Military Review English Edition November December 2016 | Page 67

ARMY ACQUISITION

Therefore, the natural tendency is to work around
Acquisition and the Future
the system rather than fix it.
Force—2030 and Beyond
A postconflict regression from wartime, operaIn addition to Milley’s views on improving protions-based, innovative solutions to the lethargic
cesses to acquire near-term materiel capabilities, he
traditional acquisition methods would rob the Army
recognizes that the Army community must collectiveof innovative thinking and technological discovery.
ly understand and visualize future operating environReverting to the prewar methodologies for acquisiments before the Army can build an S&T investment
tion also would bury good business practices such as
framework for 2030, and beyond. At a minimum, the
early prototyping and experimentation prior to prod- Army’s understanding of the future must be “more
uct development. The establishright” than our enemies’ future
ment of the ARCO would be a
framework. To build the future
The Army’s
positive step for institutionalizing
force, the CSA can leverage the curunderstanding
of
innovation and rapid solutions.
rent momentum for change to drive
The National Defense
thinking on what future operating
the
future
must
University’s Center for
environments may look like. In this
Technology and National Security
way, he can start influencing Army
be “more right”
Policy report titled A Strategic
organizations to focus on shared
than our enemies’
Vision and a New Management
end states.
Approach for the Department of the
The Army needs to adopt cerfuture framework.
Navy’s Research, Development, Test
tain entrepreneurial business pracand Evaluation (RDT&E) Portfolio
tices and success metrics to redefine
provides recommendations for the Navy that are simwhat success means in future product and materiel
ilar to the ARCO concept.21 The report advocates for
development. For example, leaders in industry view
consistent resourcing of “early experimentation and
and reward success based on what is produced with
operational demonstrations of new technology-driven specified resources that meet performance objectives
capabilities to get warfighter buy-in on requirements,
in a timely manner. On the other hand, Army leaders
specifications, and capabilities before initiation of
typically represent their success based on organizaa major product development.”22 Fortunately, the
tional charts and funding levels, as though the level of
Army’s ability to rapidly build prototypes and opresources they manage and spend equates to success.
erationally assess innovative technologies and their
Government leaders sometimes criticize industry
impact on tactics, techniques, and procedures can
for being too profit focused, but perhaps the Army’s
be applied using the new NDAA middle-tier proto“profit” or outcomes should be defined as solutions
typing and fielding authorities in conjunction with
to soldiers’ problems that are produced in the fastest,
the ARCO. Strategies and program plans for critical
simplest, and most efficient manner.
capability prototyping can be generated using analyAnother business practice that could help the Army
sis-based and operationally vetted inputs from orgamaintain an advantage is to seek divergent thinking
nizations such as the Army’s Research, Development
from multidiscip linary groups that span government,
and Engineering Command (RDECOM) in collaboindustry, futurists, and academia. The critical outputs
ration with Army internal and external organizations. from diverse groups on future operating environWith the removal of the organizational barriers that
ments and concepts can help create the foundation for
have overwhelmed the flexibility of the JCIDS and
acquisition and R&D strategies that unify the Army
DODI 5000.02, the CSA can influence a streamlined
enterprise. By generating operational concepts based
prototyping and fielding process. That process could
on a shared vision of the future and vetted across many
effectively address the CSA’s highest priorities and
types of thinkers, senior leaders are provided with
align the Army acquisition community with shared
information and data to make tough decisions today,
Army objectives and end states that are informed by
such as divestment of weapon systems to make resourcoperational and technical analyses.
es available for future capability.
MILITARY REVIEW  November-December 2016

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