SEEKING SUPERIORITY
Allied forces operate during the exercise Anakonda 16 in June in the Drawsko Pomorskie Train- ing Area near Oleszno, Poland. As the Army battles to maintain technological superiority against sophisticated adversaries, the Rapid Capabilities Office will focus on the highest-priority Army requirements with an intent to deliver an operational effect within one to five years. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ashley Marble, 55th Combat Camera)
solutions that inform the doctrine, orga- nization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, facilities and policy impacts of implementing new capabilities within the operational Army. Rapid Capabili- ties Office solutions will be user-driven, leverage military and commercial
inno-
vation, and deliver capabilities that aren’t perfect but are game-changing nonethe- less. Additionally, the organization will act as an agent of change within the total force acquisition system by challenging traditional approaches and implement- ing streamlined methods, processes and techniques.
THE RAPID MODEL Te Army is not the first service to stand up a dedicated rapid prototyp- ing and fielding office for strategic gain. Te idea comes from the U.S. Air Force, which created its own Rapid Capabili- ties Office in 2003 when it became clear that existing acquisition processes could
not speed critical technologies to produc- tion to counter asymmetric threats. Te new office was to be lean, secretive and empowered, with a direct line to the ser- vice secretary and chief of staff.
In establishing its rapid capabilities organization and operating principles, the Air Force didn’t have to start from scratch. Several major defense contrac- tors, most famously Lockheed Martin Corp. and its secretive rapid capabilities branch, provided a precedent for shed- ding traditional bureaucracy and getting state-of-the-art systems out the door fast. Keys to the vendors’ success included a short, narrow chain of command; a small, motivated engineering and test team; autonomy and central decision-making authority; and acceptance of an “80 per- cent” solution to outfox the enemy rather than answer every detail of a requirement.
Te Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office
succeeded in developing and fielding rapid prototypes, including an integrated air defense system for the National Capi- tal Region that combined tower-mounted radars, aircraft identification and visual warning systems. Making use of com- mercial technology and agile testing, the project was completed in less than two years and operational in time for the 2005 U.S. presidential inauguration. As the organization matured, the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office also began to manage larger, highly classified projects such as the Long Range Strike Bomber program without abandoning the men- tality that made it effective.
ARMY RAPID CAPABILITIES OFFICE TAKES SHAPE Te Air Force experience has proved valuable to the Army in shaping its Army Rapid Capabilities Office over the past several months. For example, like its Air Force counterpart, the Army Rapid
ASC.ARMY.MIL 33
ACQUISITION
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