Abbreviated Assessment of Embedded Training for the Howitzer Improvement Program M109A6 Howitzer.

摘要

The Howitzer Improvement Program (HIP) self-propelled M109A6 howitzer is equipped with an Embedded Trainer (ET). However, the ET was not included in the HIP Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOTE) and, consequently, the merits of the system were unknown as the Army prepared for the pre-Army Systems Acquisition Review Council (pre-ASARC) meeting. To remedy this circumstance, the HIP Product Manager (PM) requested support from the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. This report describes the research undertaken to evaluate the HIP ET. A full-scale assessment was not possible because of the limited availability of a HIP howitzer. Both subjective reactions to the ET and objective performance were measured. Additionally, a detailed screen-by-screen analysis of the tutorial was performed. A major MANPRINT concern in the development of the HIP is whether or not the entire targeted user population can perform the chief-of-section functions adequately. This report addresses that issue and provides recommendations to increase the effectiveness and viability of the HIP ET.