Define operational goals, technical criteria, integration needs, and management models before anything else is decided.
Background checks on manufacturers, scrutiny of aircraft specs, and assessment of regulatory compliance — reliability, support, lifecycle cost, and interoperability tested against claims, not marketing.
Live flight operations run against Tactien-derived test cards, not vendor-preferred demonstrations. Blind testing and randomized missions expose what a controlled demo won't.
Telemetry, operational data, and flight logs cross-referenced against the prescribed test conditions — not just what the vendor reports back.
Findings compile into a clear, actionable report — but the phase ends when your team can operate what's been validated, without Tactien in the loop.