Report to Congress on The Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program for Fiscal Year 1994.
Abstract
The Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program is vital to supporting the U.S. policy of international armaments cooperation. The FCT Program reduces overall Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition costs by facilitating the procurement of nondevelopmental items (NDI). At the same time, it strengthens U.S. relationships within the international community. The FCT Program evaluates defense items of allied and other friendly nations to determine whether these items can satisfy DoD requirements or correct mission area shortcomings. Foreign alternatives stimulate competition, strengthens the U.S. economy and industrial base. The FCT process is straightforward. Each year the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force nominate projects to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) for FCT consideration. The OSD staff screens the proposals to ensure that the Services have (1) advocated NDI that address valid requirements, (2) completed thorough market surveys, and (3) developed viable Service acquisition strategies. The OSD staff prioritize proposals meeting these criteria and forwards the project list to Congress for approval. The sponsoring Services then obtain, test, and evaluate items for the approved projects. The OSD staff establishes FCT funding priority based on the demonstrated potential of foreign equipment to satisfy U.S. requirements with little or no modification. The FCT Program has a solid history of success and holds the promise of even greater success in the future through the reduction of development times and costs for the military, which ultimately benefit the U.S. taxpayer. For DoD, the FCT Program has consistently reduced acquisition costs. In the private sector it has served as a catalyst for industry teaming arrangements; this is productive for both U.S. and foreign industries in this increasingly competitive world market.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA323893
Entities
Organizations
- Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense