Major restructuring looming for top Army program

The Army is
planning to drastically reduce its ambitious modernization program, known as
Future Combat Systems, according to congressional, industry and Pentagon
sources.

Army Chief of Staff
George Casey was expected to meet with four- and three-star Army generals on
Saturday to discuss plans for restructuring. Army officials are expected to
have several other meetings over the next few weeks.

{mosads}The Future Combat
Systems (FCS) is designed to make the Army lighter and more agile through an
intricate web of manned and unmanned ground and aerial vehicles all linked
together by a digital network. At a price tag of at least $160 billion, it is
the Army’s most expensive weapons program ever.

Boeing and
Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) are the main contractors for
FCS with the task of integrating the various technologies and managing scores
of subcontractors.

Details on the
restructuring plan are scant and closely held, but sources told The Hill that
the plan includes cutting out four of the eight manned vehicles that were
initially supposed to be developed.

The two
contractors working on the manned vehicles are General Dynamics and BAE
Systems.

The four
remaining vehicles will be evenly split between the two defense giants.

The vehicles that
the Army is likely to seek funding for are the non-line of sight cannon, the
reconnaissance vehicle, the infantry carrier vehicle and the command and
control vehicle, according to industry sources.

The Army will
defer the development and production of the other four, but could invest some
research money into them.

Part of the
restructuring plan is also to have the digital network be developed separately
from the vehicles.

The Army has
restructured the program several times, as the program has garnered criticism
and funding cuts on Capitol Hill, particularly in the House.

The Army has
already canceled or deferred several other components in the last few years,
including the intelligent munitions system, the armored personnel carrier, the
mounted combat system and several kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The program has
been mentioned as one major target for cuts and changes under the new Obama
administration.

Any kind of major
restructuring of the program before Obama Pentagon officials and advisers get
to it could ensure that the Army restructures the program on its own terms and
could present a plan to the new administration that it could accept.

Even with the
expected restructuring in the works, the Army is launching a public-relations
campaign to drum up support for the program. The Army is planning a series of
events to showcase its vehicles and network, including a media event at
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., to display the service’s new network integration
and test center.