Integ Combat System Test Facility

The Integrated Combat System Test Facility (ICSTF) Program is a key line item (LI 2960) in the Navy's Other Procurement budget, specifically supporting Communications & Electronics Equipment for shore-based electronic testing. The primary objective of the ICSTF Program is to provide the infrastructure, equipment, and modernization necessary for comprehensive integration and interoperability testing of Navy combat systems.

This program enables the Navy to certify the maturity and readiness of computer programs and combat system configurations prior to their deployment to the fleet, in alignment with the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP) and NAVSEAINST 9410.2 Naval Warfare Systems Certification Policy.

The ICSTF Program funding supports a network of Navy Land Based Test Sites (LBTS), including facilities at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren, Surface Combat System Center (SCSC) Wallops Island, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, and NSWC Dam Neck. These sites are tasked with conducting integration and interoperability testing for a wide range of ship classes, such as CVN, DDG, LCS, DDG 1000, CG, LHD, LHA, LPD 17, and LSD.

The program also underpins the Navy's Distributed Integration & Interoperability Assessment Capability (DIIAC), a network of 23 sites connected via the Joint Mission Environment Test Community (JMETC) network. This network facilitates force-level assessment and systems engineering events for deploying Strike Groups.

The Shipboard Electronic Systems Evaluation Facilities (SESEF) component of the ICSTF Program provides electromagnetic systems test and evaluation services to both afloat and shore commands. SESEF's mission includes validating system performance following new construction, overhaul, and modernization, as well as providing real-time assessments of material readiness in operational environments.

The budget increase for SESEF is directed toward upgrading test ranges to support AN/SLQ-32 (V)6 & (V)7 electronic warfare systems and enhancing data link capabilities to ensure mission readiness. SESEF also supports system modernization, integration, and procurement of components and software upgrades for test systems such as TACAN, Antenna Radiation Pattern systems, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), and secure communications systems.

This line item funds upgrades for the DIIAC sites, including procurement of hardware for the DIIAC Operations Center to support event monitoring, data collection, and distribution. Investments in this area are focused on maintaining site standards, scalability, and efficiency, as well as improving interoperability with other Joint communities via the JMETC network.

The DIIAC plays a critical role in certifying the force-level impact of new systems and platforms, ensuring that NAVSEA and Program Executive Offices deliver mature, interoperable warfare systems to the fleet. Funding also supports infrastructure updates and additional test nodes to characterize interoperability impacts, particularly for DDG 51 Flight III Aegis Baseline 10 upgrades.

The ICSTF Program's procurement activities are closely tied to the Navy's interoperability testing schedule, enabling parallel certification efforts and reducing the cost and risk of corrective actions by shifting problem discovery from operational environments to controlled laboratory settings. This approach supports earlier shift to the left testing in the acquisition cycle, benefiting both the fleet and the acquisition community by identifying and resolving integration issues before systems are fielded.

As technology evolves and legacy systems face obsolescence and technical refresh requirements, the ICSTF Program ensures that test beds accurately replicate the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, Combat System, and Intelligence (C5I) configurations designed for the fleet. The program also supports the development and testing of new combat system architectures, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) variants for emerging ship classes like the FFG. Procurement of production-representative systems is essential for validating both current and new combat systems in accordance with Navy certification policies.