Foreign Comparative Testing

Abstract

The Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program increases Joint Force readiness and lethality by providing near-term solutions to existing and future Department of Defense (DoD) capability gaps by leveraging the Research & Development (R&D) investments of allied nations and coalition partners. The FCT Program Element (PE) evaluates prototypes derived from allied and partner nation technologies to provide the U.S. Armed Services, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and Defense agencies capabilities to counter emerging threats. FCT’s broad reach across our allies and friendly foreign countries enables development of innovative, cost effective, and interoperable solutions to meet needs communicated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combatant Commanders. Military Services and USSOCOM jointly conduct FCT projects. FCT strengthens alliances by facilitating international collaboration and evaluating technologies that increase interoperability while serving as a catalyst for teaming and other business relationships between international and domestic industries. Partner nations recognize the long-term value of the "two-way street" for Defense procurements for which FCT provides an avenue. Numerous successful projects have resulted in the licensed production of a qualified foreign item in the United States, including the creation of jobs and contributions to local economies. To date, companies from 34 states have benefited from FCT projects. FCT supports DoD best practices by incentivizing the use of prototyping and experimentation in advancing technological solutions to warfighter problems and acts as a hedge against threat developments. FCT enhances affordability by reducing development costs and risk, accelerating acquisition timelines, and increasing competition. Through increasing Joint lethality and readiness, strengthening alliances, and delivering affordable performance on accelerated timelines, FCT supports all three lines of effort outlined in the National Defense Strategy. Authorized by Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 2350a (g), the FCT program is managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E), Comparative Technology Office (CTO). Measurable Outcomes: -FCT projects will demonstrate capability objectives within 12-36 months. -Over its 40-year history, FCT has a transition rate of 58 percent (357 out of 612) for completed projects. Of the 357 projects that tested successful, 280 or 78 percent resulted in follow on procurements of over $11.000 billion.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2021
• Source ID: 0603133D8Z_3_0400_PB_2021
• Service Agency Name: Office of the Secretary Of Defense

Entities

Organizations

• Office of the Secretary of Defense

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Autonomy
• Biomedical
• Ground and Sea Platforms
• Human Systems
• Sensors
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Artificial Intelligence
• Brain Injuries
• Control Systems
• Detection
• Detectors
• Directed Energy Weapons
• Electronically Scanned Array
• Fighter Aircraft
• Fire Control Systems
• Military Research
• National Security
• Target Recognition
• Test And Evaluation
• Unmanned Aerial Systems
• Unmanned Systems
• Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
• Warfare

Readers

• Defense Acquisition Program Management
• Defense Technology Research and Development.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control