Achieving Performance-based Lifecycle Management

Abstract

Currently, the US faces significant economic and national security threats from near- peer competitors, rogue states, and transnational terrorist organizations. This multiplicity of threats requires an agile, cost-efficient process to mature and sustain military capabilities. A fundamental change to DoD lifecycle management is required to achieve that necessary agility. This paper explores fundamental changes within government and industry to evolve a highly agile and responsive lifecycle process. Such a process would include effects-based requirements to enable effective cost/performance trades, a commercially driven research and development model to instill technology and requirements discipline, and industry provided lifecycle product support based on best-in-class performance. This paper summarizes those changes to enable and enhanced readiness.