Module 1-1 Support Strategy Development



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Module 1-1

Support Strategy Development


Overview. During this course you will assume the role of Life Cycle Logistician (LCL) for the Strike Talon Unmanned Combat Aircraft System (UCAS), currently a pre-Acquisition Category (ACAT) ID program managed by the Program Manager (PM) UCAS.
Background. The Strike Talon UCAS will provide persistent loiter, deep penetration, ground attack capability against high value targets to the Air Force and Navy; serving as a force multiplier for the Joint Force or Fleet Commander, enhancing short notice and long-range ground attack, and shortening the sensor-to-shooter kill chain. It will enter System Development and Demonstration (SDD) following a successful Milestone (MS) B decision in 4QFY09. An Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) has been completed and a full and open competition will be conducted for the SDD phase. The Strike Talon Initial Capabilities Document (ICD) was approved 19 June 2006. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the Strike Talon UCAS is defined as one squadron with 10 unmanned aircraft (UA), two ground control stations and sufficient support assets to maintain a specified level of performance (technical data, training systems, spares, and support equipment). IOC is planned for early 4th quarter FY141 for the Navy and late 4th quarter FY14 for the Air Force.

As the LCL you will be required to plan, develop, implement, and manage effective and affordable support strategies throughout the Strike Talon UCAS life cycle. Typical responsibilities include:



  • Influencing the selection of major system equipment alternatives;

  • Identifying and assessing the logistics implications of each major system or equipment alternative;

  • Influencing the detailed system design to improve supportability;

  • Planning for, and participating in, all prototyping and testing;

  • Participating in the configuration management process;

  • Selecting and refining the life cycle support concept;

  • Planning and providing logistics support for the test and evaluation program;

  • Completing a plan for support of fielded system;

  • Beginning deployment planning;

  • Delivering logistics resources to initial operating sites;

  • Planning and acquiring resources for life cycle support;

  • Monitoring the operations and maintenance of the initial operating hardware;

  • Adjusting the support system to correct support system deficiencies;

  • Planning for demilitarization, recycling, and disposal.

Over the next five days you will complete a series of practical exercises designed to reinforce the role of the LCL in the pre-systems acquisition and systems acquisition phases of the Strike Talon UCAS life cycle, from MS A activities through SDD prior to MS C. The lessons are structured to emphasize key LCL activities and products during this critical period of weapon system development. To improve continuity and to emphasize the ‘building block’ nature of acquisition, i.e., the decisions and outputs of one phase influence and serve as inputs for the decisions and outputs of future phases. You will focus on logistics inputs and outputs regarding a Strike Talon UCAS sub-system, Prognostics and Health Management (PHM), and the influences it has on System Operational Effectiveness (SOE). In this lesson, you will review concepts introduced in LOG 200 and earlier acquisition courses and learn how they influence the LCL’s decision-making and activities during weapon system acquisition. As you read the following information, keep in mind you will brief one of five topics during the morning of the first day of class. The five topics are: Statutory/Regulatory Environment, the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) process, the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) system, Funding Types/Cost Estimating, and SOE.


Statutory/Regulatory Environment. The statutory/regulatory environment provides the LCL with the framework to develop and implement a supportability strategy. Capabilities development is embodied in the JCIDS. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction (CJCSI) 3170.01F establishes policy and procedures for the JCIDS. Implementation guidelines and procedures are found in Commander Joint Chiefs of Staff Manual (CJCSM) 3170.01C.
Financial Management is embodied in the PPBE process. This process is implemented through Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 7045.14, The Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS).
Acquisition management is embodied in the Defense Acquisition System. DoDD 5000.1 establishes principles, policies, and procedures for managing all DoD acquisition programs. DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5000.2 is the implementing instruction for DoDD 5000.1 and establishes a management framework for turning the Warfighter’s needs into acquisition programs. A key tenet of the 5000.1 is the establishment of the PM as the single point of accountability for accomplishing program objectives for Total Life Cycle Systems Management (TLCSM), including sustainment. PMs are required to address supportability, a key component of system performance, along with cost, schedule, and performance. PMs are also required to consider performance based logistics strategies that optimize total system availability while minimizing cost and logistics footprint. As the LCL, you must ensure product support strategies provide for long-term sustainment of the Strike Talon UCAS weapon system.
Title 10 United States Code (USC) and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) also are key facets of acquisition management. LCLs must recognize applicable laws and regulations when developing their product support plans. Three areas with which the LCL should be familiar are contract types, contracting strategy, and depot maintenance capability requirements. All are discussed below.
Contract Types. The FAR2 provides a wide variety of contract types for use by the DoD in the procurement of products and services. These contact types vary according to:

  • The degree and timing of the responsibility assumed by the contractor for the costs of providing products and/or services.

  • The amount and nature of the profit incentive offered to the contractor for achieving or exceeding specified standards or performance goals.

