MODERNIZATION BY THE NUMBERS
ADDRESSING SOLDIER CONCERNS
Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, assistant deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, talks with a Soldier at the Integration Motor Pool during his visit to NIE 16.2 in March at Fort Bliss. Since Army leaders began shaping the NIE in 2010, it has evolved to meet Army priorities.
lead. Tis applies beyond the network as well. Using the NIEs and AWAs to bring in commercial technology from different capability sectors, turning it over to Sol- diers to try it out, and providing oversight of military-specific security parameters as the technology is being developed, will be key to productive interaction with industry.
Evaluating early variations and advanc- ing more rapidly through the prototyping process gives commercially developed technology a greater chance of getting fielded or transitioned into a program management office. Naturally, there will be instances when some of the equip- ment may need more work or we realize it is not a capability we need, eliminat- ing the fielding of ineffective equipment. A “capability integration evaluation” or similar event will be the driving force behind finding and refining solutions and ensuring that our Soldiers will be well-equipped.
Tis step directly aligns with the CSA’s recent report to Congress on Army acquisition, which made clear
experimentation and prototyping are on top of the priorities list. Te AWAs were
specifically early technologies and concepts 142
developed to place in a
field environment. Unlike the NIE, the AWA is not a structured test, so there is room for experimentation. Te AWAs will engage technology from early pro- totypes all the way to more mature capabilities at Technology Readiness Level 6—testing of prototypes in a con- trolled environment—and beyond. As the AWA evolves and aligns with the guidelines provided by the CSA, it will incorporate a broader group of industry partners, yielding value-added capabili- ties for the near term.
2. Use NIEs and AWAs to align the capability requirements within the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology communities.
that
Currently, materiel developers receive capability requirements documentation from TRADOC capability managers. Based on those requirements, capabilities are built or procured to address gaps and provide solutions. But as Soldier feedback shows, the solutions provided at times may not be precisely what the Army needs. An example involved one of the Army’s major capabilities under assessment and evalu- ation for technical merit and ease of use for Soldier operators. While it met the
technical
capability
requirements,
the
equipment was extremely complex to use. NIE participation resulted in direct Soldier feedback on ease of use, enabling the PM to implement capability improve- ments that simplified Soldier-operator tasks.
To increase the impact of NIEs and AWAs in effectively shaping requirements, as part of the NIE/AWA planning cycle, the Army could hold a one-week symposium for each portfolio holder, where combat developers and materiel developers could come together. Such an event would help bridge the gap between the requirements and the solutions provided and could ensure that both are informed by Sol- dier recommendations from the NIE and AWA exercises.
A shift toward more rapid procure- ment also could be facilitated by the Army Requirements Oversight Council (AROC) as it evolves into a command- centric forum. Te AROC’s ultimate goal, as the CSA wrote, “to ensure that the warfighter receives the right capability in the timeframe that makes it useful on the battlefield and within cost,” directly aligns with the NIE and AWA efforts. Additionally, the newly proposed Army Rapid Capabilities Office may leverage
Army AL&T Magazine
July-September 2016
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