Fort Belvoir, Virginia –
There’s a way to do it better – find it. Those words by American inventor Thomas Edison could be a mantra for Defense Department acquisition professionals and logisticians as they seek ways to preserve the nation’s advantage in military technology.
Defense Logistics Agency and DoD leaders explored innovative ways to maximize warfighter readiness and equipment with more than 90 small and large business owners at the three-day DLA Land and Maritime Supplier Conference and Expo in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 29 - Sept. 1.
“Our adversaries and potential adversaries have had a very long time to study how the United States fights and what we use, what we rely upon for critical assets and then how to attack those assets,” said Frank Kendall, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
Innovation is a key tenet of Better Buying Power 3.0, DoD’s acquisition efficiency initiative. The problem isn’t a lack of innovative ideas within the department, but the lack of resources to implement them and make them a standard practice.
“Controlling costs is basically job No. 1 because that allows us to put more resources into the things we need. The point of all this is to get more for the warfighter and more for the taxpayer with the money they entrust us with,” Kendall said, adding that the department is prepared to incentivize industry partners for their role in cutting costs and increasing the military’s technological edge.
Army, Navy and Marine Corps officials described the size and structure of the future force, as well as the need for industry to rapidly field new, emerging technologies.
“It comes down to increasing the competency of the individual Marine. More and more, we’re seeing smaller units as our primary fighting force, so a lot of the innovation we’re trying to import is focused at that level,” said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John Broadmeadow, the service’s vice director for logistics.
He highlighted DoD’s work to integrate industry partners with warfighters on the ground via the newly created Operational Contracting Support Integration Cell, which supports U.S. Central Command.
“We’re taking commanders’ requirements and translating them into ways that we can bring industry onto the ground, both in terms of making sure the requirements are met and writing the right contract while making sure we’re managing those contracts in the right way,” he said.
The future force will also have to resource itself as far forward as possible, he continued.
“That puts us in a data business with many of you as we talk about how we are going to approach 3D printing or additive manufacturing. Rather than buying a thing, it’s how do we buy the data to build that thing closer to the point of need?”
The Army’s program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems advised fellow logisticians and industrial representatives to not become victims of the acquisition process.
“Everybody wants to hear that the acquisition system is so corrupt that it must be reformed. What I’ve told my team, what I’m going to tell you, is we will not be victims of the acquisition process,” said Army Brig. Gen. David Bassett.
Bassett oversees the Army’s $80 billion combat vehicle fleet, which includes Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Strykers. Despite leaner budgets, those vehicles continue to be modernized with the use of tenets outlined in Better Buying Power 3.0, such as incentivizing productivity.
The key, he said, is setting priorities on what’s important and then incentivizing those areas.
“If you’ve only incentivized schedule or cost, you might get a system that doesn’t perform as you expected. If you incentivize reliability, you might get a more reliable system, but it might cost more,” he continued. “Smart acquisition is about figuring out what’s important to you and prioritizing.”
Bassett gave examples of how the Army’s ground combat systems continue to improve. A new version of the Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle are in testing. The first Stryker vehicle in support of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment is on schedule for delivery by late December, and the first prototype of the armored multipurpose vehicle is scheduled to be released just 18 months after the program started.
Shorter production times for critical repair parts are a must in sustaining new and legacy equipment, he added.
“What keeps me up at night is the idea that, because we haven’t had demands for a particular part in a while, I’m going to find something in the Army’s combat vehicle fleet that’s failing, but that part is not in the supply system,” Bassett said.
Navy Vice Adm. Thomas Rowden, commander of Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said he spends about 80 percent of his time on sustainment issues and agreed that the department and industry must work together to plan sustainment strategies.
“The parts have to be there [and] the fuel has to be there, in order for us to get after this piece of providing ready forces forward,” he said.
Kendall highlighted several BBP 3.0 principles that could help acquisition professionals and industry improve lifecycle sustainment. While controlling costs is the fundamental responsibility of everyone in the government, focus should also be on using the most effective contracting vehicle available.
“This is an area where we can be more innovative and creative so that our business deals are a win-win. The best business deals in my perspective are those where industry gives us more of what we want for less money, and industry makes more money in the process,” he said.
DoD is pulling through some of the toughest budget constraints in history, due to the hard work and dedication of acquisition professionals, such as those at DLA and its partners in industry, Kendall added.
“The lives you save and the success you give the United States of providing peacekeeping around the world is really critical,” he said. “It’s an accomplishment you can all be very proud of.”