The contract types are grouped into two broad categories: cost-reimbursement and fixed price. The specific contract types range from cost-plus-fixed-fee, in which the contractor has minimal responsibility for the performance costs and the negotiated fee (profit) is fixed, to firm fixed price, in which the contractor has full responsibility for the performance costs and resulting profit (or loss). In between are the various incentive contracts, in which the contractor’s responsibility for the performance costs and the profit or fee incentives offered are tailored to the uncertainties involved in contract performance. The acquisition strategy identifies the type of contract planned and the reasons it is suitable, including considerations of risk and reasonable risk-sharing by the Government and the contractor(s). The specific contract types within the cost-reimbursement and fixed price contract categories are:



  • Cost-Reimbursement Contracts

    • CPFF (Cost Plus Fixed Fee)

      • Basically reimburses contractor for level of effort work accomplished plus a reasonable profit

      • Used when cost and pricing risk is immature (usually very early in the life cycle)

    • CPIF (Cost Plus Incentive Fee)

      • Objectively assessed performance metrics.

      • Used early in program when metric baseline is immature

    • CPAF (Cost Plus Award Fee)

      • Subjectively assessed performance metrics

      • Used when baseline maturity allows identification of performance metric values/targets

  • Fixed Price Contracts

    • FFP (Firm Fixed Price)

      • Used when cost and resource baseline is mature

      • Pricing risk is both understood and minimized (usually later in the life cycle)

    • FPIF (Fixed Price Incentive Fee)

      • Objectively assessed performance metrics

    • FPAF (Fixed Price Award Fee)

      • Subjectively assessed performance metrics

      • Award fee earned based on predetermined assessment of contractor performance against an award fee plan

Incentive Fee and Award Fee contracts are both based on monetary incentives. The main difference between an Incentive Fee and Award Fee is that the former is based on objectively assessed criteria and the latter is based on subjectively based criteria. As defined in FAR Subpart 16.43, an Incentive Fee contract includes a target cost, a target profit or fee, and a profit or fee adjustment formula. The formula is based on the contractor’s performance (actual costs) relative to the target cost. Award Fee contracts can be used when contractor’s performance can not be measured objectively. The amount of the award fee to be paid is determined by judgmental or subjective evaluation of the contractor’s performance in terms of the criteria stated in the contract. Figure 1 illustrates the typical contract type utilized by life cycle phase in the acquisition process.



Figure 1. Contract Type by Life Cycle Phase
Contracting Strategy. Another facet of the contracting approach the LCL must consider is FAR Part 12 versus FAR Part 15. FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, describes policies and procedures unique to the acquisition of commercial items (note that as used here, “items” is synonymous with “products and services”). It implements the Federal Government’s preference for the acquisition of commercial items contained in Title VIII of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355) by establishing acquisition policies more closely resembling those of the commercial marketplace and encouraging the acquisition of commercial products and services. FAR Part 12 requires use of fixed price type contracts. Use of any other contract type to acquire commercial products and services is prohibited. Commercial items are also exempt from the requirement for detailed cost or pricing data.
FAR Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation, pertains to policies and procedures governing competitive and noncompetitive negotiated acquisitions. A contract awarded using other than a sealed bidding procedure is a negotiated contract. All contract types and fee types are allowed under FAR Part 15. Table 1 provides a summary of the key elements of fixed price and cost-reimbursement type contracts.

Table 1. Fixed Price vs. Cost-Reimbursement Contracts


Fixed Price

Cost-Reimbursement

  • Maximum risk-sharing between Government and contractor

  • Contractor has greater incentive to control costs

  • Minimum risk-sharing between Government and contractor

  • Government pays allowable costs incurred by the contractor

  • Use when support requirements and resources are well-defined (i.e., mature baseline)

  • Use when support requirements and resources are not well-defined (i.e., immature baseline)

  • Fixed, Award, or Incentive Fee may be used

    • Metrics related to performance, schedule, and/or cost

  • Fixed, Award, or Incentive Fee may be used

    • Metrics usually based on cost targets

  • FAR Part 12 or 15

  • FAR Part 15 only

  • Minimizes administrative burden on Government and contractor

  • Increased administrative burden on Government and contractor


Depot Maintenance Capability. As the LCL for Strike Talon UCAS you play an integral role in determining the workload allocation strategy for depot level maintenance and repair. The workload allocation strategy must be consistent with the overall Maintenance Concept, the individual maintenance plans for Strike Talon depot level repairables, and public law. While the maintenance concept and/or individual maintenance plans may be changed by the PM, public law may only be changed by the Congress. The provisions of public law that provide boundaries and constraints for the LCL when developing a depot workload allocation strategy are contained in various sections of Title 10 USC. A summary of the applicable sections and their impact on depot workload allocation are provided in Table 2.
Table 2. Statutory Considerations in Support Planning


