Program Related Publication Feeds

DIIG Current Issues No. 27: Internal R&D Productivity in Aerospace and Defense

gsanders — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

In an environment of declining defense spending by what have traditionally been the largest customers on both sides of the Atlantic, aerospace and defense companies face difficult decisions on how to deploy their cash.

Super Committee Fallout and the Implications for Defense

ian — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The “Super Committee” did not produce any plan for deficit reduction, setting in motion mandated cuts under sequestration. How did we get here? What happens next? What does it mean for the Department of Defense?

Q1: How did we get here?

Structure and Dynamics of the U.S. Federal Services Industrial Base, 2000-2010

gsanders — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. government has a permanent and, until recently, growing reliance on contracts with the private sector for a wide range of services. For the past six years, the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group (DIIG) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has tracked the trends driving the services industry.

DIIG Current Issues No. 26: Framing Defense Cuts

rlivergood — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Since the crisis over America’s debt rating and the formation of the super committee, there has been a surge in debate about how to reduce defense spending. Despite talk of “all options being on the table,” the lack of both breadth and depth in active proposals is remarkable. Efficiency initiatives and across-the-board cuts have been advanced as solutions.

DIIG Current Issues No. 25: ASEAN Defense Industry Collaboration

gsanders — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In February 2011 the defense ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to promote five areas of security cooperation: maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, counter terrorism, and military medicine.

DHS Contract Spending and the Supporting Industrial Base

jdunton — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) examines the contracting practices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the contractor base that supports it.

Global Forecast 2011

jdunton — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Defense Spending and Deficit Reductions: Funding the Future

ian — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

It is common wisdom that the federal budget defi cit is the biggest challenge facing the U.S. government today, but the debate rages over how to reduce that defi cit and bring under control the growing debt burden.

The Role of the Haitian Diaspora in Building Haiti Back Better

sherry — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The peaceful transition of presidential power to Michel Martelly on May 14, 2011, marked an important moment for Haiti. After months of uncertainty surrounding a turbulent electoral process, a window of opportunity has opened for the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation to attract badly needed foreign investment.

DoD Workforce Cost Realism Assessment

jdunton — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Over the past decade, federal spending on service contracts more than doubled in constant terms, from $164 billion in 2000 to $343 billion in 2010. Policymakers have recently attempted to reduce or even reverse this increase, emphasizing instead what is now called the “insourcing” of services contracts.

Cost and Time Overruns for Major Defense Acquisition Programs (2011)

gsanders — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Cost and time overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) have become a high-profile problem attracting the interest of Congress, government and watchdog groups. According to the GAO, the 98 MDAPs from FY2010 collectively ran $402 billion over budget and were an average of 22 months behind schedule since their first full estimate.

Defense Industry Access to Capital Markets

gsanders — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Private companies rely on cash raised from capital markets to finance their operations, including expenditures on long-term assets (such as facilities and equipment), independent research and development (IRAD), and retirement of old debt. Capital markets play a role in shaping the depth and breadth of the U.S.

Cost and Time Overruns for Major Defense Acquisition Programs (2011)

rlivergood — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Cost and time overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) have become a high-profile problem attracting the interest of Congress, government and watchdog groups.

These are the summary data tables for MDAPs which will be presented at the May 2011 Naval Post Graduate School annual Acquisition Symposium.

Defense Contract Trends

ian — Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In DoD contracting overall, services grew at a much faster pace in the past 20 years than did products and R&D, and were it not for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would possibly have continued to receive the lion’s share of DoD contract awards.

A Diminishing Transatlantic Partnership?

jdunton — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Over the past five decades, the United States, its NATO allies, and other European Union countries have been partners in maintaining transatlantic security and leading contributors to international stability and economic development.

India's Military Modernization

sherry — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Between 2006 and 2010, India surpassed China as the world’s largest importer of weapons systems, reflecting the nation’s intent to modernize its armed forces and project military capabilities beyond the subcontinent. It is expected to maintain this position in the coming years, with plans to spend an estimated $80 billion on military modernization programs by 2015.

DIIG Current Issues No. 24: India's Defense Spending and Military Modernization

gsanders — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Photo left: INDIA (Jan. 20, 2010) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates receives a tour of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison)

DIIG Current Issues No. 23: U.S. Military Aid and Sales to Egypt

gsanders — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The recent popular protests in Egypt, and the concurrent images of U.S.-made tanks and tear gas canisters, have brought scrutiny upon the historical and remarkably constant U.S. military assistance to Egypt.

Defense Contract Trends

ian — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

A new edition of this publication became available on May 11, 2011.

