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Acquisition Officials Discuss Cost, Schedule Improvements

By OTTO KREISHER, Special Correspondent

The main focus of the panel of the naval services' top acquisition officials March 20 was improving processes and stopping the cost and schedule overruns that have plagued so many programs and eroded their support on Capitol Hill.

John Thackrah, acting assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition, explained the "acquisition governance review" conducted by Navy Secretary Donald Winter. That review established a new process that involves the service leaders in reviewing requirements at the beginning of a program. That forces an early evaluation of the trade-offs between some additional level of capability and a major increase in time and risk.

Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commanding general of Marine Corps Systems Command, said that the process ensures that the top officials know if that last knot of speed or meter of range "requires you to perform an unnatural engineering act," and if that additional capability is really needed or just wanted.

Brogan warned the audience, which was heavy with defense contractor representatives, that the sea services and industry "have a credibility problem" with Congress because of past acquisition failures. To restore that credibility, program managers need "no-nonsense" cost and schedule data before they ask Congress for funding.

Michael Tangora, deputy assistant Coast Guard commandant for acquisition, described the intensive acquisition overhaul ordered by the commandant, Adm. Thad Allen, after the major problems with the massive Deepwater modernization program. That has included an urgent effort to rebuild the acquisition work force, which had atrophied during the procurement gap in the 1990s.

Vice Adm. Paul Sullivan, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, said the review effort established by Winter created a "disciplined process" of assessing requirements within the Navy Department before programs are sent to the defense secretary. Sullivan emphasized the partnerships among the naval services to help them all share information and improve their acquisition processes.

Vice Adm. Dave Venlet, commander, Naval Air Systems Command, and Rear Adm. Michael Bachman, commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, also stressed efforts to improve their acquisition processes to better meet the needs of the warfighters faster and at lower cost.

Sullivan gave a quick review of the Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future) (MPF(F)) program, which will produce 14 ships that would support and sustain a force ashore after an assault. Most of the ships in that program are modifications of existing vessels. But one, a mobile landing platform, will be a new design modeled after the commercial heavy-lift ships used to transport smaller ships over long distances.

Venlet highlighted the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which will supply a fifth-generation aircraft for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. He and Sullivan noted that the JSF program is a team effort because of the need to integrate the new plane into the amphibious ships and possibly aircraft carriers.