Affordability: Preventing Cost Growth in DoD's Military Capability Portfolios

Abstract : Our military capability portfolios will continue to be developed to address current and future threats to our national security. The current economical frailty plaguing the United States is pressing the Department of Defense (DoD) to do more without more resources. In light of this, DoD must develop an affordable and reliable equipping strategy that plans and prioritizes its requirements, resourcing, and acquisition processes in order to get the capabilities it needs to achieve the goals and objectives specified in the National Security Strategy (NSS). Cost growth that makes a DoD program unaffordable translates to lost capability to the nation. Over the years, DoD has endured various unfavorable reviews about its ability to manage the defense budget. The observations of excessive cost growth, unrealistic requirements, and inability to deliver capabilities has reached alarming levels. To address these issues the President and Congress want more accountability within the DoD procurement process. While DoD has implemented some affordability initiatives, more must be done. This SRP examines the need to formulate an equipping strategy underpinned by constrained resources. It concludes with some recommendations.