Commonality in Military Equipment. A Framework to Improve Acquisition Decisions
Abstract
Increasingly, the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense (DoD) as a whole are developing families of systems built around common components, For instance, the Army has procured a common model of tire (a component) across multiple vehicles (systems), which previously were procured with tires that were note alike. The Army has particularly pushed for common vehicle base models and infantry weapon systems. Historical examples of each of these cases are examined in this report. Common items (including systems and components) are those that are the same, to all intents and purposes, across two or more higher-level items (e.g., systems are higher level than components). Systems are items that are designed for discrete use, although they may be used with other items. Components are designed as parts of systems. Theoretically, our recommendations are applicable for any item that can be part of another item, including nonmaterial items such as training systems, or any "system of systems" a phrase that is used to describe collections of Army unites and equipment or even the Army as a whole.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA492609
Entities
People
- Bruce Newsome
- Matthew W. Lewis
- Thomas Held
Organizations
- RAND Corporation