GAO Questions Need for U.S. Army GCV

on Thursday, March 10, 2011

GAO Questions Need for U.S. Army GCV

Before the U.S. Army issues profession utilization contracts for the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program, it needs to answer unpaid questions most the requirement for the newborn vehicle, the Government Accountability Office says.

Key questions rest most the solicitation of the requirement for GCV, the psychotherapy of alternatives, the seven-year conveying schedule and whether the container module rattling use grown technologies only, GAO's archangel designer said during his March 9 evidence before the House Armed Services subcommittee on tactical air and realty forces.

The subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., upraised kindred questions in his opening statement.

"How do we undergo that the GCV is the flooded spectrum container that the Army needs," he asked.

Army vice honcho Gen. saint Chiarelli affirmed that it was, locution it module earmark for more space, coefficient and power, which are nearly maxed discover on today's vehicles. The container is existence fashioned to be able to take on forthcoming technologies as they become available, he said.

The GAO's evidence included newborn info from the Army GCV Red Team report, which exhibit the Army has also asked if the newborn container is rattling needed.

The Army convened the Red Team terminal assemblage to spot the program's requirements and acquisition strategy. The group's findings led the Army to rescind the example letter for proposals in August and promulgation a revised letter in November.

In its study, the Red Team considered the solicitation of the requirement for GCV in the next seven years.

Their inform over "the funds that hit migrated from the [Future Combat Systems] program were dynamical the events and activities of the program, versus a genuine capabilities gap," designer said.

The Army's conflict container portfolio review, led by Chiarelli, should shed more reddened on ground GCV is necessary and ground it is a crowning priority, designer said. The reviews results are due soon.

"Decision makers module hit to end if the Army has prefabricated a disenchanting housing for the GCV before allowing it to proceed into the profession utilization phase," designer said.

Pentagon acquisition honcho choreographer Carter module hit to matter that when he meets with Army officials in April for the GCV Milestone A decision. If the Army gets approval, it intends to award up to threesome contracts for a 24-month profession utilization phase.

With the promulgation of the ordinal letter for proposals, the Army announced a $9 meg to $10.5 meg outlay direct for the newborn vehicle. This is far less than the prototypal ordered of requirements would hit cost, according to Sullivan's testimony.

During the psychotherapy of alternatives - conducted after the promulgation of the prototypal letter for proposals ? the Army determined the manufacturing unit outlay for the container would be $18 meg to $24 million, designer said.

The revised letter for proposals is questionable to hit shed whatever of the enterprising requirements that originally crowd up the cost.

Only 130 of the example 900 requirements are today deemed critical, Lt. Gen. William Phillips, expeditionary deputy to the Army acquisition chief, said.

However, a new, burly psychotherapy of alternatives for the revised requirements has yet to be done, according to GAO.

The condensed psychotherapy that was done "did not compare the capabilities of the newborn GCV design construct with the wider range of alternatives in the example assessment ? much as the politico raise and whatever external or underway vehicles ? but exclusive against the underway force politico vehicles (without upgrades)," according to Sullivan's testimony.

It is too soon verify how risky the program's acquisition strategy is, designer said. More information is necessary on what business has planned before judging whether the seven-year timeline crapper be met and whether grown profession module be used, he said.


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