FCS Funding

Army Touts New Technology (Wall Street Journal)…August Cole, June 13, 2008, Pg. 11

With work on the 2009 defense budget expected to continue through the fall, the Army brought the first FCS prototypes, including a 27-ton hybrid diesel-electric, tanklike cannon and other high-tech systems, to lawmakers’ doorstep this week. The White House requested $3.6 billion for the program in 2009.

The Senate Armed Services Committee said it wants to fully fund FCS in order to give the program a chance to succeed. Cuts, even small ones, can have ripple effects that slow development and hurt suppliers. So far, the cuts add up to about $1 billion, Boeing says.

But the House Armed Services Committee wants to slice about $200 million from the program, just as it sought cuts last year.

The Army is counting on Future Combat Systems to give it new networking and communications abilities, as well as more sophisticated ground vehicles and added firepower.

The program has 14 components, including remotely controlled aerial and ground vehicles. Some technologies are already in use while others, like bigger armored vehicles, won’t be ready for a few years. The first Future Combat Systems-equipped brigade is set for 2015.