William Jackson - The Defense Department has lost its way in its space programs with an outdated focus on large, one-size-fits all systems at the expense of smaller, more economical and flexible systems with a greater likelihood of success, a House panel was told on Thursday.
The result has been delays of critical capabilities in the military’s space-based communications and intelligence-gathering infrastructure, said Josh Hartman, senior adviser to the DOD undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics.
“Past performance in the development of space and intelligence systems has not given us great confidence in meeting our future challenges in a timely or affordable manner,” Hartman told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. “Today, in multiple mission areas we rely on systems that have lived long past their design lives. For tomorrow, we hope that systems designed with a Cold War mentality will be successfully delivered and able to meet the threats of the future environment.”
The Government Accountability Office, after studying the challenges faced by DOD and industry in developing new space systems, concluded that the United States risks not only falling behind in the race for new capabilities, but failing to maintain current capabilities.
The result has been delays of critical capabilities in the military’s space-based communications and intelligence-gathering infrastructure, said Josh Hartman, senior adviser to the DOD undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics.
“Past performance in the development of space and intelligence systems has not given us great confidence in meeting our future challenges in a timely or affordable manner,” Hartman told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. “Today, in multiple mission areas we rely on systems that have lived long past their design lives. For tomorrow, we hope that systems designed with a Cold War mentality will be successfully delivered and able to meet the threats of the future environment.”
The Government Accountability Office, after studying the challenges faced by DOD and industry in developing new space systems, concluded that the United States risks not only falling behind in the race for new capabilities, but failing to maintain current capabilities.
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