Accession Number:

AD1085541

Title:

Exploring Parallel Development in the Context of Agile Acquisition: Analytical Support to the Air Superiority 2030 Enterprise Capability Collaboration Team

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

RAND PROJECT AIR FORCE SANTA MONICA CA SANTA MONICA United States

Personal Author(s):

• Drezner,Jeffrey A.
• Simpson,Michael

Report Date:

2017-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

86.0

Abstract:

The research presented in this report is part of a larger project providing analytical support to the U.S. Air Forces Air Superiority 2030 Enterprise Capability Collaboration Team across several dimensions, including strategies to more rapidly transition new technologies and concepts to the fleet, such as parallel development. This research - a think piece - was conducted over a three-month period with limited objectives. It describes an initial analytical framework for enabling parallel development in an agile acquisition context, and it identifies some implementation challenges and ways to mitigate those challenges. Agile acquisition is an approach that is more responsive, flexible, and adaptive to changes in threat, technology, or environment than traditional acquisition processes and can more rapidly develop, test, and deploy new capabilities. Parallel development is an approach to developing and fielding capabilities that intentionally decouples the technology development and program management of core elements of a weapon system. This framework is not the definitive word on parallel development rather, the framework is intended to be a first step in defining and understanding parallel development in an agile acquisition context.

Descriptors:

• contingency operations (military)
• electronically scanned array
• fighter aircraft
• target recognition
• military acquisition
• software development
• aircrafts

Subject Categories:

• Administration and Management
• Defense Systems

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE