Reshaping Future Combat Systems by Modernizing Brigade Combat Teams

The memorandum by secretary of defense to the department sent by Ashton Carter on 23.6.09 to the Army formally set guidance on the program change. The memo covered 7 steps for a future program. The cancelation of the Future Combat System (FCS) program created 3 major acquisition programs, Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) aiming at modernizing all 73 Army and National Guards Brigade Combat Teams (BCT), rather than the FCS special BCTs planned under cancelled program. The near term MDAP the BCT Modernization addresses is the fielding of new sensors and unmanned systems, previously covered under the ‘FCS Spinout’ plan, as well as other systems to be included, following the initial review of the BCT needs, currently conducted by the Army Training, Doctrine and Operations Command (TRADOC). The second MDAP phase addresses the combat brigades’ Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) modernization. The third will introduce incremental enhancements into the brigade’s networking capabilities.

Our BCT Modernization Update covers these topics in four parts:

• New Equipment to Modernize Combat Brigades
• U.S. Army Reshapes its Requirements for the
  Future Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV)
• New Networking for the Brigade Combat Team
• Introducing New Technologies to the Warfighter