Technological Advances Needed for Future Combat Systems.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Future Combat Systems is the Army's plan to transform the current heavy force structure to a lighter, more mobile and lethal network centric force during the next decade. Accomplishment of this goal requires a wide of variety of technologies.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.aerospace&defense.frost.com), U.S. Future Combat Systems Markets, reveals that the FCS market received funding of $1,700 million in 2004 and estimates to reach $6,000 million by 2010.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end-users and other industry participants an overview of the latest analysis of the U.S. Suppression Systems Markets, then send an email to Tolu Babalola - Corporate Communications at [e-mail] with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, fax number and email. Upon receipt of the above information, she will send you an overview via e-mail.

"Continued fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq has forced the Army to alter its original FCS acquisition plan. Soldier and vehicle protection, communications, intelligence, and unmanned vehicles will be integrated sooner while there will be a delay in fielding the complete FCS suite of capabilities until technologies mature and funding is available," says Frost & Sullivan analyst Brad Curran.

Because of this plan, Lead System Integrators (LSIs) such as Boeing and SAIC are given greater authority for FCS than is typical of DoD contracts. Procedures to meet needs in ware zones have been simplified and approved for the 2005 budget cycle.

LSIs are looking for solution proposals by hosting conferences with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Some FCS technologies currently under development are improved protective gear for soldiers/vehicles and situational awareness technology such as information sharing and improved connectivity.

"Combat commanders can contract vendors for urgently needed equipment and get it fielded in less than 15 days under new rapid acquisition authority," notes Curran. "For more complicated equipment solutions, current procedures can be skipped if the equipment will minimize casualties and the existing acquisition system cannot respond quickly enough."

The DoD claims to have instituted a new profit policy, enhanced progress in payment schedules, eliminated improper R&D cost sharing, and accelerated the discontinuation of over-aged contracts; moreover, increasing the use of Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations.

The trend of large defense firms taking on the role of system integrators of complex DoD projects has several positive consequences, a prominent one being increasing cooperation between competitors. This is a welcome development, as alliances between market participants expect to arrest the decline of technical project management expertise within the DoD.

"The competition to find medium-sized and small niche firms with the required skills, services, or technology that can be acquired or subcontracted has intensified in recent years," observes Curran. "It is this cooperative competition that is needed for FCS to quickly develop the cutting-edge technologies required and spiral the most promising of them into current forces for further maturation."

U.S. Future Combat Systems Markets, a part of the Aerospace and Defense subscription, provides an overview of the U.S. FCS market. The study segments into soldier modernization, FCS network, manned systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, unattended munitions, logistics, and training. Interviews and executive summaries are available to the press.

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.frost.com

U.S. Future Combat Systems Markets
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Keywords in this release: future combat systems, FCS, lightweight armors, composite materials, reactive armor, lead systems integrators, LSI, Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, DARPA, Units of Action, bandwidth compression systems, Boeing, SAIC, Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations, soldier modernization, manned systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, unattended munitions, research, information, market, trends, technology, service, forecast