The Navy and Reliability Growth: a Paradox at Best

This article outlines the development of the U.S. Navy's test, analysis, and fix (TAAF) approach to reliability development testing. Incorporation of lessons learned into DoD 4245.7-M and NAVSO P-6071 are highlighted. Current policy emphasizes the application of worst-case environmental mission profiles to test articles of the latest design configuration, the assumption of log-log reliability growth in test planning, and the consequent devaluation of reliability demonstration and product reliability acceptance test. Examples are provided to show the results of proper TAAF application as well as its misapplication.