Army seeks $2.7 billion for FCS in 2005

The Army in 2005 wants to spend $2.7 billion on the Future Combat System, an almost $1 billion increase from what it will spend in 2004 on FCS.

An Army report obtained by Federal Computer Week contains plans for allocations of $22.2 billion through 2009 for FCS, which consists of 18 networked air and ground platforms planned for combat-readiness in 2010. The service by 2005 plans to overhaul its intelligence procedures to give soldiers in combat more timely and detailed data on enemy tactics and locations, according to the report, "United States Army 2003 Transformation Roadmap."

Army leaders did not immediately comment on the 173-page report. But Maj. Gary Tallman, Army spokesman, said in statement today that the FCS budget increases likely occur as the service prepares to field the equipment later this decade.

The annual, internal Army document identifies doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel and facilities' priorities in upcoming years. It also helps the service prepare its yearly budget, which Defense Department officials review along with other service and agency budgets in December and submits to the Office of Management and Budget in early January. White House officials usually release their budget request to Congress in early February.

Army officials have said they plan to request a $98.5 billion 2005 budget, a $4.8 billion or 5 percent increase from 2004. The proposal is also about .3 percent more than the $98.2 billion 2005 recommendation in last fall's 2004 Program Objective Memorandum.

Defense Department officials are still reviewing 2005 budget requests, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during a Dec.16 media briefing.

Army officials also by 2005 hope to change the way they think about and produce intelligence. "Intelligence transformation changes the focus from systems and processes to solutions that improve warfighters understanding of the battlespace," said the "United States Army 2003 Transformation Roadmap."

The Army cited several ways to improve its intelligence operations, including building an information technology infrastructure that analysts can use to quickly learn from enemy tactics, and producing an intelligence grid for sharing data.

"Army Transformation will meet the needs of future Joint Force Commanders by providing a campaign quality Army with a joint and expeditionary mindset," wrote Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Army chief of staff, and Les Brownlee, acting secretary of the Army, in the document.