FCS Spiraling... out of control?

The Army's FCS plans were not only an ambitious rewiring of the US military, but a change to the entire acquisitions program. Rather than build and buy large and complex complete systems, the Army has created projects with "spirals" which deploy capabilities as they finish their deployment within the overall suite of capabilities. The new FCS program is one of the first to "spiral" the technology, and the first few components are starting to be unveiled:

Top U.S. Army officials on Monday said a $160 billion Future Combat Systems modernization program managed by Boeing Co and SAIC Inc was 'on budget, on track,' but could see changes over time.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said the Army was going through a detailed review of 14 separate weapon systems included in the program to ensure that the technologies involved were on schedule.

Now, not everyone is thrilled with the progress of the FCS, especially as the project management seems to be run by the same people who stand to gain from the longer deployment horizon now associated with the FCS:

In a little-noticed report issued on June 7, the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, warned that Boeing's influence over FCS poses "significant risks to the Army's ability to provide oversight." Because of the program's complexity and cost, GAO auditors urged the Office of the Secretary of Defense to assume direct supervision. The projected bill for FCS through 2030 has already more than doubled, to $230 billion. Boeing would receive an undetermined fraction of that. The estimated price tag has ballooned even as former military officials and other experts question whether the ambitious program can accomplish its goal of allowing U.S. forces to cut through the confusion of battle.
FCS "misunderstands the frailty of the technologies, the limitations of the sensors, what they can and can't and never see," says Winslow T. Wheeler, a former GAO auditor of military programs who now directs the Center for Defense Information, a private research group in Washington. U.S. Army and Boeing officials counter that FCS remains on track and that the Pentagon hasn't ceded too much influence to the company. "We think [FCS] is going to revolutionize how we conduct warfare," says Lieutenant General Stephen M. Speakes, who heads the program to outfit 15 combat brigades, or about 60,000 soldiers, with the innovative gear.

By: Brant