Lessons from the Army's Future Combat Systems Program
Abstract
The Future Combat Systems (FCS) program was the largest and most ambitious planned acquisition program in the Army s history. As a program it was intended to field not just a system, but an entire brigade: a system of systems developed from scratch and integrated by means of an advanced, wireless network. Moreover, the FCS-equipped brigade would operate with novel doctrine that was being developed and tested along with the materiel components of the unit. To paraphrase the Army at the time, FCS was Army modernization. In 2009 the FCS program was cancelled, although some of its efforts continued on as follow-on programs. The FCS program had garnered considerable attention throughout its existence, but few studies have been released documenting the lessons from the program to aid the Army in moving forward from such a large acquisition termination. In 2010, the Army s Acquisition Executive asked RAND Arroyo Center to conduct an after-action analysis of the FCS program in order to leverage its successes and learn from its problems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA582405
Entities
People
- Akhil R. Shah
- Brian B. Dille
- Bruce J. Held
- Christopher G. Pernin
- Christopher Rizzi
- Elliot Axelband
- Jeffrey A. Drezner
- John Gordon Iv
- K. S. Mcmahon
- Walter L. Perry
Organizations
- RAND Corporation