Section

Title

Overview

2460

Definition of depot level maintenance & repair

  • Defines depot level maintenance and repair (regardless of source of funds or location at which performed) as maintenance, repair and overhaul, upgrades, rebuild, testing and reclamation

  • Defines DoD “Core Logistics Capability” as depot artisan touch labor only

  • Contractor support that includes depot level maintenance & repair are fully classified as depot level maintenance and repair

2464

Core logistics capability

  • Commonly referred to as “Core”

  • Requires DoD to retain “Core Logistics Capability” to maintain and to repair ‘essential systems’ to meet national defense mobilization, contingency, and other emergency requirements

  • Core logistics capability identified by the SECDEF in terms of necessary depot level workload using Government-owned/ Government-operated facilities and equipment performed by federal workers

  • Essential systems identified by the SECDEF/JCS as essential to national security (number and type specified in war plans)

  • Items determined to be commercial are exempt from Core requirements

2466

Limitations on the performance of depot level maintenance of material

  • Maximum of 50% of funding made available in a year for depot level maintenance and repair may be used to contract for non-federal worker performance

  • Calculated at the Service level

  • Includes all depot level maintenance and repair (not Core dependent)

  • Includes all sources of funds

2469

Contracts to perform workloads previously performed by depot level activities of the DoD: requirement of competition

  • Requires competition before moving depot workload greater than $3M from a DoD depot

  • Cost includes labor and material

  • Applies to depot level maintenance and repair only

  • Includes transfer to another DoD depot or commercial activity

2474

Centers Of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE): designation; public-private partnerships

  • Requires adoption of best-business practices at all depots

  • Authorizes and encourages Public Private Partnerships (PPP) that enables:

  • Private sector use of excess depot capacity

  • Lease of excess depot equipment to private sector partners

  • Depots to retain monies received to fund improvements and operations

2563

Sales of Articles and Services; teaming

  • Permits the SECDEF to designate DoD industrial facilities to sell articles or services to non-DoD customers

  • Authorizes teaming

  • Cooperative arrangement where the depot sells goods and services to the private sector

  • Goods and services sold must not be readily available from US commercial sources

  • May result in a public depot being a subcontractor


Statutory/Regulatory Oversight and Review. The acquisition management chain of command for the Strike Talon UCAS, which is projected to be designated an ACAT ID program, begins with the PM and ends with the designated Milestone Decision Authority (MDA). This chain of command is depicted in the Figure 2.4

Figure 2. Acquisition Chain of Command
Additionally, CJCSI 3170.01 establishes the policies and procedures of the JCIDS. The key participants in the JCIDS process and their responsibilities are:
Defense Acquisition Board (DAB)/Information Technology Acquisition Board (ITAB). The DAB advises the Defense Acquisition Executive (DAE) on critical acquisition decisions. It conducts reviews in the context of the existing integrated product team (IPT) and acquisition milestone decision review processes. It is chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) (USD (AT&L)) and co-chaired by the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VCJCS). The MDA is the designated individual with overall responsibility for a program. The MDA has the authority to approve entry of an acquisition program into the next phase of the acquisition process. The DAB and ITAB provide reviews on critical acquisition decisions. An Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) documents the decision(s) resulting from the DAB and ITAB reviews.
Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC). The JROC oversees the JCIDS process and is chaired by the CJCS. The functions of the JROC Chairman are delegated to the VCJCS. Other members of the JROC are officers in the grade of general or admiral from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. JROC functions include directing program sponsors to develop and assess concepts that address joint capabilities; identifying and assessing the priority of joint military capabilities (including existing systems and equipment) to meet the national military and defense strategies; considering alternatives to any acquisition programs that have been identified to meet military capabilities by evaluating the cost, schedule, and performance criteria of the program and of the identified alternatives; assigning joint priority among existing and future programs meeting valid capabilities, ensuring that the assignment of such priorities conforms to and reflects resource levels projected by the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) through the Joint Planning Guidance (JPG)
Joint Capabilities Board (JCB). The JCB’s mission, outlined in the JROC charter, is to assist the JROC in overseeing the JCIDS. JCB functions include:

  • Determine mission needs; review and validate and/ or approve ICDs;

  • Review Functional Capabilities Board insights, findings, and recommendations;

  • Provide appropriate guidance, suggestion, and direction prior to final JROC review;

  • Recommend concept development and assessment to the JROC;

  • Review Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration proposals prior to JROC review.

The Joint Staff Director of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment (DJ-8) chairs the JCB and membership is comprised of general and flag officer representatives of the Services.


Functional Capabilities Boards (FCBs). The FCBs collectively support the JROC and JCB as an advisory body. They integrate stakeholder views in concept development, capabilities planning, and force development to ensure execution. They provide assessments and recommendations that enhance capabilities integration and minimize duplication of effort; examine joint priorities among existing and future programs; assess program alternatives; oversee the management of materiel and non-materiel changes that support the national defense and military strategies. FCBs are chaired by a general or flag officer and consist of military and/or civilian members from the following organizations:

  • US Army

  • US Navy

  • US Air Force

  • US Marine Corps

  • The Joint Staff

  • Combatant commands

  • OUSD (AT&L)

  • Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation (D,PA&E)

  • Assistant Secretary of Defense (Networks and Information Integration)/DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO)

The FCB Chairman may provide additional organizations with membership on a permanent or as-needed basis.


The JCIDS and defense acquisition oversight system are depicted in Figure 3.



Figure 3. JCIDS and Acquisition Oversight
The JCIDS Process.
Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA) - The CBA is the analysis part of the JCIDS process. The CBA defines capability needs, capability gaps, capability excesses, and approaches to provide those capabilities within a specified functional or operational area. It is based on strategic documents and guidance (i.e., National Security, Defense and Military Strategy documents, Strategic Guidance) and becomes the basis for the development of JCIDS documents. A CBA can also result in the potential development and deployment of integrated, joint capabilities.5 The results of the CBA are used to develop a Joint Capabilities Document (JCD), ICD, or Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership and Education, Personnel and Facilities (DOTMLPF) change recommendations (DCRs).
The major outputs of a CBA are: the functional area analysis (FAA); the functional needs analysis (FNA); and the functional solutions analysis (FSA). The FAA synthesizes existing guidance to specify the military problem to be studied. The FNA then examines that problem, assesses how well the DoD can address the problem given its current programs, and recommends needs that the DoD should address. The FSA then takes the FNA as input and generates recommendations for solutions to the needs. It is a joint assessment of potential doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities (DOTMLPF) and policy approaches to solving, or at least mitigating, one or more of the capability gaps identified in the FNA. The approaches identified should include the broadest possible range of joint possibilities for addressing the capability gaps. For each approach, the range of potential sustainment alternatives must be identified and evaluated as part of determining which approaches are viable. The results of the FSA will influence the future direction of integrated architectures and provide input to capability roadmaps.6
Figure 47 shows the CBA flow and resulting documents.

Figure 4. Capabilities Based Analysis Flow
Initial Capabilities Document (ICD) Development. The ICD documents the requirement to resolve a specific capability gap or a set of capability gaps for a given timeframe identified as the result of a CBA. It identifies possible solutions to the gap(s). The ICD must capture the results of a well-framed CBA.
Capability Development Document (CDD). The CDD specifies the system technical performance criteria of the weapon system that will deliver the capability that meets operational performance criteria specified in the JCD or ICD.
Capability Production Document (CPD). The CPD describes the actual performance of the weapon system that will go into production.
Key Performance Parameter (KPP) Development. KPPs are those attributes or characteristics of the Strike Talon that are considered critical or essential to meeting the Warfighter’s requirement. KPPs are comprised of thresholds (minimum acceptable performance values) and objectives (optimum desired performance values). They are validated by the JROC for JROC Interest documents, and by the DoD component for Joint Integration or Independent documents. KPPs are included verbatim in the acquisition program baseline. The LCL gets involved early in the JCIDS process by effectively advocating sustainment KPPs. Failure to meet a KPP threshold may result in cancellation, reevaluation or reassessment of the program or a modification of the production increments. KPPs are that important. The threshold value for an attribute, KPPs included, is the minimum acceptable value considered achievable within the available cost, schedule and technology at low to moderate risk. Performance below the threshold value is not operationally effective or suitable. The objective value for an attribute is the optimum desired performance achievable but at higher risk in cost, schedule and technology. Performance above the objective does not justify additional expense. The difference between threshold and objective values is defined as trade space. By definition, any performance value achieved in this realm is acceptable to everyone involved in the system’s acquisition - users included. Advances in technology or changes in joint concepts may result in changes to threshold and objective values in future increments.
Key System Attributes (KSAs). KSAs are system attributes considered most critical or essential for an effective military capability but not selected as a KPP. KSAs provide decision makers with an additional level of capability prioritization below the KPP but with senior sponsor leadership control (generally 4-star level, Defense agency commander, or Principal Staff Assistant). In the case of the mandated Sustainment KPP [(Materiel Availability (MA)], the supporting Material Reliability and Ownership Cost KSAs require any changes be documented in the subsequent update to the acquisition program baseline.8
JCIDS Supportability Requirements. Given the ‘capabilities based’ approach to setting formal Warfighter requirements, ‘supportability’ is a key attribute to be defined in the JCIDS process. Supportability includes system design and the logistics support and maintenance procedures necessary to achieve its availability goals. Logistics supportability is further defined as an inherent element of both Operational Effectiveness and Operational Suitability. The LCL must have a solid understanding of JCIDS and be aware of every step in the process to ensure that required product support attributes and capabilities are addressed by the Defense Acquisition System.

System Operational Effectiveness (SOE). SOE helps explain the dependency and interplay between system performance, system availability (reliability, maintainability, and supportability), process efficiency (system operations, maintenance, and logistics support), and system life cycle cost/total ownership cost as depicted in Figure 5.

Figure 5. System Operational Effectiveness
This overarching perspective provides a context for the “trade space” available to a PM along with the articulation of the overall objective of maximizing the operational effectiveness of weapon systems. SOE requires proactive, coordinated involvement of organizations and individuals from the requirements, acquisition, logistics, and user communities, along with industry. This applies equally to new weapon systems as well as to major modifications and opportunistic upgrading of existing, fielded systems. In all cases, full stakeholder participation is required in activities related to ‘designing for support,’ ‘designing the support,’ and ‘supporting the design.’ A key output of early SOE efforts is the documentation of program capability requirements that should balance capability, life cycle cost, and supportability. The initial acquisition strategy, including the high-level product support strategy, must also be defined in SOE terms. Early application of SOE concepts and principles in the product life cycle offers the most leverage for positive impact on system supportability and sustainment, and for establishing a competitive product support strategy that will maximize SOE.
SOE is comprised of three main philosophies that, when taken together, cover all design and product support activities across all life cycle phases. These activities are:


  • Design FOR Support - manifested through System Design for Operational Effectiveness (SDOE),



  • Design THE Support - resident in the product support strategy, also called the Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP).




  • SUPPORT the Design – executed through implementation of DoD's preferred support strategy, Performance Based Logistics (PBL).

The relationship of SOE's sub-elements, SDOE, LCSP and PBL, can be seen in Figure 6.



This graphic demonstrates how SDOE, LCSP and PBL provide an integrated, iterative logistics planning and execution framework. Together, these three processes can optimize the Strike Talon for affordable operational effectiveness.


Figure 6. SOE Relationships
System Design For Operational Effectiveness (SDOE). SDOE is a management model applied to balance inherent design and performance characteristics with the concept of operations and sustainment processes. Key considerations:

  • Enable trade-offs to achieve desired mission capability while reducing total ownership costs and logistics footprint. Initially should occur in system design to optimize support, then to support processes to achieve maximum affordable operational effectiveness.

  • Design for Support

    • Systems Engineering process

    • Exercise trade-offs to affect balance of inherent design characteristics with logistics support to achieve required availability goals

    • Achieve desired mission capability while reducing costs and logistics footprint

    • Drive maintenance and support requirements

SDOE focuses on achieving Technical Effectiveness in the Strike Talon design. More specifically, it focuses on those aspects of Strike Talon SOE that are design controllable through hardware, firmware, and software (see Figure 7).




SDOE focuses on inherent design characteristics and the impact of logistics elements on system availability. It is implemented through the systems engineering process and design influence.






Figure 7. Technical Effectiveness through SDOE
Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP). The LCSP is an evolutionary document beginning during the Concept Refinement Phase as a strategy framework evolving to an execution plan for how sustainment is measured and managed after system fielding. The purpose of the LCSP is to document the logistics support requirements of the products to be produced by activity and time frame. The LCSP provides the detailed plan for identifying, developing, and delivering logistics support products and the basic design of the logistics support infrastructure that will be used to support the Strike Talon UCAS. SOE language should demonstrate understanding of the concepts and delineate responsibilities for implementation, and also tie the LCSP to other supporting documents and technical processes to ensure an integrated approach to SOE is consistently described for the logisticians, systems engineers, and program management personnel involved in the acquisition.
Performance Based Logistics (PBL). PBL is DoD's preferred product support strategy for implementing SOE’s “Support the Design” activities. PBL changes the life cycle support paradigm by purchasing product support as an integrated package focused on performance outcomes rather than purchasing individual parts or repairs on a transaction basis. Planning for PBL, or any product support strategy, requires the LCL to:

  • Implement product support management planning

  • Develop and implement PBL (if shown to be the "best value" support strategy)

  • Conduct in-service management of the end items

  • Monitor and assess performance of PBL contracts and performance agreements

  • Perform product Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability analyses

  • Refresh technology to correct obsolescence, readiness, and/or affordability problems

  • Re-examine product support management planning periodically throughout the life cycle

The addition of “Design the Support” and "Support the Design" activities to SDOE results in System Effectiveness. System Effectiveness refers to the ability of the Strike Talon to perform its intended function at a readiness level that provides the Warfighter with the desired capabilities when needed. Figure 8 shows the components of System Effectiveness.




System Effectiveness is the result of combining SDOE with an effective and efficient support system. DoD prefers to implement PBL if it is shown to be the "best value" support strategy. The Systems Engineering process continues to facilitate SOE. implementation.





