WIN-T Makes Watch List

The Army’s key, next-generation battlefield communications systems, Warfighter Information Network-Tactical, earned the dubious distinction of ending up on the Defense Department’s list of programs that experienced cost increases of more than 15 percent or schedule delays of six months or more. These programs are reported to Congress.

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, the Defense Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) put the cost of WIN-T at $16.4 billion in constant 2003 dollars, up $4.6 billion from the 2003 baseline. That’s nearly a 40 percent increase, for those keeping count.

WIN-T is the network glue intended to stitch together the myriad platforms in the Army’s Future Combat Systems program. The Government Accountability Office reported in March that the Army has restructured WIN-T system development for five years, delaying a production decision until 2011.

I bet new Army CIO Lt. Gen. Jeffery Sorenson was just delighted to find out WIN-T had made the SAR-list on his second day on the job.