By Emelie Rutherford
The Pentagon is seeking industry’s help in finding cost-effective ways to fill a projected tactical aircraft gap next decade.
Acquisition authorities within the Defense Department (DoD) recently issued a request for information (RFI) to industry seeking “best practices in the future production of TACAIR assets.” DoD has been collecting the responses this month, and is planning a industrial-base wargame to examine realistically implementing the suggested strategies.
The Pentagon is gearing up for a two-part “Industrial Based Wargame: TacAir 2010-2020,” a Pentagon spokeswoman said. A June wargame “will assess the CoCom operational needs against available force structure,” she said. Then, a July wargame will focus on industry’s proposed “alternative business solutions ‘art of the possible’ within DoD budget constraints,” she said.
There is “concern” in DoD that current TACAIR acquisition programs may be inadequate to address projected force-structure gaps from 2010 to 2020, the RFI says. Because budgets are expected to hold steady or decrease during that time, the April 28 request sought input on “creative/innovative industrial approaches” as well as on “policies and other issues that should be considered to ensure a viable TACAIR industrial base.”
“The Department is seeking industry insights and best practices to find innovative ways to better utilize industrial capacity to develop, test, produce, and manage major complex weapons programs,” the now-closed RFI says.
Specifically, DoD wants to know how to apply commercial industry’s policies and practices–developed out of necessity in a competitive marketplace–to its major military aircraft acquisition programs, the document says.
The RFI lists examples of focus areas for which respondents could develop alternate strategies, including: open architecture, tooling and equipment, scheduling and production, strategic subcontracting and supplier tiering, and material and component sourcing.
The RFI cites examples of DoD applying commercial procedures and production efficiencies, including using “production, procurement, and supply chain methodologies for producing off shore oil and gas platforms,” which it says had “significant applicability” to constructing complex Navy ships.
DoD is facing “significant challenges” with its TACAIR platforms because of “higher than anticipated utilization rates and projected shortfalls due to lack of serviceable assets,” the document says.
“The slow pace of weapon acquisition, current GWOT operations, and declining procurement budgets have resulted in a force that is rapidly aging and more expensive to maintain, update and modify,” it states.
With DoD and all of U.S. government facing increasing competition for scarce resources, the department’s TACAIR investment has seen reductions because of war-related activities. The “imminent closure” of the F-15, F-16, F-18 and F-22 production lines “will further aggravate this situation,” the RFI says.
The document was issued by acquisition authorities including the offices of Pentagon acquisition czar John Young, acting Navy acquisition executive John Thackrah, and Air Force acquisition executive Sue Payton.