Common Infrared Countermeasures program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:33, 7 September 2011

Revision as of 20:38, 7 September 2011

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The [[Nunn-McCurdy]] provision introduced in 1982 by Senator [[Sam Nunn]] and Congressman [[Dave McCurdy]] requires that any defense program that increases in cost by more than 15% over its acquisition cycle must be reported to congress and either restructured be fully explained by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In June of 2010, then Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Dr. Ashton Carter made such a report on the ATIRCM program.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brannen|first=Kate|title=DoD: Too Late for ATIRCM Alternatives|url=http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4653137|publisher=Defense News|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref>

In a June 2010 letter to Representative [[Ike Skelton]], D-Mo., Carter explained how restructuring the ATIRCM/CMWS program caused a breach of the Nunn-McCurdy statute, since, when military officials determined the ATIRCM system to be too heavy for any helicopter except the CH-47, the purchase quantity had to be substantially reduced - down to 83 units. This caused the unit cost to rise significantly above Nunn-McCurdy limits.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brannen|first=Kate|title=DoD: Too Late for ATIRCM Alternatives|url=http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4653137|publisher=Defense News|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref> "Due to reliability, cost, and weight issues, I have limited the production and fielding of the ATIRCM subprogram to 83 fully configured end items in order to address a validated urgent operational need for CH-47 helicopters operating in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)," Carter wrote in his letter to Skelton.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brannen|first=Kate|title=DoD: Too Late for ATIRCM Alternatives|url=http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4653137|publisher=Defense News|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref> As part of the Nunn-McCurdy certification process, in which the Pentagon explains the cost growth to Congress and reaffirms why the program is still essential to national security, officials have to show that lower-cost alternatives are not available. This is partly why the DoD has stipulated that the CIRCM system will need to integrate with existing and future detection systems whilst also dramatically reducing unit weight.

In a June 2010 letter to Representative [[Ike Skelton]], D-Mo., Carter explained how restructuring the ATIRCM/CMWS program caused a breach of the Nunn-McCurdy statute, since, when military officials determined the ATIRCM system to be too heavy for any helicopter except the CH-47, the purchase quantity had to be substantially reduced - down to 83 units. This caused the unit cost to rise significantly above Nunn-McCurdy limits.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brannen|first=Kate|title=DoD: Too Late for ATIRCM Alternatives|url=http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4653137|publisher=Defense News|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref> "Due to reliability, cost, and weight issues, I have limited the production and fielding of the ATIRCM subprogram to 83 fully configured end items in order to address a validated urgent operational need for CH-47 helicopters operating in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)," Carter wrote in his letter to Skelton.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brannen|first=Kate|title=DoD: Too Late for ATIRCM Alternatives|url=http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4653137|publisher=Defense News|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref>

As part of the Nunn-McCurdy certification process, in which the Pentagon explains the cost growth to Congress and reaffirms why the program is still essential to national security, officials have to show that lower-cost alternatives are not available.

== Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) ==