Figure 8. System Effectiveness through SDOE and Process Efficiency
Total Life Cycle Systems Management (TLCSM) and SOE. The principles of TLCSM guide the Strike Talon UCAS acquisition. TLCSM is the implementation, management, and oversight, by the PM, of all activities associated with the acquisition, development, production, fielding, sustainment, and disposal of a DoD weapon or materiel system across its life cycle. TLCSM bases major supportability decisions on their impacts to SOE. Implementation of the TLCSM business approach means that all major managerial, technical, and financial decisions demonstrate an understanding of their effects on operational effectiveness and supportability costs across the system's life cycle. To fully achieve TLCSM the PM must identify meaningful life cycle support objectives that ensure technical performance objectives are met. Practical examples of this (dependent upon the phase of acquisition) are:

  • Pre MS-B:

    • MA KPP in the CDD

    • CDD: Cost per unit of usage (cost per flying hour, rolling mile etc.)

    • CDD: Manpower cap

    • CDD requirement to evaluate PBL and alternative logistics solutions

  • SDD:

    • Configuration control/configuration management process that recognizes the Prime Contractor's need to share responsibility and authority

    • Tech data policy that recognizes access to data versus ownership

    • COTS and NDI integration, control and management

    • Materiel readiness and materiel reliability metrics in the SOO and PWS

    • Logistics footprint metric in the PWS and SOO

    • Requirement to design for an integrated product support solution

As the LCL you play an integral role in product support planning that is essential to successful TLCSM. Your product support planning starts early, evolves through the system's development, and should be updated throughout the Strike Talon's life cycle. Key considerations for successful product support planning include:



  • Addressing how your program will achieve these objectives by

    • Establishing a Performance Based Agreement (PBA) with the Warfighter and other stakeholders concerning Strike Talon readiness and affordability requirements

    • Integrating logistics chains to achieve cross-functional efficiencies and provide improved customer service through performance based agreements or contracts

    • Providing standard user interfaces for the customer via integrated sustainment support centers

    • Selecting best value, long-term product support providers and integrators based on competition

    • Implementing prognostic maintenance health monitoring capability to increase Strike Talon availability

    • Measuring support performance based on high-level metrics

  • Improving product affordability, system reliability, maintainability, and supportability via continuous, dedicated investment in technology refreshment

  • Identifying and selecting a Product Support Integrator (PSI)

  • Identifying funding structures and mechanisms

SOE is a primary tool available for use in managing weapon system acquisition. Figure 9 shows how SOE helps the PM deliver meaningful benefits to the Warfighter within a TLCSM framework.



Figure 9. TLCSM and SOE
In order to assure effective life cycle logistics support, the LCL must participate early in the system design process (see Figure 10) to ensure that engineering design decisions fully consider supportability and logistics implications. Conversely, once the design is determined, LCLs must be aware of the range of design characteristics built into the weapon system that are likely to drive support strategies, logistics requirements, and resources. As the weapon system or equipment acquisition cycle progresses from the SDD to the Operations and Support (O&S) phase of the life cycle, the LCL's attention must shift from influencing the design to creating the most effective support environment for the deployed system.

Figure 10. Early Application of SOE
There are a number of design factors that directly impact the future viability of logistics support. As LCL for the Strike Talon UCAS you can use SOE to influence the design for better supportability. Some of the areas of consideration include:

  • Reliability and maintainability (R&M)

  • Materials

  • Human factors

  • System safety

  • Survivability and vulnerability

  • Hazardous material management

  • Standardization and interoperability

  • Energy management

  • Corrosion control

  • Nondestructive inspection/testing

  • Transportability

  • Item Unique Identification ((IUID)/Serialized Item Management (SIM)

  • Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS)

SOE requirements should be included in the following program documents (as well as the Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) which was discussed earlier):



  • Acquisition Strategy

  • Systems Engineering Plan


Acquisition Strategy (AS). A key element of the AS is the product support strategy. The product support strategy describes the supportability planning, analyses and trade-offs used to determine the optimum support concept for a weapon system. It also identifies the strategies for continuous affordability improvements throughout the product life cycle. SOE is the vehicle used to ensure that supportability receives equal consideration along with cost, schedule, and performance requirements when making trade-off decisions. At this point in the life cycle (pre-MS B), the Strike Talon product support strategy’s SOE requirements reflect high level understanding of the benefits of implementing SOE concepts and delineate responsibilities that extend beyond the LCL for ensuring those concepts are followed. As the LCL, you are responsible for ensuring that supportability aspects of SOE are included in all facets of product support and management.
Systems Engineering Plan (SEP).9 The SEP documents a program’s systems engineering approach, providing a firm and well-documented technical foundation for the program. As part of the LCL’s product support responsibilities, they should ensure that the SEP describes the important program design considerations and the linkage between SOE and operational suitability (the system's ability to operate within its intended operating environment) to satisfy the Key Performance Parameters (KPPs). It should address the requirements and planned technical approach for optimizing SOE through the balancing of system performance, system availability, interoperability, and total system life cycle costs. Consider the following when developing SOE language for the SEP:

  • How the program will identify, address, and manage the full range of applicable design considerations.

