By Steve Stark
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Sept. 28, 2015) – Innovation is often assumed to be the next big thing, but more often, it’s incremental upgrades to the way things are done, built or contracted. That’s why Army AL&T’s Editorial Advisory Board wanted us to focus on innovative approaches to acquisition. We made it the theme for the October – December edition of Army AL&T, which is online now and will be available in hard copy at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition.
This newest edition of Army AL&T is packed with ways that organizations have innovated to make processes work more smoothly, from acquiring ammunition to fielding capability sets to making logistics go like clockwork. Articles discuss innovations such as simultaneously building and integrating prototypes; a multiyear effort to change from a performance specification to a technical data package; red-teaming product development and making Soldiers a part of the process, to name just a few.
Readers will also find a moving tribute to the Hon. Claude M. Bolton Jr., former assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, whose sudden passing in July was a blow to his many friends and former colleagues across the services.
The new edition also has a special section on foreign military sales (FMS), an important tool for the government and the Army in promoting U.S. interests abroad and at home. FMS cases have accelerated recently—a good thing for the taxpayer, the Army and the United States’ allies and partner nations. For the taxpayer, FMS helps to avoid the cost of mothballing, demilitarizing or otherwise disposing of vast stores of unneeded materiel. For the Army, FMS helps keep the industrial base warm, retains much-needed talent and furthers good relations with partner nations. For U.S. allies and partner nations, it provides the possibility of greater security at home, not to mention gaining potential capabilities that many nations can only dream of acquiring.
Even if you’re a die-hard hard copy reader, there are many reasons to take a sneak peek online. Read the interactive e-magazine, or visit the archives to download the PDF version.
For more information on how to publish an article in Army AL&T magazine, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-magazine/ to check out our writers’ guidelines, upcoming deadlines and themes.
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