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Following U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gate's decision to cancel the Future Combat Systems vehicle program earlier this year, the Army has been faced with defining a new set of policies on how to run acquisitions.
In a panel discussion at the AUSA 2009 convention this week, Army officials discussed the post-FCS outlook for the service's acquisitions future. The system needs to cut the lethargic response to Operational Needs Statements of soldiers and cut spending across the service, the panel said. As a result, the Army will be implementing a system which requires a review of all programs every two years, instead of the traditional five to 10 years.
This will mean faster updates to programs, and better response to needed changes. Spin-outs will be used more to begin getting improved systems to troops sooner - the so-called "75 percent solution," followed by updates as technology is improved.
Under FCS, the Army was trying to "modernize the whole Army at once," according to Lt. Gen. Michael Vane, director of the Army's Capabilities Integration Center. In dealing with improved materiel, the Army will focus more on its recapitalization operations, or: "Buy less and use more," as Vane said.
With five depots around the country, and 20,000 workers, this program will take stressed and older vehicles and bring them back down to zero hours/zero miles, and take them up to current standards of technology.
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