Structure and Dynamics of the U.S. Federal Professional Services Industrial Base, 1995-2009

gsanders — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. government has a permanent and growing reliance on contracts with the private sector for a wide range of professional and support services. For the past five years, the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group has tracked the trends driving the professional services industry since 1995.

European Defense Trends

jdunton — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The international security challenges facing European governments are more complex than ever. In parallel, the economic recession has forced governments to make difficult choices in their defense budgets that will greatly affect their near- and long-term military capabilities.

Doing Less with Less? Assessing the Impact of the UK Strategic Defense and Security Review

ian — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Today, the UK government released its much anticipated Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR), which sets priorities for national security spending over the coming decade in light of constrained resources and continuing debate over Britain’s role in the world.

DIIG Current Issues No. 22: Rare Earth Elements

gsanders — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

On 23rd September 2010, exports of rare earth elements (REEs) from China to Japan apparently stopped due to a dispute over maritime boundaries. This use of economic leverage to influence policy raised concerns about the impact of China’s strategic hold on these precious metals.

A Few Thoughts on the National Security Implications of the U.S. And Global Commercial Space Launch Industry

ian — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Administration recently released the President’s new National Space Policy. CSIS subsequently hosted senior Administration officials, who noted that the new policy builds on and only slightly modifies the space policies of previous Administrations. Administration officials, however, clearly stated that without the commercial space industry, America would have no space capabilities.

National Security and the Commercial Space Sector

ian — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This report examines the relationship between U.S. national security and the commercial space sector, with specific focus on the current state of the space launch industry and launch market. Building on a CSIS annotated briefing released in 2008, entitled “Health of the U.S.

Final Report on Lessons Learned

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

In May 2009, CSIS was chartered by the Department of Defense to determine lessons learned from the activities in Iraq by the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations to support military missions.

Cost and Time Overruns for Major Defense Acquisition Programs (2010)

gsanders — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Cost and time overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) have become a high-profile problem attracting the interest of Congress, government and watchdog groups. According to the GAO, the 96 MDAPs from FY2008 collectively ran $296 billion over budget and were an average of 22 months behind schedule.

Implementation of the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009

gsanders — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The primary challenge for today’s defense acquisition system is to execute acquisition programs without major schedule delays and cost overruns. Meeting that challenge has been the goal of acquisition reform improvements for decades. Today, all parties agree that the time is right for renewed efforts to improve the performance of the defense acquisition system.

European Defense Trends: Annotated Brief

gsanders — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

An in-depth understanding of the supply and demand sides of the European defense market and the regulatory framework that governs it is critical to assessing broader European defense policies and capabilities.

DIIG Current Issues No. 21: The Time Is Right for Export Control Reform

jhofbauer — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Over the last year, a flurry of meetings, papers, announcements, and legislative initiatives has focused on an issue area that has bedeviled policy makers and industry officials alike for decades: how to reform the U.S. Government’s “byzantine amalgam of authorities, roles, and missions” relating to export controls.

National Security and the Commercial Space Sector

gsanders — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

In this DRAFT report, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) examines the relationship between U.S. national security and the commercial space sector, with specific focus on the current state of the space launch industry and launch market. Building on a CSIS annotated briefing released in 2008, entitled Health of the U.S.

DIIG Current Issues No. 20: Integrating COTS: Lessons from Recent Ground Vehicle Acquisitions

gsanders — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Defense systems are rarely acquired rapidly.

Wall Street and the Pentagon: Analyzing Defense Finance

gsanders — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

After a decade of robust growth in defense spending that saw record high defense budgets during the past five years, the defense industry faces a new reality. While the absence of the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) in the National Defense Budget Estimates for FY2010 makes prediction difficult, likely changes in spending priorities have the potential to change the industry significantly.

DIIG Current Issues No. 19: Fixing the Shortfalls: Defense Budget Trends and Long Term Impact

jhofbauer — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Defense budgets run in cycles, with periods of increase followed by periods of decline. For years, defense analysts have been predicting that the defense budget is coming down, but it has been on an historic run for the past decade. The FY 2009 Department of Defense (DoD) Authorization Act was 65 percent higher than in FY 2001 in real dollars.

DIIG Current Issues No. 18: Addressing Concerns About US Foreign Policy Outsourcing

gsanders — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In the past weeks, the criticism about America’s foreign policy being outsourced to the private sector has resurfaced with a vengeance. This is an important issue to raise: not only do the Defense Department, State Department, and Agency for International Development (AID) represent US interests overseas, they also account for some 70 percent of all US government contracts.

