Rough Road
The Insider | February 9, 2009
Facing tighter budgets and a greater emphasis on fuel efficiency, the military vehicle industry has a challenging year ahead, according to industry panelists at last week's tactical wheeled vehicles conference in Monterey, CA.
Pentagon IG: Defense Department 'Likely Overpaid' for MRAP Vehicles
Daily News | January 28, 2009
The Defense Department likely overpaid for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles because contract officials did not properly assess prices and failed to ask for a volume discount from one of the top truck manufacturers, according to a closely held report from the Pentagon inspector general.
Army Vice Chief Expects Mid-Course FCS Review to End in February
A top-to-bottom review of the Army's Future Combat Systems program is expected to wrap up by the end of February, according to the service's vice chief of staff.
Future Combat
The Insider | January 21, 2009
The Army's Future Combat Systems effort will support a full-spectrum Army, according to the service's chief of staff.
Seeking Balanced Force, Casey Says Army Has 'Two Tough Years Ahead'
While the number of committed Army troops likely will increase through 2010, the Army's chief of staff said today he expects the service to make continued progress on bringing the force back into balance.
Craddock Calls for Additional ISR Capabilities for European Command
Daily News | January 9, 2009
U.S. European Command needs to hold onto its forces -- rather than draw down two brigades by 2013 -- and beef up its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools, according to its commander.
House Mates
The Insider | January 8, 2009
Just in time for a kick-off organizational meeting next week, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) is welcoming eight new Democrats to the panel.
A Different Transition
Because of the unprecedented challenges facing President-elect Obama, the outgoing administration is facilitating "a different kind of transition," according to Stephen Hadley, President Bush's national security adviser.
Pentagon 'Deferring' $17.6 Billion in FY-09 War Costs
The Defense Department's updated $69.7 billion war cost estimate for the balance of fiscal year 2009 falls more than 20 percent short of the total sum Pentagon leaders believe the military requires to repair and replace battle-worn equipment and fund a larger U.S. presence in Afghanistan, according to a previously unreported DOD document.
Foreign Comparative Testing Program to Launch 12 New Starts in FY-09
Daily News | December 30, 2008
The Pentagon has selected a dozen new efforts to fund in fiscal year 2009 through a program that seeks to identify foreign-made equipment that would be useful to the U.S. Military.
GAO Says Performance-Based Logistics Savings Still 'Unclear'
Seven years after the military identified performance-based logistics as its preferred weapon system support strategy, the initiative's success in reducing costs remains unclear, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
Gates: Military Fixing MRAP Problems 'As Fast As We Can'
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is promising fixes to mechanical problems faced by Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles just as the Defense Department undertakes a second effort to rapidly acquire another variant of the blast-proof trucks.
Army Unveils Training Manual with New Focus on Full-Spectrum Operations
In recognition of changes made to its operational doctrine earlier this year, the Army this week formally released a revised training manual that places equal importance on stability and combat operations.
Metz: Pentagon 'Not Ready to High-Five in the End Zone' on IED Defeat
The Pentagon office set up to combat improvised explosive devices should maintain its current focus rather than expand its portfolio to cover other threats, according to its top official.
The Insider | December 10, 2008
The Pentagon has not been able to rapidly adapt to a "war footing," according to the Center for Public Integrity's new large-scale assessment of the Bush administration, titled "Broken Government."
MRAP ATV Request for Proposals Calls for Mature Technologies
Daily News | December 9, 2008
The fast-moving Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle program has taken another step forward with the release of a formal request for proposals.
MRAP Misjudgments?
The Insider | December 9, 2008
Following the release of the Pentagon Inspector General's report on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected acquisition effort, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) has issued a statement criticizing the Marine Corps and the overall defense procurement system.
DOD IG Clears Marines of Criminal Neglect in Waving Off 2005 MRAP Request (Updated)
The Pentagon's inspector general has cleared Marine Corps Combat Development Command of criminal negligence for not responding to a 2005 request from Iraq for life-saving Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles by troops in Iraq, but the IG says the Quantico, VA-based command failed to redirect the urgent request for armored trucks to the Pentagon.
Gates Calls for Evaluations of Reserve Component's Readiness
Future defense budgets should take into account the funding required to support the operational role of the reserve components, Defense Secretary Robert Gates writes in a 41-page memo signed yesterday.
Emphasizing Speed, DOD Says First M-ATV Vehicles Will Be Fielded in Fall 2009
The new MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle will be produced using the top-priority rating employed by the original Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle program, according to a draft executive summary of the M-ATV request for proposals.