Senate Panel Jams Army Network

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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After 16 years of development, two years of simulation testing and a cost of hundreds of millions already spent, the US Army is ready to activate the Battlefield Data Network in actual deployment in the field. All well and good except for the problem of the Senate Appropriations Committee may pull the funding needed to keep the network operational. We’ve all heard the adage The Opposite of Progress is Congress and here is a prime example of that in action.

This is a big blow to the Army. In March, its acquisitions chief, Lt. Gen. William Phillips, called developing the data network “our number-one program moving forward.” That’s right — more important than a new ground vehicle, refurbishing its helicopter fleet, and its other big-ticket items
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They could have just given me half the "hundreds of millions" and done nothing. They'd have just as much to show with only half the spending...
 
Ultima99 said:
They could have just given me half the "hundreds of millions" and done nothing. They'd have just as much to show with only half the spending...
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Why would they give it to you when they could keep it for themselves and still do nothing?
 
Not cool Zombo.com... actually pathetic and major distaste for the Senate with sincere sympathy for the Lt General. ;)
 
Ten years of irregular, confusing land warfare have taught the Army that dismounted soldiers desperately need rapid access to data if they’re to reduce the fog of war.

The Army would not directly comment on pending legislation. But in a statement provided to Danger Room, it expressed total faith in the data network. “Overall,” the Army statement says, “the WIN-T program is flexible and will leverage the Network Integration Evaluation and agile process, assess mature industry technology for insertion, and work to ease integration burdens on combat platforms.” Shorter version: the Senate panel doesn’t know what it’s talking about.
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On the other hand...

The Army is surely disappointed. But the Senate has a point: the Army’s process for buying stuff is a total, bloated mess. A 2011 inquiry found that between 35 and 45 percent of its R&D budget is simply wasted due to unrealistic requirements standards.
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Yikes.
 
Is it my imagination or did one post and three replies disappear from this thread?
 
I think we have a spammer at #4.

Read the article. Seems like this project doesn't get enough lobbiest TLC or this would not be happening. See the bit about the USAF and USN? They're getting shit they don't want. That's lobbyists and payola in action.
 
Thia happens all over the world. The Arms business is one of the biggest swindles in the world.

They call the banks crooked but the defence contractors and governments all need to be investigated as well. Possibly the biggest thieves of taxpayers money going.

The defence companies have no intention of delivering anything on time. All they want to hear is another misguided change to the specification from some Govt official so that it can be delayed for another two years at a cost of X billion tax dollars/pounds/euros etc. etc.
 
daglesj said:
the defence contractors and governments all need to be investigated as well. Possibly the biggest thieves of taxpayers money going.

The defence companies have no intention of delivering anything on time. All they want to hear is another misguided change to the specification from some Govt official so that it can be delayed for another two years at a cost of X billion tax dollars/pounds/euros etc. etc.
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You are 100% correct.
 
Well I suppose those who want to cut defense spending should be happy about this one.
 
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