Weapons under fire: Marine programs need to regain credibility, says acquisition chief.

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QUANTICO, Va. -- The Marine Corps must fix its troubled procurement programs and restore its reputation on Capitol Hill if it wants to secure needed funding for new equipment, said a senior acquisition official.

Problems in several big-ticket Navy and Marine Corps programs in recent years--particularly the littoral combat ship and the expeditionary fighting vehicle--have prompted lawmakers to propose major funding cuts.

The current challenges in major acquisition programs should serve as a wake-up call both for military procurement officials and contractors, said Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command.

"Right now, you and I have a credibility problem on the Hill with the leadership," Brogan warned defense contractors at the Modern Day Marine Expo.

"They're tired of development that takes longer than planned, costs more" and does not yield a system that performs well, said Brogan.

In some cases, lawmakers have responded by mandating a shift from cost-plus contracts to fixed-price contracts. Analysts have warned such congressional decisions may eventually set a precedent for all future acquisitions.

At the Pentagon, procurement officials also have begun an internal shake-up. John Young, acting undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told the Marine Corps and the Army in late August that the joint light tactical vehicle program--the replacement for the humvee--was not technologically mature enough to advance to further development efforts. The program was sent back to the drawing board.

"We have the combined problem of the joint light tactical vehicle that is staring us right in the face," said Maj. Gen. Duane Thiessen, of the Marine Corps' programs and resources office. "We're going to need some proofs of concept. We're going to need some concept demonstrators in order to get a viable program going."

The Marine Corps acquisitions office is taking steps to comply with Young's directive.

"We're going to reduce our risk in system development and design by doing prototyping upfront and maintaining competition for as long as possible," said Brogan.

The Marine Corps will expect industry bids--including cost estimates and schedules--in future programs to be "brutally accurate," he said. New weapons systems also will require "open architecture" designs so they can be interoperable with other systems, Brogan said. "If you bring me a proprietary system, I'm going to send you away ... We can no longer afford to buy a proprietary system and be tied to a vendor for its life cycle."

Infantry equipment for individual Marines--particularly body armor--is a major focus of future procurements, Brogan said. Gear will be evaluated based on how they integrate with other items that Marines carry during combat operations. In the past, said Brogan, "We have treated Marine infantrymen like Christmas trees on which we hang ornaments."

The use of robots as cargo mules, such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Big Dog, is a viable option as long as the machines can keep up with Marines, said Brogan.

Marines also are seeking equipment that requires fewer batteries.

"Right now, in a Marine infantry platoon, we have 19 different batteries," said Brogan. That places a huge burden on the supply system and on the Marine divisions to carry all the different types.

"I don't think we'll ever power radios with double-A or triple-A batteries, but we can neck it down to a much smaller number than that," he said.

A growing list of equipment needs must be added to a mounting backlog of vehicles and weapons returning from war that need to be repaired or replaced. As a result, the Marine Corps' budget will be under great pressure, said Brogan. "I can't go lobby on the Hill," he told contractors. "You all do. You need to continue to keep putting the bug in your representatives' ears that the money flow has got to continue for several years after we come out of theater."

The Corps' fleet of ground vehicles and aircraft, which are being used at four to seven times their normal peacetime rates, will require attention, said officials.

At the same time, the service is modernizing its aviation fleet and reducing the types of aircraft down to five models from eight, said Brig. Gen. Robert Walsh, assistant deputy commandant for aviation.

"This is going to be real challenging for us to do," Walsh said at the industry gathering. "We need your help to find better ways to do this, to get them done on budget and on time."

The Marine Corps' top aviation programs are the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the V22 Osprey, said Walsh.

The first Ospreys deployed to Iraq this fall. The tilt-rotor aircraft has been assailed for lacking a defensive weapons system. Marines currently suppress enemy fire by using a machine gun mounted inside the cabin near the ramp. However, that means they can only fire when the ramp is down, and they can only shoot in a limited arc.

Walsh said he is looking at various gun systems as possible candidates for the V-22. One is a remotely-operated weapons made by BAE Systems. It is mounted underneath the aircraft's belly and can incorporate a range of small caliber weapons systems, such as a .50 caliber gun and the 7.62mm Gatling gun.