Military modernization programs need to put ‘points on the chessboard’: Master acquisition – Breaking defenses Breaking defenses

Military Secretary Hon. Christine Wormuth (left) and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, and Army Acquisition, Douglas Bush (right) (Anthony-Matthew Sualog/U.S. Army)

WASHINGTON: The US Army’s top acquisitions executive is “very comfortable” with the service’s modernization portfolio as it presents challenging funding choices in the face of funding constraints. future books.

“I’m very comfortable with almost any current program in terms of its overall direction, the requirements seem reasonable,” said Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for procurement, logistics and technology. Our reasoning and cost estimates are pretty good. , in his first media roundtable since it was confirmed by the Senate last week.

As the Pentagon pushes its strategic pivot to the Pacific and its near-peer competitors in China and Russia, the Army is expected to pay the big bill. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has repeatedly stated that “everything is on the table” for potential adjustments, with Army Chief of Staff General James McConville echoing those remarks last week, saying the outbreak The service will “closely scrutinize” 35 of their major modernization programs. .

Bush warned during his nomination hearing earlier this year that “positive timeline“Of modernization programs can be challenging for service. The best way for a program to survive, and prove its worth, is investments, says Bush.

“We will earn more funding to do field operations if we show that, as an Army, we can achieve things through R&D. [research and development], prototype, soldiers love it, get it in the field,” Bush said. “So we have to put some points in the table and I think we will. I think that will allow us to compete with all the other needs of the Army – I understand well that the Army has many needs – to make sure we have enough money during our modernization to achieve the goals. ”

The Army has flagged what it calls the “31+4 program” – in simpler words, 35 signature modernization programs that range from new networking tools to ground vehicles to artillery, all of which are scheduled to be deployed to soldiers at various times over the next decade. Top service leaders hailed the programs as the Army’s biggest modernization push in 40 years and crucial to the conflict over the next few decades with its recent counterparts. .

The Army aims to have those 24 signature programs in the field or in various prototyping phases by fiscal year 2023. A key aspect to modernization programs is staying on track. degrees, met cost estimates, and successfully switched between prototyping and record programs, Bush said.

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“We have a lot of work to do to get to that point over the next few years. So that will be my focus,” he said.

But the Army also has a number of modernization programs — such as two futuristic helicopter programs or the optional Manned Combat Vehicle — that have years-long acquisition timelines in between. 2020. Experts fear that programs with longer durations are at risk of being derailed and could be cut in the future.

“We need the industry partners we’re working with to get the cost right and schedule, cost and schedule still matter. So I think that’s the main thing,” Bush said. “It’s the case that as long as the military still has a requirement for that capability going forward and the program is doing well, in terms of staying on track, then I think all of that will compete very well. .”