page_title: United States Army Futures Command
section_title: Acquisition
hierarchical_section_title: United States Army Futures Command / Transition to multi-domain operations (MDO) / Partners / Acquisition
context_page_description: United States Army Futures Command is a United States Army command aimed at modernizing the Army. It currently focuses on six priorities: 1— long-range precision fires, 2— next-generation combat vehicle, 3— future vertical lift platforms, 4— a mobile & expeditionary Army network, 5— air & missile defense capabilities, and 6— soldier lethality.
  AFC's cross-functional teams are Futures Command's vehicle for sustainable reform of the acquisition process for the future.
  Futures Command was established in 2018 as a peer of FORSCOM, TRADOC, and Army Materiel Command, the other Army commands. The other Army commands focus on their readiness to "Fight tonight" when called upon by the nation. In contrast, AFC is focused on future readiness for competition with near-peers, who have updated their capabilities.
  AFC declared its Full Operational Capability in July 2019, after an initial one-year period.
  The FY2020 budget allocated $30 billion for the top six modernization priorities over the next five years. The $30 billion came from $8 billion in cost avoidance and $22 billion in terminations.
context_section_description: Futures Command partners with the ASA(ALT), who,  in the role of the Army Acquisition Executive (AAE), has milestone decision authority (MDA) at multiple points in a Materiel development decision (MDD). (Thus, from the perspective of AFC, which seeks to modernize,  consolidate the relevant expertise  into the relevant CFT.  The CFT balances the constraints needed to realize a prototype, beginning with realizable requirements, science and technology, test, etc. before entering the acquisition process (typically the Army prototypes on its own, and currently initiates acquisition at Milestone B, in order to have the Acquisition Executive, with the concurrence of the Army Chief of Staff, decide on production as a program of record at Milestone C).    Next, refine the prototype to address the factors needed to pass the Milestone decisions A, B, and C which require Milestone decision authority (MDA) in an acquisition process. This consolidation of expertise thus reduces the risks in a Materiel development decision (MDD), for the Army to admit a prototype into a program of record.) The existing processes (as of April 2018) for a Materiel development decision (MDD) have been updated to clarify their place in the Life Cycle of a program of record: over 1200 programs/projects were reviewed; by October 2019, over 600 programs of record have been moved from the acquisition (development for modernization) phase to the sustainment phase (for mature projects, to continue their manufacture and fielding to the brigades). An additional life cycle management action is underway, to re-examine which of these projects/programs should be divested. (Surplus materiel might well go to the Security Assistance Command, perhaps to Foreign Military Sales.)
  
  The emphasis remains with Futures Command, which selects programs to develop. In order to achieve its mission of achieving overmatch, each Futures Command CFT partners with the acquisition community. This community (the Army acquisition workforce (AAW))  includes an entire Army branch (the Acquisition Corps), U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC), Army Contracting Command, (.. This list is incomplete).  The Principal Military Deputy to the ASA(ALT) is also deputy commanding general for Combat Systems, Army Futures Command, and leads the PEOs; he has directed each PEO who does not have a CFT to coordinate with, to immediately form one, at least informally.
  The current acquisition system has pieces all throughout the Army. ... There’s chunks of it in TRADOC and chunks of it in AMC and then other pieces. So really all we’re trying to do is get them all lined up under a single command…..from concept, S&T, RDT&E, through the requirements process, through the beginnings of the acquisition system — Milestone A, B, and C — ….aligned under that same commander. ... We will finally achieve… unity of command — Secretary Esper.
  The PEOs work closely with their respective CFTs. The list of CFTs and PEOs below is incomplete. 
  Operationally, the CFTs offer "de-layering" (fewer degrees of separation between the echelons of the Army — Rugen estimates two degrees of separation), and provide a point of contact (POC) for Army reformers interested in adding value in the midst of constraints to be balanced while modernizing. "... and if we're really good, we'll continue to adapt. Year over year over year." —Secretary Esper (See #Value streams.)
caption: DoD (2007) Acquisition process denoting Milestones A, B, C along a timeline. When a milestone has been met, the triangle then points downward, at this time. Otherwise the milestone is planned, but not yet met at this time.
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