COLUMBUS, Ohio –
Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support has developed an innovative contracting solution, the Rapid Sustainment Initiative, to fix a critical problem in the military acquisition lifecycle: a lack of sustainment planning for new weapon systems.
Previously, DLA’s involvement often began at Initial Operating Capability, known as Milestone C, which proved too late to prevent costly delays and parts shortages. By shifting engagement earlier to Milestone B, after prototype selection, DLA can now proactively establish sustainment pipelines, ensuring parts are available the moment a new system is fielded. This proactive provisioning approach brings DLA into the fold much earlier in a weapon system’s lifecycle.
The Problem: Reactive Sustainment Creates Long-Term Headaches
For years, the acquisition process for major weapon systems created a reactive and inefficient sustainment environment. Army Brig. Gen. Beth Behn, commander of the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, noted the "scar tissue" from the "bright new shiny thing" mentality. She explained a common scenario at an April engagement hosted by DLA Weapons Support leaders in Columbus, Ohio: “Five years later, it's not so bright and shiny, nobody did anything on the sustainment side, and we are stuck trying to figure that out.”
This reactive mindset was evident during the rollout of the Infantry Squad Vehicle, explained Nicole McDonald, a DLA Weapons Support (Columbus) weapon system support manager for light tactical vehicles. The original plan for a single variant expanded to include multiple versions, many without robust provisioning for spare parts. It’s a prime example of a system-wide challenge where sustainment is often an afterthought, leading to future readiness gaps.
The Solution: DLA Weapons Support’s Rapid Sustainment Initiative
To solve this, a DLA team led by Megan Mielke, a division chief in the Strategic Acquisitions Process Directorate, developed RSI. She said it is a holistic approach designed to integrate sustainment planning at the very beginning of a weapon system’s lifecycle. “DLA typically gets involved at Initial Operating Capability or Milestone C … which is entirely too late in the life cycle,” Mielke said. “With this initiative, we have proven that we are better suited to get involved at the beginning of Milestone B.”
RSI functions by providing a “contractual bridge” during the often-chaotic transition from production to sustainment. The core of this innovation is a creative contracting mechanism:
- Placeholder CLINs: Mielke’s team adds a placeholder Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) into a weapon system’s production contract early in the process.
- Seamless Updates: Once a part is assigned a National Stock Number, the placeholder CLIN can be quickly updated with the real NSN without requiring a full, time-consuming contract modification. “This mechanism allows us to switch out the part number CLIN for the NSN as long as it’s the same vendor,” Mielke said.
- Proactive Ordering: Mielke explained the success of RSI hinges on DLA having ordering authority directly in the production contract to allow DLA to order ahead to avoid any contractual delays “so we can tag onto that CLIN and order ahead to fill our pipeline, before our own opposition strategies are in place,” preventing the initial shortages that often plague new systems.
By allowing for the quick addition of parts without having to go through an entire contract modification process, RSI is a major win for increasing speed and efficiency in provisioning.
“It’s a way of ensuring future sustainment by creating a broader scope to allow for those additions and deletions as necessary,” Mielke said.
Partnering with TACOM and the Army Contracting Command, this DLA-led innovation allows for better parts prioritization, maintains supply chain visibility, and helps mitigate quality issues from the start. Todd Hawotte, acting deputy director for the Army’s Integrated Logistics Support Center, expressed confidence that the ACC would support these efficiency-boosting solutions.
In that same vein, Hawotte said TACOM is testing a new phased strategy to keep up with constant configuration changes in the design/prototyping phase.
“The anchor of this strategy is the utilization of a new automated provisioning tool, designed to parse through large data dumps, especially at material release,” he said. “During that timeframe, we would concentrate on provisioning mandatory replacement parts and really leverage the warranty process to help bridge that gap.”
The joint effort was praised by leadership as a key step in acquisition reform. “I think it is incredible work that the team has done in breaking down barriers and really aggressively pursuing solutions from an ingenuity standpoint,” said Navy Rear Adm. Julie Treanor, Commander of DLA Weapons Support (Columbus).
“I see these types of innovations as an incredible opportunity,” Behn said.
Partnership Drives New Tools and Strategies for End-to-End Sustainment
Other topics discussed at the April 10 site visit between DLA Weapons Support and TACOM centered on the fragility of the industrial base, with the joint team tackling sustainment challenges of Transparent Armor and obsolescence. TACOM presented a potential organic manufacturing solution to produce the “12-cycle glass” needed to advance its TA program, while DLA highlighted its unique microcircuit emulation capability that addresses a significant portion of the military’s obsolescence issues. Both sides agreed to work together to leverage each other’s expertise in these areas.
The teams also explored a new digital tool, the TACOM Stockout Tactical Readiness Inventory Knowledge Engine, designed to accelerate data sharing and decision-making. The platform delivers a real-time readiness site picture that allows users to drill down to the individual unit level to prioritize fulfillment based on deployment status, maintenance windows and other factors.
During the visit, Behn met with a specialized DLA Weapons Support team responsible for supporting 1,500 land-based weapons systems. The group, comprised of weapons system support managers and lead customer account specialists, serve as DLA’s face to the customer.
“They are a critical component in our mission to provide the best support possible,” Treanor said. “This team is on the front lines every day ensuring we have robust and integrated communications … and are the rock stars behind the results.”
Behn presented TACOM commander’s coins to each team member to thank them for the tremendous support they provide daily to TACOM and the Army.
“It’s good to put faces to the processes and to know there are incredibly committed and talented patriots supporting the warfighter,” Behn remarked.
The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, is headquartered at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan. TACOM is responsible for the complete lifecycle management of the Army's ground combat, tactical vehicle and armament systems. This includes developing, acquiring, fielding and sustaining systems such as the Infantry Squad Vehicle, the M88A2 HERCULES, and the Stryker family of vehicles, ensuring the readiness and global dominance of the U.S. Army's ground force.