Land Combat Systems
Abstract
During the 1990s, the U.S. Land Combat Systems (LCS) Industry went through a challenging period of consolidation as defense budgets declined and demand for ground combat equipment waned. Increasingly, joint ventures and partnerships have been formed between and among domestic and foreign LCS firms to maximize cash flow as well as share the risks and rewards of program development. In this regard, the U.S. Army's transformation vision is being closely watched as the worldwide LCS Industry seeks to capitalize on this potentially lucrative initiative. The vision requires that LCS firms become even more flexible and adaptable, but also forces them to fundamentally reexamine core capabilities. While "metal bending" knowledge is still important, the industry's future prime contractors will be lead systems integrators who are able to deal with increasingly complex platforms and systems-of-systems. One weakness of the vision creating some uncertainty in the industry has been airlift requirements for this transformed force, which still exceed projected capabilities and warrant clarification by the Department of Defense. For the foreseeable future, the U.S. LCS Industry will be critical to meeting U.S. national security needs, necessitating continued close government stewardship. Dilemmas faced by such stewardship include deciding on the degree of foreign participation allowed by U.S. LCS firms and weighing LCS firms implementation of lean manufacturing techniques, necessary for their economic viability, against the nation s need for surge production in the event of emergencies. Although the LCS Industry faces challenges in coming years, its opportunities for growth appear to remain significant.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA425328
Entities
People
- Don Briggs
- Mike Schmitt
- Paul Severance
- Roger Channing
Organizations
- Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy