Test and Evaluation

Major System/ Platform Variant

Original Planned

Current Planned

Achieved/ Forecast

Variance (Months)

Test Readiness Review

MRH aircraft - Phase 2

Jul 06

Nov 06

Dec 06

5

MRH aircraft - Phase 4/6

N/A

N/A

N/A

MRH Software Support Centre

N/A

Oct 08

Nov 08

1

Electronic Warfare Self Protection Support System

N/A

N/A

Nov 07

N/A

Ground based Mission planning and Management System

N/A

N/A

N/A

MRH Instrumented System

Nov 08

May 09

Jul 09

8

Acceptance

Type Acceptance Review Special Flight Permit 1

Oct 07

Dec 07

2

Type Acceptance Review Special Flight Permit 2

Jun 08

Jun 08

0

Extension Special Flight Permit 2

Feb 09

Feb 09

0

Australian Military Type Certificate

Dec 08

Mar 10

15

Aircraft Acceptance

MRH aircraft #01 (First aircraft)

Dec 08

Dec 08

0

MRH aircraft #05 (Most recent)

Dec 08

Dec 08

0

MRH aircraft #06 (Next aircraft)

Feb 09

Jul 09

5

MRH aircraft #46 (Final aircraft)

Jul 14

Jul 14

0

Variance Explanations

The first Airworthiness Board (for Special Flight Permit1) was conducted in December 2007 and granted in December 2008. Achievement of the Australian Military Type Certificate has proved problematic due to insufficient levels of Rate of Effort. Rate of Effort is required to validate that in-service support arrangements for the fleet are sufficient to cope with current numbers of aircraft and are growing in maturity to meet fleet requirements. Further, the numbers of trained aircrew have been limited by the low Rate of Effort and are a criterion of Australian Military Type Certificate.

With respect to MRH Instrumented System Test Readiness Review being delayed, a contract change was put in place to allow closure of action items and development of Acceptance Test procedures, between Detailed Design Review and Test Readiness Review, to a high level of maturity that would not have otherwise been achieved.

MRH#06 will be the first aircraft delivered in an updated configuration defined as Product Baseline # 002 (PBL002). Acceptance of these aircraft could not be conducted until Design Acceptance of the PBL002 build standard, which is due to occur in early July 2009.