Army's Failed Programs: Moral Imperative for Change
Abstract
Throughout the previous decade, the Army has experienced a number of spectacular setbacks due to cancellations of its highly visible, high-dollar weapon systems. In 2002, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld cancelled the Crusader program, the Army's next-generation self-propelled artillery system. A mere two years later in 2004, the Army cancelled the Comanche helicopter program, its largest aviation program, whose sophisticated detection and navigation systems were designed for armed scout missions at night and in all-weather conditions. Most recently in 2009, the Defense Department made the decision to effectively cancel the Future Combat Systems program and drastically restructure the Army's most ambitious modernization program introduced over a decade ago by then Chief of Staff of the Army, General Eric Shinseki. Prior to their demise, these programs collectively invested over $30 billion without delivering their promised capabilities. Within the context of the new fiscal reality facing our nation, the Army simply cannot afford to repeat these costly missteps. The objective of this civilian research paper is to analyze the previously published reports and findings on these program failures and garner meaningful lessons for the Army.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 11, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA565223
Entities
People
- William M. Robare
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin