Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Paralysis by analysis...the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.


via Marine Corps Times.

The Marine Corps could launch a request for proposals for its next-generation Amphibious Combat Vehicle within the next few months, following another review of what is needed, the commandant said.
Gen. Jim Amos told reporters Monday that he called for a “deep dive” study on what is needed in the vehicle that lasted “right up to Christmas.” He hopes to share the results with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus soon and then brief the next secretary of defense, most likely former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel.
“I think all of this is going to happen over the next couple of months because we’re anxious to get money in the budget that we’re working on right now, the [2015] budget,” Amos said after delivering a speech at the Special Operation/Low Intensity Conflict Symposium in Washington. “We’ve got [the money], so we just want to keep it there.”
Read the whole story over at Marine Times but the uptake is clear.

In the Old Corps they taught a little ditty called "JJDIDTIEBUCKLE" it was the Marine Corps Leadership Traits.  I'l leave it to you to look it up to see what each letter represents but I'll give you a primer on one of the letters...letter "D"....Decisiveness....

via WisdomCommons.
Decisiveness is the willingness to make decisions, even in the face of complexity or uncertainty.  When we are decisive, we weight the information that is available to us and we use our judgement to choose among the possibilities.  It is easier to be decisive when we are clear about our values and goals.
Decisiveness means taking the risk that we may be wrong, but knowing that perfect clarity is rarely available and indecisiveness can be costly.  It also means taking responsibility for the outcome of the decision.  Together, research, analysis and decisiveness get great things done.
Amazing.

We MIGHT get a request for proposals in the next few months.

This vehicle program should have been done with the same speed, same sense of urgency and the same "get it done at all costs" attitude that is attached to the F-35 and the V-22 before it.

Basic leadership traits would have this program on a totally different trajectory.


3 comments :

  1. It's worth pointing that until the Corps fully understands what it expects from ACV that it's impossible for the complimentary MPC to make logical sense.

    If internally there is a sharp debate over the requirements for ACV and that explains the possible delay that's radically different than simply being unable to make up their mind. I only mention this because I don't have a clue on the internal debate. It could be even worse than the picture presented, or far better.

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    1. totally disagree. the parameters of the vehicle should have been pretty much written in stone since the EFV. the only thing that should have been up for debate would be water speed and distance it has to swim from ship to shore. that's it. everything else could be recycled from the doomed EFV program. IED's? they did that work with the EFV. troop compliment? ditto. so there is no excuse and no reason to go back to the drawing board. they need to get the RFP out to industry quick and stop jerking everyone's chain.

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  2. Why didnt they just modify the efv with a v-hull and just one engine?

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