Army's FCS Still 70 Percent Probability of Success?

As reported by Government Executive's Bob Brewin, the latest GAO report on the Army's Future Combat System, "Significant Challenges Ahead in Developing and Demonstrating Future Combat System's Network and Software," is not particularly flattering.

As the GAO report notes, "Almost five years into the program, it is not yet clear if or when the information network that is at the heart of the FCS concept can be developed, built, and demonstrated by the Army and LSI."

Does this mean that the FCS probability of success has slipped below the 70 percent mark (actual "in excess of 70 percent") that then Chief of Staff of the Army General Peter Schoomaker in 2004 told Congress after FCS was restructured to follow a spiral process?

Some of you may recall that before the restructuring, Schoomaker told Congress that FCS had only a 28% chance of success (which makes one wonder how given its size and importance to the Army it ever was allowed to proceed in the first place).

I would be interested, given the latest difficulties, what the Army now thinks the probability of success for FCS is today - higher or lower than 70 percent?

I hope someone in Congress asks them.

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