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DUDLEY KNOX LIBRARY NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOl MONTEREY CA 93943 5101 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND THE SOLDIER SYSTEM. CRITICAL ACQUISITION ISSUES by DOUGLAS W. LESSLEY MARCH, 1992 Thesis Advisor: RICHARD B. DOYLE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 3Sqi PH [inC. -hi I SECURITYCLASSIFICATIONOFTHISPAGE REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE la REPORTSECURITYCLASSIFICATION 1b RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS UNCLASSIFIED 2a SECURITYCLASSIFICATIONAUTHORITY 3 DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITYOFREPORT Approvedfor public release;distributionisunlimited 2b DECLASSIFICATION/DOWNGRADINGSCHEDULE 4 PERFORMINGORGANIZATIONREPORTNUMBER(S) 5 MONITORINGORGANIZATIONREPORTNUM6F.R(S) 6a NAMEOFPERFORMINGORGANIZATION 6b OFFICESYMBOL 7a NAMEOFMONITORINGORGANIZATION NavalPostgraduateSchool (Ifapplicable) NavalPostgraduateSchool 55 6c ADDRESS(City,State,andZIPCode) 7b ADDRESS(City,State, andZIPCode) Monterey,CA 93943-5000 Monterey,CA 93943 5000 8a NAMEOFFUNDING/SPONSORING 8b OFFICESYMBOL 9 PROCUREMENTINSTRUMENTIDENTIFICATIONNUMBER ORGANIZATION (//applicable) 8c ADDRESS(City,State, andZIPCode) 10 SOURCEOFFUNDING NUMBERS ProgramElementNo ProjectNo WorkUnitAc,ev>'Oii Number 11 TITLE(IncludeSecurityClassification) SPECIALOPERATIONSANDTHESOLDIERSYSTEM:CRITICALACQUISITIONISSUES 12 PERSONALAUTHOR(S) Lessley, DouglasW. 13a TYPEOFREPORT 13b TIME COVERED 14 DATEOFREPORT(year, month,day) 15 PAGE COUNT Master'sThesis From To March 1992 155 16 SUPPLEMENTARYNOTATION TheviewsexpressedinthisthesisarethoseoftheauthoranddonotreflecttheofficialpolicyorpositionoftheDepartmentofDefenseortheU.S. Government. 17 COSATICODES 18 SUBJECTTERMS(continueonreverseifnecessaryandidentifybyblocknumber) FIELD GROUP SUBGROUP USSOCOM,SORDAC,SoldierSystem,SpecialOperationsAcquisition,Soldier ModernizationPlan 19 ABSTRACT(continueonreverseifnecessaryandidentifybyblocknumber) ThisthesisprovidestheUSSpecialOperationsCommand(USSOCOM)technologybasemanagerwithanunclassifiedreferencedocumentonthe Army's"SoldierSystem,"thecollectivetermfortheArmy'semergingapproachtotheresearch,developmentandacquisitionofitemsusedbythe individualsoldieronhtebattlefield. ChaptersIIIVoutlinetheemergingapproach,discussingtheSoldierModernizationPlan,thecurrentArmy acquisitionstructureandprocess,andtheArmyScienceBoard"SoldierasaSystem"study. ChapterVdiscussestheacqusitionresponsibilities ofUSSOCOM,detailingtheevolvingrelationshipwiththeArmyrequirementdevelopmentprocessforindividualsoldieritems. ChapterVI summarizesthethesisfindings,assessesthenextsteps,andmakesspecificrecommendationstoUSSOCOM. Theprincipalconclusionisthat maintainingconcurrentandreinforcingcombatdevelopment,technoologybase,andtop-levelprogrammanagementinterfacechannelswiththe SoldierSystemisthemosteffectivewayfor USSOCOMtoinfluencetheArmy'sprocesstomeettheneedsofspecialoperations 20 DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITYOFABSTRACT 21 ABSTRACTSECURITYCLASSIFICATION Q . 3 UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED J SAMEASREPORI OllCUSERS UNCLASSIFIED 22a NAMEOFRESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL 22b TELEPHONE(IncludeAreacode) 22c OFFICESYMBOL 408-646-3302 AS/Dy DrRichardB.Doyle DD FORM 1473, 84 MAR 83APReditionmaybeuseduntilexhausted SECURITYCLASSIFICATIONOF 1HIS PAGE Allothereditionsareobsolete UNCLASSIFIED Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Special Operations and the Soldier System: Critical Acquisition Issues by DouglasW. Jjessley Captain, United States Army B.A., Washington and Lee University, 1983 Submitted in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL March 1992 n . ABSTRACT This thesis provides the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) technology base manager with an unclassified reference document on the Army's "Soldier System," the collective term for the Army's emerging approach to the research, development and acquisition of items used by the individual soldier on the battlefield. Chapters II - IV outline the emerging approach, discussing the Soldier Modernization Plan, the current Army acquisition structure and process, and the Army Science Board "Soldier as a System" study. Chapter V discusses the acquisition responsibilities of USSOCOM, detailing the evolving relationship with the Army requirement development process for individual soldier items. Chapter VI summarizes the thesis findings, assesses the next steps, and makes specific recommendations to USSOCOM. The principal conclusion is that maintaining concurrent and reinforcing combat development, technology base, and top-level program management interface channels with the Soldier System is the most effective way for USSOCOM to influence the Army's process to meet the needs of special operations 111 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION I 1 . A BACKGROUND 1 . B OBJECTIVE 5 . C RESEARCH QUESTIONS 6 . D SCOPE, LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS 7 . E LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY 7 . F ORGANIZATION 8 . II SOLDIER MODERNIZATION 9 . A INTRODUCTION 9 . B SYSTEMS APPROACH 11 . 1 Definition 11 . 2 Traditional Approach to Soldier Items 12 . 3 Emerging Approach - Next Steps 13 . C. ARMY MODERNIZATION 14 1 Concept 14 . 2 Strategy and Modernization Plans 15 . D SMP PROGRAMS 17 . 1 General Overview 17 . 2 Current Systems 18 . 3 Next Generation Systems 18 . 4 Future Systems 23 . E SOLDIER SYSTEM FUNDING 23 . 1 General Overview 23 . 2 Funding Assessment Problems 24 . iv