developing the standardisation publications to provide nations and NATO programmes with best practice guidance to enable the life cycle approach in defence systems acquisition � and, through this, the way to meet the Alliance capability needs. Recognising the need to introduce the life cycle approach in the NATO armaments business, CNAD took the opportunity of group reorganisations in 2003 to introduce a Life Cycle Management Group to lead this approach. Based on the agreed NATO Policy for System Life Cycle Management, the LCMG is developing the standardisation publications to provide nations and NATO programmes with best practice guidance to enable the life cycle approach in defence systems acquisition � and, through this, the way to meet the Alliance capability needs.

4. Applying SLCM in NATO The ISO 15288 System Life Cycle processes approach has been tailored to NATO needs in an over-arching publication � AAP-48. This slide shows the components of AAP-48. The life cycle stages � Concept, Development, Production, Utilization, Support and Retirement. Each stage has entry and exit criteria. The processes from ISO/IEC 15288 which include four major categories � Enterprise, Agreement, Project and Technical. The Life Cycle Model provides guidance for projects to develop a processes model for itself.The ISO 15288 System Life Cycle processes approach has been tailored to NATO needs in an over-arching publication � AAP-48. This slide shows the components of AAP-48. The life cycle stages � Concept, Development, Production, Utilization, Support and Retirement. Each stage has entry and exit criteria. The processes from ISO/IEC 15288 which include four major categories � Enterprise, Agreement, Project and Technical. The Life Cycle Model provides guidance for projects to develop a processes model for itself.

5. System/Equipment Life Cycle Costs: There is of course theory and practice. If there is an important reason why this theory needs to work in practice, it is money. What money is left to buy new capability is certainly linked to how much is needed to keep current systems and equipment in being, and even disposing of them. The life cycle approach is about thinking at the front end and designing for life cycle efficiency, not least so that operating and support costs do not swallow the budget. There is of course theory and practice. If there is an important reason why this theory needs to work in practice, it is money. What money is left to buy new capability is certainly linked to how much is needed to keep current systems and equipment in being, and even disposing of them. The life cycle approach is about thinking at the front end and designing for life cycle efficiency, not least so that operating and support costs do not swallow the budget.

6. AC/327 Objective If this is our common defence need then, in my opinion, the LCMG has an important role to play in CNAD and NATO. I welcome your questions.If this is our common defence need then, in my opinion, the LCMG has an important role to play in CNAD and NATO. I welcome your questions.