Pentagon rethinks management approach to joint tactical radio.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Up Front

The Defense Department's ambitious plans to replace every military radio with a single radio system are being dampened somewhat by the difficulties in coordination among the services and the sheer scope of the project.

To expedite the transition from single-service radios to a new joint radio system, the Pentagon is considering putting in place an entirely new management structure for the joint tactical radio system (JTRS) program.

The system is a potentially $14 billion program to replace 250,000 single-service radios throughout the military services. It is viewed as a linchpin of the Defense Department's plan to make all weapon systems interoperable and to link forces deployed around the world into a single network. Unlike existing radios, JTRS are software-defined PC-like devices that can be programmed to operate multiple waveforms.

As it stands today, a joint program office--reporting to the Army's acquisition executive--is responsible for the software development. The hardware side of the program is divided into "clusters." The Army manages cluster 1 (helicopter and ground vehicle radios) and cluster 5 (handheld and miniature radios), the Special Operations Command runs cluster 2 (handheld radios), the Navy and the Air Force jointly oversee clusters 3 and 4 (airborne and maritime radios).

Each service manages the hardware development and allocates procurement farads for each cluster.

The current JTRS organization is too fragmented, and not best suited to facilitate the changeover from older "legacy" radios to the new technology, as well as too dependent on individual services' funding priorities, according to the General Accounting Office.

The GAO critique got the attention of senior Pentagon officials, who are taking steps to restructure the program office. By late 2004, the entire JTRS effort could transfer to a joint program executive office that would manage both the software and the hardware development and procurement.

Details of the new JPEO so far are sketchy. The Defense Department submitted a proposed reorganization plan to Congress earlier this year. The implementation could begin in late 2004, according to Michael S. Frankel, deputy assistant secretary of defense for C3, space and information technology programs.

Frankel said he agreed with GAO's conclusion that "the most significant challenge in JTRS is the lack of a strong, joint-management structure."

The plan now under review is to consolidate all research, development...