2012-05-24T20:54:39Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/military-acquisition-and-procurement.html http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1147.html May 24, 2012 May 24, 2012

Nearly all Air Force electronics are tested and repaired using automatic test systems, most of which were designed and built for specific aging weapon systems and are beset by increasing hardware and software obsolescence. The Air Force is planning to modernize these capabilities by rehosting the testing on modern, common families of test equipment. This report focuses on the economic aspect of the rehosting decision.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB608.html May 23, 2012 May 23, 2012

This document examines current supplier relationship management (SRM) practices in the Army, identifies SRM best practices the Army may wish to consider, and focuses on how the Army can gain better performance and reduce total costs by improving its management of and partnering with large defense suppliers.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1187.html May 8, 2012 May 8, 2012

Together this and two companion monographs demonstrate a method, model, and simulation that the U.S. Army can use to analyze and manage portfolios at any stage of the research and development process. This monograph expands and applies RAND's portfolio analysis and management (PortMan) method to address the problem of selecting Army engineering and manufacturing development projects in order to develop affordable systems.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1136.html Mar 7, 2012 Mar 7, 2012

The body armor that U.S. forces wear in Afghanistan is effective against ballistic threats, but it is heavy in weight and makes up a large portion of the load that soldiers and marines carry on patrol and into combat. This report summarizes a congressionally directed study of how body armor weight can be reduced.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1143.html Feb 23, 2012 Feb 23, 2012

When a weapon system ceases production, the tooling not needed for sustainment that cannot be repurposed must either be disposed of or stored. Storage is not free, but system-specific tooling might become necessary for a restart, and starting from scratch can be expensive, although some tools cost more to store than they are worth. The authors examine these tooling retention issues for the C-17 cargo aircraft.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR883.html Feb 22, 2012 Feb 22, 2012

To summarize trends and identify factors contributing to bid protest activity and outcomes in Air Force procurements, the authors assembled data from Air Force administrative databases on procurement activity and protests and developed statistical models to analyze bid protests.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1077.html Feb 22, 2012 Feb 22, 2012

Recent bid protests have caused large disruptions in resource and operational planning in the Air Force, even leading to the cancellation of the Combat Search and Rescue helicopter program. Some tactics that the Air Force could use to counter such protests in the future include simplifying and clarifying selection criteria and priorities, explaining how its cost estimates are developed, and involving attorneys in external review of bids.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB603.html Feb 22, 2012 Feb 22, 2012

Recent bid protests have caused large disruptions in resource and operational planning in the Air Force, even leading to the cancellation of the Combat Search and Rescue helicopter program. Some tactics that the Air Force could use to counter such protests in the future include simplifying and clarifying selection criteria and priorities, explaining how its cost estimates are developed, and involving attorneys in external review of bids.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1133.html Jan 16, 2012 Jan 16, 2012

Reviews a 2003 RAND evaluation of the risks and costs of the United States having little or no competition among companies involved with designing, developing, and producing fixed-wing military aircraft and related systems; examines changes in industrial-base structure and capabilities that have taken hold since that analysis was performed; and assesses how these and future changes will affect the industrial base.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP485-2011-12.html Jan 12, 2012 Jan 12, 2012

RAND's three federally funded research and development centers apply research capital they have developed over the years to help decisionmakers solve problems and often save money as well. This publication lists and briefly summarizes some RAND projects undertaken over the past ten years that have helped save the government money or that have identified ways to do so. Amounts saved are estimated.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9562.html Dec 22, 2011 Dec 22, 2011

To design a new naval submarine domestically, Australia's industry and Government will need about 1,000 skilled draftsmen and engineers. Cultivating this workforce could take 15-20 years; partnering with foreign designers could expedite the process.

http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/12/15.html Dec 15, 2011 Dec 15, 2011

When it comes to designing a new submarine, Australia has considerable expertise, but some gaps still exist.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1033.html Dec 15, 2011 Dec 15, 2011

The Royal Australian Navy intends to acquire 12 new submarines to replace its <em>Collins</em>-class vessels. RAND assessed the domestic engineering and design skills that Australian industry and government will need to design the new submarine, identified the skills they currently possess, and evaluated how to fill any gaps between the two.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9624.html Dec 15, 2011 Dec 15, 2011

Describes the methodology used to develop resource allocation and forward positioning recommendations for the sustainment stock portion of Army pre-positioned stocks, given a specific scenario and budget.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB619.html Dec 15, 2011 Dec 15, 2011

Readiness problems associated with newly fielded systems are relevant to both combat effectiveness and public perception. When new equipment comes into the Army, it is often fielded on a unit-by-unit basis, so the "initial" fielding can take many years. This report demonstrates the feasibility of using demands from earlier fieldings to improve push packages as equipment is fielded to successive units.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1128.html Dec 9, 2011 Dec 9, 2011

Large, complex submarine design and construction programs demand personnel with unique skills and capabilities supplemented with practical experiences in their areas of expertise. Recognizing the importance of past experiences for successful program management, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth of Australia asked the RAND Corporation to develop a set of lessons learned from previous submarine programs that could help inform future program managers. The four volumes in this set present lessons learned from the <em>Ohio</em>, <em>Seawolf</em>, and <em>Virginia</em> programs of the United States; the <em>Astute</em> program of the United Kingdom; and the <em>Collins</em> program of Australia.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9623.html Dec 2, 2011 Dec 2, 2011

Examines the desirable and undesirable trade-offs that U.S. Army decisionmakers must make regarding commonality in military equipment.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9629.html Nov 29, 2011 Nov 29, 2011

Examines whether there is a less costly medical distribution structure for U.S. Central Command that would maintain or improve performance.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1128z3.html Nov 16, 2011 Nov 16, 2011

This volume presents a set of lessons learned from the United Kingdom's <em>Astute</em> submarine program that could help inform future program managers. Designing and building a submarine requires careful management and oversight and a delegation of roles and responsibilities that recognizes which party &mdash; the shipbuilder or the government &mdash; is best positioned to manage risks.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1128z2.html Nov 16, 2011 Nov 16, 2011

The U.S. Navy asked the RAND Corporation to develop a set of lessons learned from previous submarine programs that could help inform future program managers. This volume presents lessons from three U.S. submarine programs. The RAND team looked at how the programs were managed, the issues that affected management decisions, and the outcomes of those decisions. An overarching lesson from the three programs is the importance of program stability.