As of July 2008, about 75% of casualties in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were attributed to improvised explosive devices. To mitigate the threat from these weapons, DoD initiated the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program in Feb. 2007, which used a tailored acquisition approach to rapidly acquire and field the vehicles. To date, about $23 billion has been appropriated for the procurement of 16,000 MRAP vehicles. This testimony describes the MRAP acquisition process, the results to date, lessons learned from that acquisition, and potential implications for improving the standard acquisition process. The auditor reviewed DoD's plans to buy, test, and field the vehicles and discussed the plans with department and contractor officials.

Defense Acquisitions: Rapid Acquisition of MRAP Vehicles

About 75% of casualties in current combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are attributed to improved explosive devices. To mitigate the threat from these weapons, the DoD initiated the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program, which uses a tailored acquisition approach to rapidly acquire and field the vehicles. MRAP is DoD¿s single most important acquisition program. To date, more than $22 billion has been appropriated to acquire more than 15,000 MRAP vehicles, and about 6,600 of the vehicles have been fielded. This report: (1) describes DoD¿s approach for and progress in implementing its strategy for rapidly acquiring and fielding MRAP vehicles; and (2) identifies the challenges remaining for the program. Illustrations.

The authors analyze various approaches to speed acquisition of military capabilities and keep pace with evolving threats, assess these approaches' suitability for different conditions and acquisition types, and identify implementation issues.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is acquiring two new tactical wheeled vehicles (TWV): the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). The $12.5 billion M-ATV is for use in Afghanistan; JLTV is the future replacement for vehicles like the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). This report assessed: (1) DoD's progress in rapidly acquiring and fielding M-ATVs; (2) JLTV's expected features and cost compared to other TWV; and (3) the extent to which the current plans for M-ATV and JLTV are consistent with the services' TWV investment strategies. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find publication.

"So far, EA implementation of military space programs has produced mixed results. The capabilities and requirements definition and management processes are major challenges in all EA programs. EA programs require an evolutionary costing approach; most cost analysts interviewed expressed generally positive views about EA."--BOOK JACKET.

This book offers a systematic guide to the allocation of American taxpayer dollars used to provide for the common defense. With engaging and illustrative examples like the narrative of a helicopter purchase, it reveals an unexpectedly chaotic political process that produces a conversely stable aggregate defense budget. The book explores specific attempts to control or influence these turbulent funding outcomes as Congress reviews the Presidential budget request. Containing data and sources largely unavailable to researchers without access to the Department of Defense, the book should be of interest to anyone looking for a direct, current, and methodical analysis of defense budget outcomes that preserves the informal and nuanced mechanics of a political and complicated process.

Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced rapidly changing threats to mission failure or loss of life, highlighting the DoD¿s need to develop and field new capabilities more quickly than its usual acquisition procedures allow. Since 2006, Congress has provided nearly $16 billion to counter improvised explosive devices alone. There have been funding, organizational, acquisition, and oversight issues involving DoD's processes for meeting warfighters' urgent needs. This report determined: (1) the extent to which DoD has a means to assess the effectiveness of its urgent needs processes; and (2) what challenges, if any, have affected the overall responsiveness of DoD's urgent needs processes. This review conducted 23 case studies. Illustrations.