From the Editor-in-Chief S
peed is everything, it seems. Who can run the fastest, what is the quickest car, can we beat the speed of light (warp speed, anyone?), hypersonic weapons…the list goes on. Speed is how we stay
ahead of the competition, near-peer competitors and win in battle. Like most things, Army acquisition is not immune to the “need for speed” either. Over the years, acquisition has struggled with exactly what kind of speed they wanted: speed in acquisition, acquisition speed, acquisition at the speed of technology, acquisition at the speed of relevance and now acquisition at speed.
Of all the permutations mentioned, “acquisition at speed” hits closest to the mark. Why? At speed simply means quickly—not at the pace of technology or relevance, or speed just for speed’s sake, but as quickly as possible while doing required checks and tests to deliver the very best product possible to our Soldiers.
But what regulates acquisition speed, and what consider- ations need to be taken into account? As Brian Schultz, a professor of program management and an executive coach in DAU’s Capital and Northeast Region at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, writes in his May 29, 2022 “Acquisition Speed Manifesto” in the Defense Acquisition Magazine blog, “Speed must be a key element of a program’s strat- egy. Acquisition strategies determine priorities, incentives, risks and opportunities, business arrangements, pathways and other key factors. If going faster is the priority, then this overarching consideration should drive acquisition strategies.”
Ahhh, but like the old acquisition joke about cost, schedule and performance—pick any two—anytime you prioritize one thing, speed for example, something else has to give. Tat is why Army Acquisition Executive Douglas R. Bush is focused on doing acquisition at speed—and right!
In this issue you will find multiple examples of program executive offices performing acquisition at speed, and delivering world class solutions to our warfighters in the process. For example, it all starts with defining require- ments. To that end, read “Twenty-First Century Approach
to Acquisition Drives Fight- ing Vehicle Process” on Page 32. Te Optionally Manned Fight- ing Vehicle (OMFV) process is being sped up via the mid-tier acquisition pathway and digital engineering to avoid past prac- tices such as providing overly prescriptive lists of specifications to companies in developing their proposals.
Adopting the best acquisition practices is also key to staying ahead of near-peer adversaries. Learn how the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command’s Software Engi- neering Center is addressing one of the thorniest issues in acquisition—intellectual property—by using data escrow to shape more agile and modern sustainment strategies. Tat’s in “Data Escrow is the New Black,” on Page 24.
Finally, collaboration is everything, and the Program Exec- utive Office (PEO) for Aviation is taking it to a new high. Discover how PEO Aviation’s Combat Aviation Brigade Architecture Integration Lab is partnering with warfight- ers to co-develop systems and capabilities, enabling the warfighter to be equipped with operationally verified capa- bilities in an expedited manner faster, and at reduced costs.
Tere’s lots more in this issue highlighting the great work of the Army Acquisition Workforce such as: PEO Ground Vehicle Systems Center’s initiative to grow future STEM experts by holding summer camps for Native and Indige- nous communities in the Michigan area (Page 106); efforts to build better bunkers (Page 82); and modernization plans for Army Ammunition Plants (Page 100)—stuff that some- times gets pushed to the back but is vital to the success of our Soldiers.
As always, if you have a concern, comment or, better yet, a story idea you would like covered—or to write yourself— please contact us at
armyalt@army.mil. We look forward to hearing from you.
Nelson McCouch III Editor-in-Chief
Email Nelson McCouch III @
armyalt@army.mil
https://
asc.ar my.mil
3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
