Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD)

Abstract

The Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program addresses Joint and Combatant Commands (CCMDs) warfighting needs through the execution and demonstration of prototypes within two to four years of the identification of a need. The program delivers developmental and operational prototypes to the field for military utility assessment (MUA) to affordably operationalize technologies that enable warfighters to explore novel concepts and to facilitate informed transition to formal programs of record (PoR) when appropriate. Based on the results of the assessments, performed under the cognizance of a CCMD sponsor, the products of a JCTD are either “left behind” for additional assessments or operational use, transition to a PoR, or returned to the technical baseline inventory. The key tenets of the program are in alignment with the new Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering USD(R&E) guiding principles to: shape major technology investments within DoD, focus on joint and cross-cutting missions, prove new concepts of operation, inform and or validate requirements, leverage open systems architectures, and identify accelerated paths to acquisition. The JCTD program achieves this by engaging the interagency, international, and non-governmental partners to expand the Department of Defense's (DoD) access to innovation. It serves as the vehicle for CCMDs to address Joint strategic priority areas that present significant risk and suffer from inadequate investment, which often fall into the seams between the military Services and DoD agencies. JCTD investments are informed by the CCMDs’ integrated priority list, the capability gaps assessment provided by the Joint Staff, and the Military Services' science and technology roadmaps. In FY 2017, the JCTD program successfully completed the MUA and transition of several JCTD prototypes that fielded affordable and sustainable solutions to meet immediate operational needs. MEASURABLE OUTCOMES: •The JCTD Program has executed 113 JCTDs from FY 2006 to present. The data shows a transition rate for the program of 81 percent with 52 percent of capabilities transitioning to a PoR, 25 percent to operational fielding, and 4 percent to General Services Administration (GSA) schedule. The remaining 19 percent were returned to the technical base for further development or were terminated. Overall, the JCTD program has directly supported multiple key operations while rapidly accelerating game changing technology/capabilities.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2019
• Source ID: 0603648D8Z_3_0400_PB_2019
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2017 congressional reduction of $16.000 million is to maintain program affordability. FY 2019 baseline decrease is being applied to fund other DoD requirements and priorities.
• Service Agency Name: Office of the Secretary Of Defense

Entities

Organizations

• Office of the Secretary of Defense

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Autonomy
• C4I
• Counter WMD
• Electronic Warfare
• Engineered Resilient Systems
• Ground and Sea Platforms
• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Air Force
• Aircrafts
• Cognitive Systems Engineering
• Combatant Commanders
• Command And Control
• Electronic Warfare
• Ground Control Stations
• Information Operations
• Military Applications
• Military Research
• Surveillance
• Synthetic Aperture Radar
• Unified Combatant Commands
• Unmanned Aerial Systems
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
• Unmanned Ground Vehicles
• Warfare

Readers

• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Systems Analysis and Design