The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Army announced Friday the selection of the team of the Boeing Co. (Anaheim, Calif., and Seattle, Wash.) and Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), (McLean, Va., and San Diego, Calif.) as the Lead Systems Integrator (LSI) for the concept and technology development phase of the Future Combat Systems program. Subject to negotiation, the Boeing-SAIC team will receive a $154 million award for this 16-month effort.
The Boeing-SAIC LSI will support the Army's development of the concept design, organization and operational structure, and performance specifications for the FCS program.
The LSI Team will develop the architecture for the system of systems envisioned for the FCS, and will identify and evaluate potential concepts and technologies, conduct demonstrations and select the most promising efforts for further definition.
The work accomplished by the LSI will ensure the FCS program is ready to transition from the concept and technology development phase into the system development and demonstration phase during the third quarter of fiscal 2003.
The LSI approach affords opportunities to insert "leap ahead" technology upgrades when they are mature, to incorporate best business practices and to ensure an integrated effort from all concerned.
The FCS program is a joint DARPA/Army program that is identifying the promising systems and technologies for achieving the Army's vision of fielding an "Objective Force" beginning this decade.
"Future Combat Systems is a major step in the transformation of the Army," stated Claude M. Bolton, Jr., assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. "The LSI is critical to making the Objective Force a reality in this decade."
"FCS is an Army networked system of systems that serves as the core building block within all Objective Force maneuver units of action to enhance advanced joint and coalition warfighting capabilities to provide options for decisive victory to our Nation," said Lt. Gen. John Riggs, director, Objective Force Task Force.
The FCS is envisioned as a networked system of systems including manned and unmanned platforms that will be capable of conducting missions for assault, indirect fires, air defense, reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition, and battle command and communications.
The Objective Force is the Army's future full spectrum force; organized, manned, equipped and trained to be more strategically responsive, deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable, and sustainable across the entire spectrum of military operations from major theater wars through counter terrorism to homeland security. FCS tactical formations enable the Objective Force to see first, understand first, act first and finish decisively as the means to tactical success.
"The DARPA/Army Future Combat Systems effort has been and continues to be a close and effective partnership. We look forward to moving ahead in this transformational endeavor with the Army and the Lead Systems Integrator," said Anthony J.
Tether, director of DARPA. Army Col. William Johnson, DARPA's program manager for the FCS program, added, "the selection of the LSI begins the physical transformation of the U.S. Army to the Objective Force."
Today's LSI selection follows a 21-month concept design phase during which four contractor teams (Boeing, Science Applications International Corp., Team FoCuS Vision Consortium, and Team Gladiator) developed innovative concepts for Future Combat Systems. DARPA and the Army analyzed the concepts and used them to refine the draft FCS requirements.
