GAO says Army on Road to Ruin

[BaliBabyDoc]

Wired (excerpts)

A new congressional report is alleging that the Future Combat Systems program is poised for major delays and a financial train wreck. Worst of all, the report claims, the Army knew this was going to happen all along.
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"For years, the GAO has been trying to explain in kindergarten-simple terms to the Pentagon that you should make something and test it before you buy it. But year after year, the process goes on. And the situation is getting worse," said Marcus Corbin, with the Center for Defense Information.
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"The first prototypes of FCS will not be delivered until just before the (2008) production decision. Full demonstration of FCS' ability to work as an overarching system will not occur until after production has begun," the GAO notes. "This demonstration assumes complete success -- including delivery and integration of numerous complementary systems that are not inherently a part of FCS but are essential for FCS to work as a whole."
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Coyle wrote in an e-mail, "The victims here -- besides U.S. taxpayers -- are our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who too often get equipment that doesn't work, and have to struggle in the field with inferior gear."

 

[conjur]

And we can thank Rumsfeld for that.

 

[burnedout]

And we can thank Rumsfeld for that.

From an earlier GAO report.

In October 1999, the Army announced plans to transform into a more strategically
responsive force that could more rapidly deploy and effectively operate in all types of
military operations, whether small-scale contingencies or major theater wars. The
Future Combat Systems (FCS) program is to provide the suite of weaponry and other
equipment for the transformed force. The Army plans to develop a family of 18
systems under the FCS program. Because of its size, the FCS program will dominate
the Army?s investment accounts over the next decade.

Meanwhile, . . .

 

[alchemize]

Originally posted by: burnedout

And we can thank Rumsfeld for that.

From an earlier GAO report.

In October 1999, the Army announced plans to transform into a more strategically
responsive force that could more rapidly deploy and effectively operate in all types of
military operations, whether small-scale contingencies or major theater wars. The
Future Combat Systems (FCS) program is to provide the suite of weaponry and other
equipment for the transformed force. The Army plans to develop a family of 18
systems under the FCS program. Because of its size, the FCS program will dominate
the Army?s investment accounts over the next decade.

Meanwhile, . . .

/me waits for the ~but response...

 

[conjur]

That article shows full-rate production and deployment in FY 2014. Rumsfeld is wanting it in 2010 and has apparently turned it into a "financial train wreck".

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

I agree with burnedout and alchemize. The US military-industrial complex has been dumb as poo for decades . . . Bushies just happen to have greater aptitude at mucking stuff up in a faster, more expensive manner.