The Future Combat System, a networked family of weapons
and other systems central to the Army’s combat
transformation, remains a long way from having the level
of knowledge it should have had before starting product
development prematurely in 2003, the Government
Accountability Office has said.
It said investment in such systems has doubled in the
last five years to about $1.4 trillion, and that FCS and
complementary programs could cost $200 billion and will
have to compete for funds at a time when federal fiscal
imbalances are putting a lot of pressure on discretionary
spending, so these programs will have to be executable
within projected resources.
However, the elements of a sound business case for FCS
such as an acquisition program, firm requirements, mature
technologies, a knowledge-based acquisition strategy, a
realistic cost estimate and sufficient funding, are not
yet present, according to GAO-06-478T.
It said because the program would face trade-offs when
technologies inevitably don’t work out, available funds
are reduced, and performance parameters change. In that
case, business arrangements for carrying out the program
related to contract development and the lead system
integrator approach would need to enable the government
to adjust course in response.
The program is slated to spend $8 billion through fiscal
2006, a small part of the estimated total cost, but DoD
needs to prevent the buildup in investment from limiting
its decision-making flexibility as detailed knowledge about
FCS becomes available, GAO said.
It said markers for gauging knowledge must be clear, that
incentives must be aligned with demonstrating such knowledge,
and provisions must be made for the Army to change course if
the program does not go according to plan.