  • How the architecture products (views, diagrams, descriptions, models, etc.) are related to requirements definition as well as to the functional and physical architectures.

  • How the program will link engineering activities to the functional and design architecture development activities.

  • How the program will incorporate these design considerations to satisfy the KPPs and system requirements (both specified and derived).

  • The allocation between hardware and software to meet planned program outcomes and to ensure the ability to accommodate requirements changes.

  • The functional organization/technical authority responsible for integrating the applicable design considerations into the overall program.

  • How the program will establish, allocate, and manage technical performance measures (e.g., materiel availability, system assurance, weight, shape, memory capacity, throughput, etc.).

  • How the program will negotiate design trades to support threshold and objective requirements to balance program life cycle cost, schedule, performance, and supportability while also addressing security and risk issues.

  • The stakeholders responsible for making trade-off decisions, and at what level in the organization the decision maker resides.

  • The criteria for decision making and trade-off of alternative design solutions including descriptions of technical objectives, criteria, and weighting factors.

  • How the technical approach will incorporate proven management techniques and capitalize on existing programs to help realize SOE objectives (e.g., Continuous Process Improvement, Value Engineering, Reduction of Total Ownership Costs, etc.).


Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) System. PPBE is the process used by the DoD to allocate financial resources. It is important for the LCL to be aware of the nature and timing of each of the events in the PPBE process as you may be called upon to provide information critical to program funding and success. Policies, strategies, and prioritized goals for the DoD are established by the SECDEF in the PPBE process. These factors are subsequently used to direct resource allocation decisions that balance the guidance with fiscal constraints. A product of the Planning phase is the Joint Planning Document (JPD) which is used to support the National Military Strategy (NMS). It provides programming priorities, requirements and advice to the SECDEF. It also provides guidance to the DoD Components (military departments and defense agencies) for the development of their program proposal or Program Objectives Memorandum (POM). Each DoD component develops a POM to start the Programming phase. The POM provides a detailed and comprehensive description of the proposed programs, including a time-phased allocation of resources (forces, funding, and manpower) by program, projected six years into the future. Each POM is reviewed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the Joint Staff and integrated into an overall defense program.10 The documents listed below drive capability requirements that ultimately translate into funding and budget requirements necessary to develop, deliver, operate, and sustain Warfighter capability.

  • National Security Strategy (NSS) - Developed in the first year of a new administration to provide the highest level guidance for developing the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and the CJCS’s National Military Strategy (NMS). The National Security Council prepares the NSS which establishes (1) the worldwide interests, goals, and objectives that are vital to the national security, and (2) the foreign policy, worldwide commitments, and national defense capabilities necessary to implement the national security goals and objectives. It is signed by the President and issued by the White House.

  • National Military Strategy (NMS) - Highlights the strategic goals of the United States armed forces. The NMS is provided to the SECDEF by the CJCS. The NSS is the primary source of guidance to the NMS.

  • Joint Planning Document (JPD) - Supports the NMS by providing concise programming priorities, requirements, or advice to the SECDEF for consideration during preparation of the Defense Planning Guidance. The CJCS provides the JPD to the SECDEF.

As the LCL, you need to ensure supportability objectives align closely to the strategic goals and security guidance that serves as a foundation for PPBE funding decisions.


Funding and Cost Estimating. – As the Strike Talon LCL you are responsible for providing the PM with the budget/cost estimates to implement the product support strategy. Accordingly, the LCL must be familiar with the five major appropriation categories and their association with each phase of the program’s life cycle. The five categories are:

  • Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E): This appropriation category is used for research, development, test and evaluation efforts. RDT&E funds are used extensively in a program’s life cycle when exploring, developing, and testing the design solution. The period of obligation is two years and funds are available for expenditure for five years after the obligation period ends.

  • Procurement: This appropriation category is used to purchase weapons systems and other investment items which exceed the current procurement threshold of $100,000 system unit cost. The period of obligation is three years and funds are available for expenditure for five years after the obligation period ends.

  • Military Construction (MILCON): MILCON appropriations are used to purchase, build, or modify real property (e.g., buildings, roads, land) required as part of the support infrastructure. The period of obligation is five years and funds are available for expenditure for five years after the obligation period ends.

  • Military Personnel (MILPERS): These appropriations are used to pay military personnel costs such as basic pay, allowances, special pay, bonuses, and moving costs. The period of obligation is one year and funds are available for expenditure for five years after the obligation period ends.

