Gazing into the crystal ball [Air Force ATS developments]

Within the Air Force shrinking budgets, organizational boundaries, policy changes and funding practices conspire to make Automatic Test System (ATS) management a truly challenging task. Coupling this environment with the pace of standards and technology development in the test industry, and the mission of the ATS Product Group Management (ATS PGM) office has often been akin to holding a tiger by the tail. This paper details some of the scenery along that ride, the steps we are taking to tame that tiger, and describes where we hope to end up (hopefully not as lunch!).