Department of Defense's Waiver of Competitive Prototyping Requirement for the VXX Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program

The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, as amended (WSARA), requires the Secretary of Defense to modify guidance to ensure that the acquisition strategy for each major defense acquisition program provides for competitive prototypes before Milestone B approval which authorizes entry into s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sullivan, Michael J, Schwenn, Ron, Thomas, Bruce, Ahearn, Marie P, Almoguera, Pedro, Clark, Jerry, Oden, Bonita, Patton, Kenneth E, Petersen, Carol
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
COMPETITION
COMPETITIVE PROTOTYPING REQUIREMENTS
COST ESTIMATES
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Economics and Cost Analysis
GAO REPORTS
Government and Political Science
GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
HELICOPTERS
LESSONS LEARNED
PROTOTYPES
REPLACEMENT
VXX PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM
WAIVER
WSARA(WEAPON SYSTEMS ACQUISITION REFORM ACT)
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, as amended (WSARA), requires the Secretary of Defense to modify guidance to ensure that the acquisition strategy for each major defense acquisition program provides for competitive prototypes before Milestone B approval which authorizes entry into system development unless the Milestone Decision Authority waives the requirement.1 Competitive prototyping, which involves commercial, government, or academic sources producing early prototypes of weapon systems or critical subsystems, can help Department of Defense (DOD) programs reduce technical risk, refine requirements, validate designs and cost estimates, and evaluate manufacturing processes prior to making major commitments of resources. It can also help reduce the time it takes to field a system, and as a result, reduce its acquisition cost. WSARA states that the Milestone Decision Authority may waive the competitive prototyping requirement only on the basis that (1) the cost of producing competitive prototypes exceeds the expected life-cycle benefits (in constant dollars) of producing such prototypes, including the benefits of improved performance and increased technological and design maturity that may be achieved through competitive prototyping; or (2) but for such a waiver, DOD would be unable to meet critical national security objectives. WSARA also provides that whenever a Milestone Decision Authority authorizes a waiver of the competitive prototyping requirement on the basis of what WSARA describes as excessive cost, the Milestone Decision Authority is required to submit notification of the waiver, together with the rationale, to the Comptroller General of the United States at the same time it is submitted to the congressional defense committees.