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This research project defines the interdependent relationship between a weapon system's mission capabilities, operations and support costs, operational utility rate, and their impacts on overall mission effectiveness of an operational combat unit. By analyzing the sub-elements of both operational effectiveness and operational suitability it can be shown how operational effectiveness is a dependent element of operation suitability. Additionally, it will be demonstrated how support costs influence the operational suitability parameters of a weapon system, which then impacts a combat unit's overall mission effectiveness. Since support costs have such a critical relationship to operational suitability factors, the project also defines the current relationships between Service Cost and the Test and Evaluation communities to question whether there is the requisite level of integration of effort between the two organizations to accurately assess weapon system costs and capabilities prior to production.