AMERICA’S ARMY WINNING IN A COMPLEX WORLD

Glossary of Terms
LIVE FIRE TEST AND EVALUATION (LFT&E)
LFT&E must be conducted on a covered system, major munition
program, missile program, or a product improvement to a covered
system, major munition program or missile program before it can
proceed beyond Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). A covered system
is any vehicle, weapon platform or conventional weapon system that
includes features designed to provide some degree of protection to users
in combat and that is an ACAT I or II program. Depending upon its
intended use, a Commercial or Non-Developmental Item may be a covered
system or a part of a covered system. Systems requiring LFT&E
may not proceed beyond LRIP until realistic survivability or lethality
testing is completed and the report required by statute is submitted to
the prescribed Congressional committees.
LOW-RATE INITIAL PRODUCTION (LRIP)
The objective of this activity is to produce the minimum quantity
necessary to provide production-configured or representative articles
for operational tests; establish an initial production base for the system;
and permit an orderly increase in the production rate for the system,
sufficient to lead to Full-Rate Production upon successful completion
of Operational Testing. The LRIP quantity may not exceed 10 percent
of the total production quantity without an approved waiver by the
Acquisition Executive and documented in the Acquisition
Decision Memorandum.
MAJOR AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM
(MAIS) ACQUISITION PROGRAM
A MAIS is an AIS acquisition program that is designated by the Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics as a
MAIS, or estimated to require program costs in any single year in
excess of $40 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 constant dollars, total
program costs in excess of $165 million in FY 2014 constant dollars,
or total lifecycle costs in excess of $520 million in FY 2014 constant
dollars. MAIS do not include highly sensitive, classified programs.
MAJOR DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAM (MDAP)
An MDAP is an acquisition program that is not a highly sensitive,
classified program as determined by the Secretary of Defense and
that is designated by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) as an MDAP, or estimated by
the USD(AT&L) to require an eventual total expenditure for research,
development, test and evaluation of more than $480 million in Fiscal
Year (FY) 2014 constant dollars or, for Procurement, of more than
$2.790 billion in FY 2014 constant dollars.
MAJOR MILESTONE
A major milestone is the decision point that separates the phases of
an acquisition program. MDAP milestones include, as examples, the
decisions to authorize entry into the Engineering & Manufacturing
Development Phase or Full-Rate Production. MAIS milestones may
include, for example, the decision to begin Technology Maturation and
Risk Reduction (TMRR).
• Milestone A: Entry into the TMRR Phase
• Milestone B: Entry into the Engineering & Manufacturing
Development Phase
• Milestone C: Entry into the Production & Deployment Phase
MAJOR SYSTEMS
Dollar value: estimated by the DoD Component Head to require an
eventual total expenditure for research, development, test and evaluation
of more than $185 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 constant
dollars, or for Procurement, of more than $835 million in FY 2014
constant dollars. (Lowest category for major system designation is
ACAT II).
MILESTONE
The point at which a recommendation is made and approval sought
regarding starting or continuing an acquisition program, e.g., proceeding
to the next phase.
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UNITED STATES ARMY