By Ann Roosevelt
The Army is continuing and expanding the work of the Future Force Integration Directorate (FFID) and it’s Evaluation Task Force (AETF) far beyond its initial work for the Future Combat System (FCS), the director says.
“Essentially what we do is move past Future Combat Systems and we’re looking at–more broadly–Army modernization,” said Maj. Gen. James Terry, FFID director, who helped create the original organizations that are units of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).
TRADOC Commander Gen. Martin Dempsey last week approved the Revised FFID Mission statement, Annie Gammell, FFID spokeswoman said.
“The Future Force Integration Directorate integrates brigade combat team modernization efforts, conducts train-evaluate-test activities and delivers capabilities packages aligned with ARFORGEN (Army Force Generation) in order to enable Army modernization. On order, FFID conducts other brigade modernization efforts.”
Previously, FFID was to “integrate modernization efforts supporting Army Transformation to provide FCS-enabled modular brigades beginning in fiscal year 2011 and an FCS- equipped brigade combat team at full operational capability in 2017 to Joint Force Commanders.”
Similarly, the AETF mission has been revised to match FFID work, Gammell said.
“5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division (AETF) organizes and trains to test and evaluate elements of the Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization Plan in order to inform the development of enhanced capability packages across (Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, Education, Personnel and Facilities) DOTMLPF to the current and future force.”
Earlier, the AETF was oriented to evaluate FCS and associated Spin Out capabilities, she said.
The Army now is in the process of evaluating its modernization plans through TRADOC’s Task Force 120 that will report to Army leadership at the end of August. The task force’s work must be approved by Army leaders and DoD and could result in some changes to coming budgets.
“We’re looking at all existing programs of record that are out there, we are right now reviewing all the operational needs statements that are coming out of theatre, we’re looking at all the force design updates that are coming in, we are looking at all the lessons learned that are out there,” Terry said during a recent Pentagon roundtable. At the same time, TRADOC intelligence personnel are providing a glimpse of the future and what it could hold for the service.
Senior Defense Department leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agree the future requires extremely capable, small units led by versatile, adaptive leaders for an uncertain future likely to be characterized by various forms of warfare, particularly some mix of irregular and conventional conflict.
“Key to that, I believe, is modernizing our formations and specifically doing those as rapidly as possible and inserting capabilities that underpin that versatility,” Terry said.
That was what the FFID and AETF were created to do with the FCS through its spin outs of mature technology. Now, the organizations will expand their view across the service, eventually including the service brigades.
FFID is contributing to the overall effort of TF 120 and when the broad examination of modernization is complete and set in context, it moves to specifics, the directorate will ensure the plans are integrated.
“We go into something we’re calling ‘organizational-based assessments,'” Terry said.
These assessments look at high-risk areas for the Infantry BCT the Heavy BCT and the Stryker BCT.
“We’ll go back into those programs and operational needs statements and look for the best solutions,” he said.
The solutions will be gathered into capability packages, handed off to the AETF for assessment and evaluation, testing if required, and then aligned with a BCT as it deploys.
The capability packages would be to maximize the operational value of a specific BCT, and aligned with its rotational cycle, moving first toward the time period 2011-2012, then 2012-2013 and so on.
It’s a different approach than before, Terry said. “Building from where we are towards the future as opposed to reaching out there and pulling the future forward,” as was done with FCS.
The capability packages will include incremental network builds, and leverage capabilities in mobility, protection, and precision so full spectrum operations can be conducted so offensive, defensive and stability operations could be conducted simultaneously in a variety of environments.
The packages include not only materiel solutions but will also consider doctrine organization and training so the package is complete.
“At the point of the spear it’s about the quality of the decision s being made at increasingly lower level in the operational environment that we’re in, that’s really what we’re after.
The momentum also will continue on the FCS spin out work. The AETF went back into the west Texas desert July 27 to start TRADOC force development test and evaluation. The previous week the unit completed a collective training exercise at the company level where spin out systems, SUGV, the Class 1 aerial vehicle, the network integration kit, the tactical and urban unattended ground sensors and the non-line-of-sight launch system.