the Rapid Capabilities Office, like its Air Force counterpart and a similar office recently created by the Navy, can take advantage of this foundation to further expedite solutions to the field.
COMPLEMENTARY CAPABILITIES
Joseph Amadee, REF operational lead, configures power settings for a hybrid battery system that greatly reduces fuel consumption of the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment tower in Kabul, Afghani- stan, in September 2014. The Army Rapid Capabilities Office’s mission is complementary to that of the REF, which has a 180-day turnaround time and delivers a specific piece of kit to meet the urgent operational needs of a specific forward-deployed unit. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. William White, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command)
forces operating in contested environ- ments, as well as projects with potential to meet future strategic objectives and fill gaps. As disruptive technologies emerge in the commercial and military sectors, the organization will provide a stream- lined path for the Army to adapt, acquire and field critical capabilities.
At the same time, the organization will enable the Army to match and outpace future adversaries by promoting innova- tion,
experimentation and risk-taking earlier in the technology life cycle.
While each project will have a different time frame for investigation and comple- tion, the process can be tailored to allow the Army to respond to current contin- gencies. Ordinarily, enduring capabilities resulting from the Army Rapid Capa- bilities Office’s efforts will transition to a PEO for continued production, modi- fication, sustainment and support.
Tese limits on scope illustrate that the Army Rapid Capabilities Office is not a substitute for the acquisition practice. Its goal is not to procure systems to outfit the entire Army, but rather to use tar- geted investments to execute strategic prototyping, concept evaluation and limited equipping—especially in areas where technology progresses rapidly.
Tis approach is consistent with congres- sional emphasis and DOD Better Buying Power efforts on prototyping as a means of acquisition reform. In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, which became law in Novem- ber 2015, lawmakers described a middle tier of acquisition to support rapid pro- totyping and fielding projects. Te law laid out new pathways for such projects that remove various process, funding and regulatory hurdles to streamline capabil- ity delivery. As one component of Army’s larger acquisition reform efforts,
the
CONCLUSION Just as it is impossible to predict exactly what the Army’s next conflict will be, we can’t always foresee the necessary battle- field technologies until the moment of need, as Soldiers discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan. By creating a dedicated organization to proactively expedite critical combat capabilities, we will send fewer shorthanded troops to today’s and tomorrow’s fights. If we work hard and get it right, the Rapid Capabilities Office will enable the Army to address evolving threats and build our nation’s technologi- cal advantage through rapid procurement of innovative technologies that change the equation for our Soldiers.
For more information, contact Maj. (P) Marcos Cervantes at marcos.a.cervantes.
mil@mail.mil.
MR. DOUGLAS K. WILTSIE is director of the Army Rapid Capabilities Office. He holds an M.S. in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech University. He is Level III certified in program management and systems engineering, and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.
MAJ. GEN. WALTER E. PIATT is the deputy director for operations for the Army Rapid Capabilities Office. He is a career infantry Soldier with over three decades of service as both an enlisted Soldier and an officer. He also has extensive command and operational experience participating in worldwide Army operations.
+
ASC.ARMY.MIL 35
ACQUISITION
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 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192
