2RHPZ
07-24-2004, 02:19 AM
Army Accelerates Future Combat System
US Department if Defense; July 22, 2004
WASHINGTON --- For the Army, the future is now.
Army officials are accelerating the delivery of selected future combat systems to the current force. Under the program, the Army will speed up deployment of some segments of the system. They will begin reaching the field is fiscal 2008, rather than in fiscal 2014.
"We are an Army at war for a nation at war," said Lt. Gen. Benjamin Griffin, the Army's deputy chief of staff for force development. "The technological improvements inherent in the future combat systems can and should be incorporated into the current forces as they become available.
In addition, the number of brigades equipped with future combat systems technology will speed up. The first FCS unit will be fielded in fiscal 2008, with 32 brigades so equipped by fiscal 2014. Under the old plan, the first unit was set for 2012.
"The Army is committed to providing our soldiers the best equipment possible and the future combat systems will remain the cornerstone of the Army's transformational program," Griffin said.
The service took the lessons learned from combat actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, he noted, and applied them to the future combat system. "These changes will mature and accelerate the most promising technologies within the FCS," Griffin said. The systems will cost $92 billion through 2014, officials said. The money to speed up the deployment comes from the canceled Comanche helicopter and Crusader artillery systems, Army officials said.
The five technologies that will be accelerated are the non-line-of sight cannon, the non-line-of-site launch system, the unattended ground sensors, two classes of unmanned aerial vehicles and armed robotic vehicles.
At the system's heart is an integrated network that gives unprecedented situational awareness to soldiers. The move will increase the connectivity and intelligence sharing within combat formations, Griffin said. This "spiral development" approach allows the Army to incorporate technological developments as new technologies mature, while allowing the Army to work on how to incorporate the changes in the new brigade combat teams.
"We are already growing that network," said Lt. Gen. Joseph Yakovac, military deputy to the assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. "When the 3rd Infantry Division goes back to Iraq, they will have a much different networking capability than they had when they went north (to Baghdad) the first time."
Part of what is driving this is the hothouse growth of technology. Yakovac cited the growth of wireless technologies as an example. The Army now, for example, has a tactical operations center running wireless.
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Army, Boeing, SAIC Accelerate Future Combat Systems' Contributions to the Current Force
Boeing Company; July 22, 2004
ST. LOUIS --- Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the Lead Systems Integrators (LSI) for the U.S. Army's cutting-edge Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, have welcomed the Army's intention to expand the scope of the program and accelerate delivery of technologies and capabilities to the Current Forces.
In its statement, the Army said today's announcement demonstrates its strong, long-term commitment to FCS and its potential contributions to the Current Forces.
"This is a strong endorsement of our partnership with the Army and our performance on FCS," said Dennis Muilenburg, vice president and general manager of FCS for Boeing. "We stand ready to work with the Army and our industry partners on the FCS One Team to develop and fully implement the Army's plans."
The Army discussed its plans during a Pentagon press briefing today. The plan will expand the scope of the program's System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase by adding four discrete "spirals" of capabilities for Current Forces. It also will fully fund the FCS network and its 18 core systems, four of which were previously deferred. The changes to the program will allow the Army to field accelerated capabilities beginning in 2008, benefiting more than 30 modular brigades through 2014. The first fully- equipped FCS Unit of Action will be fielded in 2014. A significant increase to the current SDD funding of $14.78 billion is required to accomplish the changes.
"The Chief of Staff of the Army challenged the Army's acquisition community to accelerate delivery of needed capabilities to the Current and Future Warfighter," said Brigadier General Charles Cartwright, program manager, Unit of Action. "Together with the Army's One Team partnership this challenge will be accomplished."
Further commenting on the program, Muilenburg noted, "It makes the FCS program more relevant to the Current Force, underscoring the value of the warfighting capabilities and architecture we are developing, while maintaining our commitment to the Future Force. Thanks to the efforts of the entire Army and industry team this program of unprecedented complexity is on track.
"Now we have to show the flexibility to get these new capabilities to our Soldiers even faster," he added.
SAIC's FCS Deputy Program Manager Dan Zanini said, "From the LSI perspective, the most important aspect of today's announcement is the Army's commitment to transformation. Nothing speaks more clearly about both the promise FCS holds for the future and its relevance to the Army's situation today."
In the role of LSI for FCS, Boeing and SAIC function as a "general contractor" for the Army and are responsible for total system-of-systems engineering and integration, development of the core network and architecture, and identification, selection and procurement of the program's major systems and subsystems.
In May 2003, the Defense Acquisition Board approved the FCS program's entrance into the SDD phase. FCS is a networked "system-of-systems" combining advanced communications and technologies to link Soldiers with both manned and unmanned ground and air platforms and sensors. As the basis for the Department of Defense's visionary transformation plan, FCS will significantly increase the Army's agility and reduce logistics requirements, allowing it to go anywhere and to overcome any adversary. FCS is also designed from the ground up to enhance joint operations and coordination between U.S. and coalition forces.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $27 billion business, providing systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers.
SAIC is the nation's largest employee-owned research and engineering company, providing information technology, systems integration and eSolutions to commercial and government customers. With annual revenues of $6.7 billion, SAIC and its subsidiaries have more than 43,000 employees at offices in more than 150 cities worldwide.
