Director, Operational Test and Evaluation

The Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) is the principal staff assistant and adviser to the US Secretary of Defense on operational and live fire test and evaluation activities involving U.S. Department of Defense weapons systems.

The director reports directly to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, with the following responsibilities:

• Development and dissemination of Department of Defense operational test and evaluation policy and procedures
• Review and analysis of operational test and evaluation results for Department of Defense acquisition programs
• Independent assessments of operational test and evaluation activities as it pertains to budgetary and financial issues for the Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense, and the United States Congress
• Oversight to ensure the adequacy of operational test and evaluation for major Department of Defense acquisition programs and to confirm the operational effectiveness and suitability of the defense systems in combat use

The director's position was established September 24, 1983, by the Department of Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 1984 (P.L. 98–94), and by Defense Directive 5141.2 of April 2, 1984.

The Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate of the Office of the Secretary of Defense is organized as follows:

• Air Warfare Joint Test and Evaluation
• Land and Expeditionary Warfare / Integrated Resource Analysis Team/Test and Evaluation Threat Resource Activity (IRAT/TETRA)
• Live Fire Test and Evaluation
• Naval Warfare
• Net Centric and Space Systems

The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation also maintains liaison with the Joint Chiefs of Staff J6 Joint Deployable Analysis Team.

• Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
• Joint Deployable Analysis Team
• Joint Interoperability Test Command
• Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity
• Office of Naval Research
• Operational Test and Evaluation Force - U.S. Navy
• Test and evaluation master plan
• United States Army Test and Evaluation Command
• United States Naval Research Laboratory

• Official website
• Statement by The Honorable Philip E. Coyle, Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E), before the AirLand Subcommittee of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee – Russell Senate Office Building, Room 232A – March 25, 1998