The current fiscal environment continues to highlight challenges of U.S. Defense Acquisitions to support the Joint Force Commander (JFC). Continued technical proficiency deficits in personnel, cost over-runs, performance issues, and missed production and delivery deadlines plague efforts to provide the JFC with goods and services. Moreover, Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition risks continue to increase. Constantly changing requirements, reliance on multiple processes and policies, and expanding regulatory mandates impact decision-making at all levels. Balancing war fighter needs against fiscal realities need not be a paradox. The problem is to find an acquisition process or system that overcomes or mitigates challenges within acceptable
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This system of systems includes the Planning, programming, Budgeting, and Execution system (PPBE) where resources originate, the Joint Capabilities and Development System (JCIDS) where capability requirements are determined, and the DAS. Governed by both statute and regulation, the DAS includes the management framework required to implement all policies and principles. Decision points and milestones throughout the DAS process provide necessary watersheds to supervise and manage the acquisition process. These watersheds require specific achievements in order to proceed to the next phase and thus facilitate decision-making. Additionally, recognized as a key principle of the DAS, acquisition categories define programs according to increasing dollar value called ACATs. As the monetary value of a program increases, the level of required oversight increases. Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) are ACAT I programs and Major Automated Information Systems (MAIS) are ACAT II level programs. These two program categories contain the highest cost programs and correctly demand the largest statutory and regulatory obligations. Whether a weapons system or automated information system, the DAS delivers the necessary capability within acceptable risk levels to the …show more content…
The longest time-based, and most criticized, is deliberate acquisition. This process develops and delivers complex systems typically in four years to ten years. While it is commonly understood complex systems are expensive and take the longest to deliver, intense debate on time and cost is appropriate and controversial. The Seven Deadly Sins of Defense Spending article highlights points from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget and stated “DoD programs continue to take longer, cost more, and deliver fewer capabilities than planned.” While it is true Air Force aircraft and Navy ship programs historically typify statements from critics, rapid and agile acquisition processes provide the JFC mitigation to both operational and future challenges. Agile processes address procurement in two to four years while rapid acquisition occurs within 120 days to two years. Examples of rapid acquisition successes include programs outside and inside the DoD. Although Air Force Space Command correctly disagreed, NASA’s “Faster, Better, Cheaper” (FBC) and Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission demonstrated many positive and successful rapid acquisition methods that successfully diminished NASA’s operational risk. NASA executed its strategy within “acceptable
This system of systems includes the Planning, programming, Budgeting, and Execution system (PPBE) where resources originate, the Joint Capabilities and Development System (JCIDS) where capability requirements are determined, and the DAS. Governed by both statute and regulation, the DAS includes the management framework required to implement all policies and principles. Decision points and milestones throughout the DAS process provide necessary watersheds to supervise and manage the acquisition process. These watersheds require specific achievements in order to proceed to the next phase and thus facilitate decision-making. Additionally, recognized as a key principle of the DAS, acquisition categories define programs according to increasing dollar value called ACATs. As the monetary value of a program increases, the level of required oversight increases. Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) are ACAT I programs and Major Automated Information Systems (MAIS) are ACAT II level programs. These two program categories contain the highest cost programs and correctly demand the largest statutory and regulatory obligations. Whether a weapons system or automated information system, the DAS delivers the necessary capability within acceptable risk levels to the …show more content…
The longest time-based, and most criticized, is deliberate acquisition. This process develops and delivers complex systems typically in four years to ten years. While it is commonly understood complex systems are expensive and take the longest to deliver, intense debate on time and cost is appropriate and controversial. The Seven Deadly Sins of Defense Spending article highlights points from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget and stated “DoD programs continue to take longer, cost more, and deliver fewer capabilities than planned.” While it is true Air Force aircraft and Navy ship programs historically typify statements from critics, rapid and agile acquisition processes provide the JFC mitigation to both operational and future challenges. Agile processes address procurement in two to four years while rapid acquisition occurs within 120 days to two years. Examples of rapid acquisition successes include programs outside and inside the DoD. Although Air Force Space Command correctly disagreed, NASA’s “Faster, Better, Cheaper” (FBC) and Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission demonstrated many positive and successful rapid acquisition methods that successfully diminished NASA’s operational risk. NASA executed its strategy within “acceptable