FCS: Why the Army Is Challenged to Show Its Value
Abstract
In Joint Force 2020, written in 2003, the chairman of the Joint Chief of staff warned that advances in technology and process may be moving so fast that it may challenge the Department of Defense's ability to assess, mature, and communicate the advantages and disadvantages of a networked force. This 2003 premonition may be eerily impacting the Army's efforts to mature the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. While the Army has aggressively pursued General Shinseki's vision for the FCS force, the program continues to be challenged to successfully describe the "bang- for-the-buck" value that it will bring to the nation. While there are many potential reasons for the Army's less than optimal performance, I believe that there are six major areas that may be having the most significant impact: 1) the system focus of current acquisition processes, 2) the art and qualitative nature of information, 3) the challenge of separating intelligence from information, 4) current developmental tasking processes, 5) Department of Defense's (DoD) limited expertise with networked operations and 6) the use of inappropriate analytic tools.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 28, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA479743
Entities
People
- Rick O'donnell
Organizations
- United States Army War College