Rapid Equipping Force

Abstract

The United States Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF) harnesses current and emerging technologies to provide rapid solutions to the urgently required capabilities of US Army forces employed globally. The REF combines and integrates functions that cross several Army staff elements and Army Service Component Commands (ASCC) to accelerate materiel solutions and technology insertion to forces on a global scale. The REF provides the Army's rapid response capability to develop, prototype, acquire, integrate and sustain Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) solutions to meet urgent combat requirements for deployed forces. It develops and inserts selected future force technologies, capabilities and surrogate material solutions into committed, deploying and transformational forces for operational evaluation, assessment and spiral development. It plans and executes assessments and studies of Army practices and issues concerning operational needs, desired future force capabilities and relevant Army business practices to provide feedback to Senior Army Leaders. The REF bridges the gap between the lengthy acquisition process and immediate equipping needs. We pursue tangible solutions that can be equipped within a goal of 90 days. The REF focuses on finding effective game-changing capabilities to increase Soldier effectiveness, protection and lethality in any operational environment. The REF process provides the mechanism to respond rapidly to an adaptive enemy who changes in days and months, not years. The REF Headquarters Operations team will coordinate in theater work with Army Service Component Commands of the Combatant Commands (COCOMs) to understand their urgent needs, for which the REF acquisition capability may identify, procure, deliver and sustain solutions to the deployed units. A key element of this process is fiscal flexibility, permitting the REF to allocate funds against emerging threats and requirements in the year of fiscal execution. As the REF procures the COTS and GOTS solutions in the future that are not Type Classified or an Army Program of Record (POR), there will be a substantial logistics/sustainment tail that accompanies these capabilities, particularly as these solutions are being employed in immature or austere theaters where the logistics infrastructure is not already established. The REF works directly with Operational Commanders at Brigade and below to find solutions to identified equipping requirements. These solutions may result in procurement of new or existing military/commercial materiel equipment, or accelerated development of a Future Force materiel solution for insertion into the current force now. The REF key tasks are: - Partner with Army Service Component Commands and be responsive to tactical unit commanders in a global operating environment - Bridge specific Operational Needs Statement/Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement/Joint Emergent Operational Needs Statement (ONS/JUONS/JEONS) Gaps to meet urgent needs - Develop material solutions to counter emerging global Asymmetric Threats with reduced Soldiers in the operational environment - Ensure training, transportation, and sustainment are provided with every capability - Cultivate and rapidly insert emerging technologies into Soldiers hands - Conduct operational assessments to provide useful operator feedback to the Army - Transition effective projects through Capability Development for Rapid Transition (CDRT) to support long-term sustainment - Be aggressive and push the acquisition envelope, but operate within the law - Integrate with existing Army organizations and systems to enable them to recognize and solve problems for tactical units The REF Integrated Priority list (RIPL) consists of the REF top seven priorities based on requirements received from deployed units, and drives all REF efforts. The priorities with associated metrics as of 31 January 2014: 1. Dismounted Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Defeat (24 Requirements/13 Projects) 2. Small Combat Outpost (COP)/Patrol Base (PB) Sustainment (35 Requirements/32 Projects) 3. Small Combat Outpost (COP)/Patrol Base (PB) Force Protection (47 Requirements/32 Projects) 4. Dismounted Operations Support (60 Requirements/43 Projects) 5. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Shortfalls in Environmentally Inhospitable Operational Environments (OEs) (49 Requirements/30 Projects) 6. Dismounted Blue Force Tracking and Mission Command (12 Requirements/7 Projects) 7. Other (43 Requirements/24 Projects) Total: 270 Requirements/181 Projects FY12 metric shows the REF average procurement unit cost of $1.1 million per requirement. The REF FY15 RDT&E Request of $6.120 million (Base) integrates, coordinates, deploys and provides urgent material capabilities to deployed and pre-deploying units in support of Joint and Army Forces Commanders to enhance the combat effectiveness of the operating force and enable the defeat of asymmetric threats. The emphasis for RDT&E funding is on Testing and Evaluation that supports projects in the areas of Force Protection; Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Detection and Defeat; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities; and Tactical Command; Control and Communication tools. RDT&E funding also provides the REF the flexibility to invest in near-term, innovative solutions. RDT&E funds are necessary in the vast majority of all REF projects. REF uses RDT&E funds to work with industry and Other Governmental Agencies (OGAs) in order to further develop high (>6) Technology Readiness Level (TRL) or advanced technologies that often only need small amounts of funding in order to help them achieve a maturity level that is suitable to solve deployed US Army Forces problems with low investments for high payoffs. REF requires RDT&E funds to integrate several different Commercial-Off-The-Shelf/Government-Off-The-Shelf (COTS/GOTS) technologies into one capability that solves the tougher and more complex problems. REF uses RDT&E funds to conduct demonstrations and tests to validate technology solutions. REF requires RDT&E funds in order to modify existing technologies that were developed for one purpose but now may be suitable to solve another problem. REF Expeditionary Labs use RDT&E funds to develop and adapt technologies that meet immediate requirements forward in the theaters of operation with the active assistance of the Soldier in the solution development process. REF requires RDT&E funds to test technologies in order to ensure suitability and safety before equipping the Soldier- any modified Commercial-Off-The-Shelf/Government-Off-The-Shelf (COTS/GOTS) item has to be tested.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2015
• Source ID: C08_0603747A_4_2040_PB_2015

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