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NPS-AM-11-205 ^`nrfpfqflk=obpb^o`e= `~ëÉ=ëíìÇó= = The Nett Warrior System: A Case Study for the Acquisition of Soldier Systems 15 December 2011 by Maj. Joseph L. Rosen, U.S. Army, and Maj. Jason W. Walsh, U.S. Army Advisors: Michael W. Boudreau, Senior Lecturer, and Dr. Keith F. Snider, Associate Professor Graduate School of Business & Public Policy Naval Postgraduate School Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited. Prepared for: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California 93943 = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli The research presented in this report was supported by the Acquisition Chair of the Graduate School of Business & Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School. To request Defense Acquisition Research or to become a research sponsor, please contact: NPS Acquisition Research Program Attn: James B. Greene, RADM, USN, (Ret.) Acquisition Chair Graduate School of Business and Public Policy Naval Postgraduate School 555 Dyer Road, Room 332 Monterey, CA 93943-5103 Tel: (831) 656-2092 Fax: (831) 656-2253 E-mail: [email protected] Copies of the Acquisition Sponsored Research Reports may be printed from our website, www.acquisitionresearch.net = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli THE NETT WARRIOR SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF SOLDIER SYSTEMS ABSTRACT This project provides an analysis of the Army’s acquisition of the Nett Warrior (NW) soldier system. Its objectives are to document the legacy of the system and provide an overview of how acquisition strategy has adapted with respect to key acquisition elements since its inception on September 8, 1993. The product is a document that provides an analysis of the actions taken and the obstacles encountered and how the warfighters, user representatives, materiel developers, and lawmakers dealt with them. The NW need was approved in February 2009. The requirement was to provide improvements for dismounted soldiers in the five specific capability categories of lethality, command and control, mobility, survivability, and sustainment. For a period lasting approximately 20 years, the NW has evolved. Despite the Army’s decision to terminate the Land Warrior, the predecessor to the Nett Warrior system, in FY 2007, the NW’s foundation for follow-on soldier system initiatives had been established. The success of NW will depend on the program’s ability to incorporate soldier-driven design requirements, commercial technology, and thorough system testing. = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v - i - k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v - ii - k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank our advisors, Colonel (Retired) Michael Boudreau and Dr. Keith Snider, for their guidance and patience that enabled us to complete our MBA project. Your direction has helped us move from nothing to everything. Without your counsel and sage advice, this MBA project would not have been completed. We apologize for having subjected you to hours of mind-numbing proofreading. We also recognize several key personnel who were instrumental in our research efforts: Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) John Geddes, Deputy Product Manager Nett Warrior; Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Pat Berger, Deputy TRADOC Capabilities Manager Soldier; Lieutenant Colonel Ted Qualls; Major Wayne Hiatt; Kelly Castillo; Major Doug Copeland; Karey Shaffer; and Tera Yoder. Without your help, we would not have completed this project. Finally, we would like to thank our families for their unwavering support, unconditional love, best wishes, and never-ending optimism that we would eventually finish this paper. We will always appreciate the sacrifice you make as both wives and mothers. We owe you our most sincere gratitude for always allowing us to chase our dreams. = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v - iii - k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v - iv - k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli NPS-AM-11-205 ^`nrfpfqflk=obpb^o`e= `~ëÉ=píìÇó= = The Nett Warrior System: A Case Study for the Acquisition of Soldier Systems 15 December 2011 by Maj. Joseph L. Rosen, U.S. Army, and Maj. Jason W. Walsh, U.S. Army Advisors: Michael W. Boudreau, Senior Lecturer, and Dr. Keith F. Snider, Associate Professor Graduate School of Business & Public Policy Naval Postgraduate School Disclaimer: The views represented in this report are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy position of the Navy, the Department of Defense, or the Federal Government. = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v - v - k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v - vi - k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................1 B. OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH OF THIS STUDY .................................3 C. SCOPE ..............................................................................................................5 D. ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT ..........................................................5 II. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR THE NW SYSTEM ...................................7 A. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................7 B. AN ABBREVIATED HISTORY OF THE NETT WARRIOR SYSTEM .........................................................................................................11 C. NETT WARRIOR EMERGES ....................................................................16 III. NETT WARRIOR USERS’ PERSPECTIVES .......................................................21 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................21 B. TRADOC CAPABILITY MANAGER–SOLDIER ....................................22 C. TCM–SOLDIER AND SOLDIER AS A SYSTEM ....................................23 D. TRADOC CAPABILITY MANAGER–SOLDIER & NETT WARRIOR DEVELOPMENT .....................................................................25 E. LAND WARRIOR AND THE 4–9 INFANTRY IN IRAQ ........................26 F. LAND WARRIOR–STRIKE AND 5/2 SBCT IN AFGHANISTAN .........30 G. 2ND STRYKER CAVALRY REGIMENT AND LW–STRIKE ...............37 H. MANEUVER BATTLE LAB FINDINGS FROM LIMITED OBJECTIVE EXPERIMENT 2009 .............................................................41 1. Summary of Findings ........................................................................42 I. ARMY TEST AND EVALUATION COMMAND LAND WARRIOR–STRIKE EMERGING RESULTS BRIEF, FEBRUARY 2, 2010..............................................................................................................46 J. TCM–S’ REQUIRMENTS DILEMMA ......................................................51 K. CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................53 IV. THE NETT WARRIOR MATERIEL DEVELOPER’S PERSPECTIVES ........55 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................55 B. INCREMENTAL APPROACH TO THE FUTURE FORCE WARRIOR .....................................................................................................55 C. NETT WARRIOR SYSTEM ACQUISITION STRATGEY .....................57 D. NETT WARRIOR: MATERIEL SOLUTION ANALYSIS PHASE ........59 E. NETT WARRIOR: TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PHASE ...........61 F. NETT WARRIOR LIMITED USER TEST (OCTOBER– NOVEMBER 2010) ........................................................................................64 G. ARMY TEST AND EVALUATION COMMAND’S NET WARRIOR LIMITED USER TEST ASSESSMENT (MAY 2011) ...............................65 1. ARMY TEST AND EVALUATION COMMAND’S NETT WARRIOR LIMITED USER TEST EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................65 = = ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ã= do^ar^qb=p`elli=lc=_rpfkbpp=C=mr_if`=mlif`v - vii - k^s^i=mlpqdo^ar^qb=p`elli 2. ARMY TEST AND EVALUATION COMMAND’S NETT WARRIOR LIMITED USER TEST SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................66 3. ARMY TEST AND EVALUATION COMMAND’S NETT WARRIOR LIMITED USER TEST SURVIVABILITY ..............67 4. ANALYSIS OF ARMY TEST AND EVALUATION COMMAND’S NETT WARRIOR LIMITED USER TEST ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................67 H. NETT WARRIOR AND THE CONFIGURATION STEERING BOARD ...........................................................................................................67 I. NETT WARRIOR END USER DEVICE ....................................................68 J. NETT WARRIOR END USER DEVICE SUSTAINMENT PLAN ..........70 K. LESSONS LEARNED ...................................................................................70 L. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................72 V. BUDGET DECISIONS AFFECTING THE LW/NW PROGRAM ......................75 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................75