US Department if Defense; July 22, 2004
WASHINGTON --- For the Army, the future is now.
Army officials are accelerating the delivery of selected future combat systems to the current force. Under the program, the Army will speed up deployment of some segments of the system. They will begin reaching the field is fiscal 2008, rather than in fiscal 2014.
"We are an Army at war for a nation at war," said Lt. Gen. Benjamin Griffin, the Army's deputy chief of staff for force development. "The technological improvements inherent in the future combat systems can and should be incorporated into the current forces as they become available.
In addition, the number of brigades equipped with future combat systems technology will speed up. The first FCS unit will be fielded in fiscal 2008, with 32 brigades so equipped by fiscal 2014. Under the old plan, the first unit was set for 2012.
"The Army is committed to providing our soldiers the best equipment possible and the future combat systems will remain the cornerstone of the Army's transformational program," Griffin said.
The service took the lessons learned from combat actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, he noted, and applied them to the future combat system. "These changes will mature and accelerate the most promising technologies within the FCS," Griffin said. The systems will cost $92 billion through 2014, officials said. The money to speed up the deployment comes from the canceled Comanche helicopter and Crusader artillery systems, Army officials said.
The five technologies that will be accelerated are the non-line-of sight cannon, the non-line-of-site launch system, the unattended ground sensors, two classes of unmanned aerial vehicles and armed robotic vehicles.
At the system's heart is an integrated network that gives unprecedented situational awareness to soldiers. The move will increase the connectivity and intelligence sharing within combat formations, Griffin said. This "spiral development" approach allows the Army to incorporate technological developments as new technologies mature, while allowing the Army to work on how to incorporate the changes in the new brigade combat teams.
"We are already growing that network," said Lt. Gen. Joseph Yakovac, military deputy to the assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. "When the 3rd Infantry Division goes back to Iraq, they will have a much different networking capability than they had when they went north (to Baghdad) the first time."
Part of what is driving this is the hothouse growth of technology. Yakovac cited the growth of wireless technologies as an example. The Army now, for example, has a tactical operations center running wireless.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army, Boeing, SAIC Accelerate Future Combat Systems' Contributions to the Current Force
Boeing Company; July 22, 2004
ST. LOUIS --- Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the Lead Systems Integrators (LSI) for the U.S. Army's cutting-edge Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, have welcomed the Army's intention to expand the scope of the program and accelerate delivery of technologies and capabilities to the Current Forces.
In its statement, the Army said today's announcement demonstrates its strong, long-term commitment to FCS and its potential contributions to the Current Forces.
"This is a strong endorsement of our partnership with the Army and our performance on FCS," said Dennis Muilenburg, vice president and general manager of FCS for Boeing. "We stand ready to work with the Army and our industry partners on the FCS One Team to develop and fully implement the Army's plans."
The Army discussed its plans during a Pentagon press briefing today. The plan will expand the scope of the program's System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase by adding four discrete "spirals" of capabilities for Current Forces. It also will fully fund the FCS network and its 18 core systems, four of which were previously deferred. The changes to the program will allow the Army to field accelerated capabilities beginning in 2008, benefiting more than 30 modular brigades through 2014. The first fully- equipped FCS Unit of Action will be fielded in 2014. A significant increase to the current SDD funding of $14.78 billion is required to accomplish the changes.
"The Chief of Staff of the Army challenged the Army's acquisition community to accelerate delivery of needed capabilities to the Current and Future Warfighter," said Brigadier General Charles Cartwright, program manager, Unit of Action. "Together with the Army's One Team partnership this challenge will be accomplished."
Further commenting on the program, Muilenburg noted, "It makes the FCS program more relevant to the Current Force, underscoring the value of the warfighting capabilities and architecture we are developing, while maintaining our commitment to the Future Force. Thanks to the efforts of the entire Army and industry team this program of unprecedented complexity is on track.
"Now we have to show the flexibility to get these new capabilities to our Soldiers even faster," he added.
SAIC's FCS Deputy Program Manager Dan Zanini said, "From the LSI perspective, the most important aspect of today's announcement is the Army's commitment to transformation. Nothing speaks more clearly about both the promise FCS holds for the future and its relevance to the Army's situation today."
In the role of LSI for FCS, Boeing and SAIC function as a "general contractor" for the Army and are responsible for total system-of-systems engineering and integration, development of the core network and architecture, and identification, selection and procurement of the program's major systems and subsystems.
In May 2003, the Defense Acquisition Board approved the FCS program's entrance into the SDD phase. FCS is a networked "system-of-systems" combining advanced communications and technologies to link Soldiers with both manned and unmanned ground and air platforms and sensors. As the basis for the Department of Defense's visionary transformation plan, FCS will significantly increase the Army's agility and reduce logistics requirements, allowing it to go anywhere and to overcome any adversary. FCS is also designed from the ground up to enhance joint operations and coordination between U.S. and coalition forces.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $27 billion business, providing systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers.
SAIC is the nation's largest employee-owned research and engineering company, providing information technology, systems integration and eSolutions to commercial and government customers. With annual revenues of $6.7 billion, SAIC and its subsidiaries have more than 43,000 employees at offices in more than 150 cities worldwide.