Modernizing legacy Automated Test Systems for DoD depots

Department of defense (DoD) maintenance depots face a growing challenge regarding legacy Automated Test Systems (ATS). These systems, which are critical to ensuring mission success, are increasingly difficult to maintain and repair as well as being costly to modernize or replace. According to the General Accounting Office, the DoD has estimated that they will spend billions of dollars to modernize their ATS inventory, much of which was acquired in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the maintenance depots is Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) and is in a similar situation with it legacy test systems. The aging testers at TYAD are becoming increasingly out of date and more difficult to support. When the testers do not work properly, maintenance can suffer and readiness can be adversely affected. This paper reviews the requirements and issues associated with depot ATS equipment and will present a technical strategy for the modernization of ATS at TYAD.