DIIG Current Issues No. 17: Contracting for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

gsanders — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. government has spent $153B in 2008 dollars on contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and their neighborhoods since fiscal year (FY) 2001, according to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). In June 2009, 194,000 contractors were working for the U.S. government in Iraq and Afghanistan, compared to 190,000 U.S. troops. At least 1,200 contractors have been killed in the two wars.

DIIG Current Issues No. 16: Wrestling with Complexity in Defense Programs

jhofbauer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In recent years, defense programs are more ambitious than any previously attempted. They promise unprecedented capability through integrating groundbreaking technologies into network-centric systems-of-systems, such as the Army’s Future Combat System (FCS) and the Coast Guard’s Integrated Deepwater System (IDS).

DIIG Current Issues No. 15: Implications of European Defense Acquisition Reform

jhofbauer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The European defense market is undergoing profound changes. Four distinct trends are altering the landscape of European defense acquisition, with some of them underscoring the shift of defense matters from national capitals towards the European Union (EU). First, participation in international operations is substantially affecting acquisition priorities.

DIIG Current Issues No. 14: Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 2010-2050

gsanders — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Given the value of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to provide Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and firepower without placing warfighters at undue risk, these systems are receiving much attention and growing increasingly sophisticated and versatile. The U.S.

DIIG Current Issues No. 13: Measuring the Defense Industrial Value of Acquisition Programs

jhofbauer — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The primary objective of defense acquisition is to provide the warfighter with adequate equipment in a timely and economical way. A cornerstone in this process is the availability of a reliable, cost-effective, and sufficient industrial base that can develop, produce, and provide the products and services required by the Department of Defense (DoD). Section 2440 of U.S.

Organizing for a Complex World: The Way Ahead

jhofbauer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Complex defense and network-centric systems have proven to be difficult to develop on time and on budget, a consequence of the complexity inherent in both the systems and the acquisition environment. These programs pose governance and management challenges, and it is difficult to know in advance the program-management model most suitable for a given program.

DIIG Current Issues No. 12: U.S. Competitiveness in the Fighter Aircraft Export Market

sherry — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In his April 6, 2009 address, Sec. Gates discussed his vision for the F-22 “Raptor” and the F-35 “Lightning II”, two of the U.S. aerospace industry’s most prominent programs.

DIIG Current Issues No. 11: Aerospace & Defense: Inventing and Selling the Next Generation

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

“For innovation success,” wrote MIT researcher Michael Schrage, “do not follow the money.” He argued that while we can easily measure inputs such as research and development (R&D) spending, outputs and outcomes, such as R&D productivity or customers won or retained, tell us much more about the ability to innovate successfully.

DIIG Current Issues No. 10: Tracking U.S. Arms Sales to Iraq

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

On July 25, 2008, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible sale of six C-130J-30 aircraft and support systems to Iraq. DSCA has since issued 11 press releases alerting of follow-up sales. With the potential to total more than $14 billion in revenue for U.S.

DIIG Current Issues No. 9: An Economic Overview of U.S. Arms Sales

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In the past two decades, the U.S. has exported arms worth well over $10 billion annually (in 2008 dollars). Tightly regulated by the government, these sales remain controversial. Advocates cite benefits such as political influence, greater interoperability with allies, a more resilient defense-industrial base, and cost savings from economies of scale.

DIIG Current Issues No. 8: The President's Government Contracting Review

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Sound companies always benefit from smarter customers.

DIIG Current Issues No. 7: Case Study: The Drivers of a Successful COTS Acquisition

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The efforts of the U.S. Department of Defense to match equipment acquisitions strategy with policy choices and effectively manage ongoing programs have repeatedly made news as the Obama administration attempts to define its priorities and identify programs that provide value to the warfighter and the taxpayer.

DIIG Current Issues No. 6: The VH-71 and the Industrial Base

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The VH-71 was one of the first high-profile US acquisition programs in which European firms played a prominent part. By allowing foreign manufacturers to participate, the Defense Department can get the benefits of a broader supplier universe, including greater competition and innovation.

Structure and Dynamics of the U.S. Federal Professional Services Industrial Base, 1995-2007

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. government has a permanent and growing reliance on contracts with the private sector for a wide range of professional and support services. For the past three years, CSIS research has tracked the trends driving the professional services industry since 1995. This report analyzes these trends through 2007, the most recent year for which reliable data are available.

DIIG Current Issues No. 5: The cost of cutting defense acquisition

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Defense acquisition cuts carry risks. Budget decisions must be consistent with a clear defense strategy. In particular, operational, financial and industrial-base factors have to be considered before opting to reduce defense acquisition spending.