Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 1996-06 Case analysis of the U.S. Army Warfighting Rapid Acquisition Program: Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle -- Enhanced weapon system Jones, Walter. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/39303 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS CASE ANALYSIS OF THE U.S. ARMY W ARFIGHTING RAPID ACQUISITION PROGRAM: BRADLEY STINGER FIGHTING VEHICLE -- ENHANCED WEAPON SYSTEM by Walter Jones June 1996 Principal Advisor: Orin E. Marvel Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. '• ' REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Fonn Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of infonnation is estimated to average I hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of infonnation. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of infonnation, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports. 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 222024302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washinl!:lon DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED June 1996 Master's Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE CASE ANALYSIS OF THE U.S. ARMY 5. FUNDING NUMBERS WARFIGHTING RAPID ACQUISITION PROGRAM: BRADLEY STINGER FIGHTING VEHICLE -- ENHANCED WEAPON SYSTEM 6. AUTHOR(S) Jones, Walter 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION Monterey CA 93943-5000 REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Aooroved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) With the Department of Defense's budget continuing to be reduced, Anny acquisition managers must acquire superior weapon systems within shorter time periods with less resources. One effective way to accomplish this with relatively small, µrgently needed acquisition programs is through the Anny's Warfighting Rapid Acquisition Program (WRAP). This thesis uses a case study of the Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle-Enhanced (BSFV-E) air defense system to determine the impact of the WRAP upon accelerated acquisition. WRAP transitions compelling US Anny Training and Doctrine Command Battle Lab successes into rapid acquisition successes. Lessons learned from the BSFV-E case are identified which might be used by other acquisition managers to effectively manage programs which emerge as Battle Lab experimentation successes and are approved for rapid acquisition through the WRAP process. One lesson learned is that BSFV-E's streamlined acquisition process permitted a significant reduction in the administrative and procedural requirements which typically burden systems development. Also, this case study identified that lack of funding for WRAP programs such as the BSFV-E can potentially transform a rapid acquisition effort into a business-as-usual program. This study concludes that the BSFV-E is an excellent acquisition streamlining role model. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Warfighting Rapid Acquisition Program, WRAP, Acquisition 15. NUMBER OF Streamlining, Battle Labs, Advanced Warfighting Experiments, Bradley Stinger PAGES105 Fighting Vehicle-Enhanced, BSFV-E, Bradley Linebacker 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFI- 18. SECURITY CLASSIFI- 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICA- 20. LIMITATION OF CATION OF REPORT CATION OF THIS PAGE TION OF ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 298-102 ., ' . ' .. ii .. ·,. ' .. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. CASE ANALYSIS OF THE U.S. ARMY WARFIGHTING RAPID ACQUISITION PROGRAM: BRADLEY STINGER FIGHTING VEHICLE -­ ENHANCED WEAPON SYSTEM Walter Jones Captain, United States Army B.S., University of California, Riverside 1986 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL June 1996 Author: Approved by: - ---------- Department of Systems Management 111 iv ABSTRACT With the Department of Defense's budget continuing to be reduced, Anny acquisition managers must acquire superior weapon systems within shorter time periods with less resources. One effective way to accomplish this with relatively small, urgently needed acquisition programs is through the Anny's Warfighting Rapid Acquisition Program (WRAP). This thesis uses a case study of the Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle-Enhanced (BSFV­ E) air defense system to determine the impact of the WRAP upon accelerated acquisition. WRAP transitions compelling US Anny Training and Doctrine Command Battle Lab successes into rapid acquisition successes. Lessons learned from the BSFV-E case are identified which might be used by other acquisition managers to effectively manage programs which emerge as Battle Lab experimentation successes and are approved for rapid acquisition through the WRAP process. One lesson learned is that BSFV-E's streamlined acquisition process permitted a significant reduction in the administrative and procedural requirements which typically burden systems development. Also, this case study identified that lack of funding for WRAP programs such as the BSFV-E can potentially transform a rapid acquisition effort into a business-as-usual program. This study concludes that the BSFV-E is an excellent acquisition streamlining role model. v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION . 1 A BACKGROUND . 1 B. OBJECTIVE .............................................. 2 C. RESEARCH QUESTIONS . 2 D. SCOPE ................................................... 2 E. LITERATURE REVIEWS AND l\1ETHODOLOGY ............... 2 F. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS . 3 G. ORGANIZATION ............. : . 4 II. WRAP: TRANSITIONING BATTLE LAB SUCCESSES INTO STREAMLINED ACQUISITION ..................................... 5 A. INTRODUCTION . 5 B. CHANGING THREAT ENVIRONMENT . 6 C. FORCE XXI . 8 1. Doctrine . 10 2. Modernization and Digital Technologies ..................... 11 3. Simulations ............................................. 12 D. JOINT VENTURE . 14 E. BATTLE LABS . 15 F. ADVANCED W ARFJGHTING EXPERI1\1ENTS . 21 1. Operation Desert Hammer ................................. 23 2. Task Force XXI Advanced Warfighting Experiment ............. 25 G. W ARFIGHTING RAPID ACQIBSITION PROGRAM POLICY . 26 1. Tiger Team -- Rapid Acquisition Initiative Background .......... 26 2. Warfighting Rapid Acquisition Program Purpose ............... 27 3. Warfighting Rapid Acquisition Program Process ................ 28 4. Warfighting Rapid Acquisition Program Documentation ......... 29 H. SUMMARY .................................................. 31 ID. BRADLEY STINGER FIGHTING VEHICLE -- ENHANCED . 33 A. BSFV-E SYSTEM DESCRIPTION . 33 B. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............... , . 35 1. Budget Impacts Upon FAAD ............................... 3 7 2. Continued Need For Heavy Division Air Defense ............... 38 3. Changing Air Defense Threat ............................... 38 C. AIR DEFENSE BATTLE LAB INITIATIVE . 40 1. Use of Virtual Prototyping ................................. 42 2. Testing ............................................. 43 D. BSFV-E PROGRAM ACQUISITION STRATEGY ............... 44 1. Contracting Milestones .................................... 46 2. Competition ............................................ 47 3. Source Selection Process & Pricing Analysis ................... 49 4. Effects of Acquisition Reform .............................. 51 Vil E. SUMMARY ............................................... 52 IV. CASE ANALYSIS OF THE BSFV-E PROGRAM . 55 A INTRODUCTION . 55 B. LESSONS LEARNED ...................................... 55 C. SUMMARY ............................................... 72 V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 73 A GENERAL CONCLUSIONS . 73 B. SUMMARY OF LESSONS LEARNED . 73 C. RECOMMENDATIONS .................................... 75 D. AREASFORFURTHERRESEARCH ......................... 75 APPENDIX A [LIST OF ACRONYMS] . 77 APPENDIX B [BSFV-E PROGRAM CHRONOLOGY] . 83 APPENDIX C [REPRESENTATIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS] . 85 LIST OF REFERENCES . 87 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 93 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST . 95 viii I. INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND Just as the document "From the Sea" has shaped the way the United States Navy will fight in the future, the Army's "Force XXI Campaign" provides that Service's current overarching vision. Force XXI is the Army framework which balances today's operational challenges with an understanding of what capabilities are needed to meet future challenges. In light of the rapidly increasing rate of change in both technological advancements and the strategic global environment, the Army must enter the business of "changing the way it changes." [Ref 1] In May 1992, the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Battle Laboratories (Battle Labs) were founded to help identify the components needed by the Army to stay at the forefront of this wave