  • Operations and Maintenance (O&M): Includes appropriations used to pay for day-to-day operations not included in the other appropriations, such as fuel, civilian personnel salaries, and end items which do not exceed the current procurement threshold of $100,000 system unit cost. O&M funds are what operational units use to fund their training, exercise, and combat operations. The period of obligation is one year and funds are available for expenditure for five years after the obligation period ends.

Figure 11 depicts the typical funding profile for each phase of the program’s life cycle.




Figure 11. Theoretical Funding Profile
Along with funding types, the LCL must be familiar with the methods used to estimate costs associated with the logistics requirements that are identified in the evolving product support plan. This will enable the LCL to (1) identify potential constraints that could jeopardize achieving support objectives, and (2) provide credible budget estimates associated with the logistics requirements. The three estimating techniques commonly used during the different phases of a program’s life cycle are Analogy, Parametric, and Engineering Build-Up.

  • Analogy – The analogy cost estimating technique involves a comparison between the Strike Talon and one similar existing system. The estimator will take a fielded system’s data and adjust it to account for any differences with the Strike Talon UCAS. This technique places heavy emphasis on expert opinion so it is important to document the rationale for selecting the analogous system and making adjustments.

  • Parametric – The parametric cost estimating technique uses statistical analysis to compare the Strike Talon UCAS to many similar fielded systems. This approach uses regression analysis to establish relationships between system characteristics and costs. For example, a component that weighs X lbs. costs $Y to support.

  • Engineering build-up – The engineering build-up estimating technique requires more detailed information than the other two cost estimation methods. This technique is a bottoms-up estimate based on a work breakdown structure (WBS). Individual cost components, such as material, design hours, and labor hours, are priced to arrive at a total cost estimate.

Table 3 shows the alignment of the three cost estimating techniques to the life cycle phases in which they are most commonly applied.


Table 3. Cost Estimating Techniques

Sequence of Capabilities/Acquisition Phases/Contracts.

LCLs must be aware the sequencing of the requirements/capabilities documents with acquisition phases and nominal acquisition contracts. Figure 12 depicts this sequencing.



Figure 12. Sequencing of Requirement/Acquisition Documents and Nominal Acquisition Contract Documents
Metrics. No discussion about product support would be complete without addressing metrics associated with delivering and measuring product support. Reliability, maintainability, and supportability (RMS) are critical components of system availability and are therefore key metrics. As the LCL you play a pivotal role in defining supportability objectives. You understand these components must be considered during the early stage of the life cycle as they should be ‘designed in’ and cannot be effectively ‘added on’ later. As you define supportability objectives your goal should be to have balance across the three categories. RMS definitions are presented below.

  • Reliability. Reliability can be defined simply as the probability that a system or product will perform in a satisfactory manner for a given period of time when used under specified operating conditions. This definition stresses the elements of probability, satisfactory performance, time and specified operating conditions. These four elements are extremely important, since each plays a significant role in determining the system/product reliability.11 Early in the life cycle, reliability considerations are focused on the mission and the operational environment, recognizing that there are trade-offs between “time to failure,” performance, and cost.

  • Maintainability. Maintainability, like reliability, is an inherent characteristic of system or product design. It pertains to the ease, accuracy, safety, and economy in the performance of maintenance actions. A system should be designed such that it can be maintained without large investments of time, cost or other resources and without adversely affecting the mission of that system. Maintainability is the ability of an item to be maintained, whereas maintenance constitutes a series of actions to be taken to restore or retain an item in an effective operational state. Maintainability is a design parameter. Maintenance is a result of design.12 Maintainability at this stage of the life cycle considers how system design can influence the cost and time of preventative and corrective repairs.

  • Supportability. Supportability relates to the degree to which a system can be supported, both in terms of the inherent design characteristics of system and the various elements of support (e.g. test equipment, supply support, etc).13 Supportability at this early stage in the life cycle considers how system design relates to the time and cost of providing logistics support later in the life cycle.

1 Strike Talon UCAS Acquisition Strategy, Appendix A “Integrated Program Schedule”

2 Federal Acquisition Regulation, Subpart 16.1, available from http://www.arnet.gov/far


3 Federal Acquisition Regulation, Subpart 16.402-1, available from http://www.arnet.gov/far


4 DAU Introduction to Defense Acquisition Management, Sep 2005, p.29

5 CJCSM 3170.01C, dated 1 May 2007

6 Ibid.

77 Ibid

8 CJCSM 3170.01C, dated 1 May 2007

9 Excerpt from the DoD “Systems Engineering Plan Preparation Guide, ‘Technical Planning for Mission Success’”, Version 2.0 available at http://www.acq.osd.mil/sse/docs/SEP-Prep-Guide-Ver-2-0_18Oct07.pdf

10 Defense Acquisition Guidebook, Chapter 1.2

11Logistics Engineering and Management, 4th Edition, Benjamin S. Blanchard

12 Ibid

13 Ibid


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