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Army Defends Its ‘Future’

Congressional investigators are blasting the Army, for how slow-moving, and how overloaded, its $200 billion reboot has become. The Army’s response: the lawmakers’ minions have it all wrong.

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Future Combat Systems, or FCS, is the Army’s effort to use software and computer networks to turn itself into a quicker, lighter, more-lethal force by 2017. At least, that’s the idea. But a damning new report from the Government Accountability Office, Congress’ investigative arm, says that bloated software and tarpit-slow technological progress are putting the program in serious danger.

Our own David Axe spoke with FCS spokesperson Paul Mehney, who said that the report was off-base, on several points. Yes,estimates for FCS’ software have grown to nearly 95 million lines of code, up from 32 million lines when the effort began. 17 million lines of that is a projected jump in military code. But the rest is from a number of commercial, off-the-shelf software programs. One example: FCS now uses Adobe Reader, which is fat with code. There never really was an expectation that the off-the-shelf code would stick to certain ceiling. So it was allowed to pile up, resulting that larger number. That’s no worry, Mehney claims. The commercial code is is all old, proven stuff. (Of course, proven programs don’t always work well, in new combinations…)

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The GAO report also found that only “two of FCS’ 44 critical technologies have reached a level of maturity that based on best practice standards should have been demonstrated at program start.” Perhaps more concerning, “Since the start of the program, the Army has reduced the ratings of seven FCS critical technologies.” Mehney counts only 36 technologies — and says they are nearly all on track. (True, but only using a lower standard for what’s considered “mature.”) Only a single project has slipped, he says.

Lastly, the GAO report raised concerns that the networks and radios which FCS will need to share data are way, way behind schedule. Mehney counters that the initial “builds” are working just fine, in testing at Fort Bliss. He admitted that, going forward, “we’re going to notice problems as we go through [additional] build phases.” But, by 2013, everything will come together. And it will be working just fine.

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ALSO:

* Army’s $200 Billion Reboot Fizzles * Army Future’s Software Overload* Congress Pulls Plug on Shady Defense Deals* Future Combat Systems: Point, Click, Shoot* Army “Future” vs. Insurgent Superbombs* New Name for Army “Future” * Old-School Army “Future” * Army “Future”: Invade Azerbaijan* Guess Which Country We Invade in Army’s “Future”* Boeing Defends Big Price Tag for Army “Future” * More Bucks for Army “Future”* Army “Future” Flickering Out * Army’s Future Combat System Going, Going, But Not Quite Gone * Shady Contract for Army “Future”* Army

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Admiral William J. Fallon assumed duties as the commander, U.S. Central Command on March 16, 2007. He was raised in Merchantville, N.J. A 1967 graduate of Villanova University …

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