Transcript NSS - Olin
The Natick Soldier Center
Matthew Hill | Bret Richmond
Polina Segalova | David Yoshida
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
3 November 2003
Department of Defense
Army
Other Services
(Navy, Air Force,
etc.)
USSOCOM
Army Material
Command
RDECOM
Natick Soldier
Center
Special Operations
Forces Warrior
Protection
Purpose of NSC
To maximize the warrior's survivability,
sustainability, mobility, combat effectiveness and
quality of life by treating the warrior as a system.
Technology generation
Soldier system generation
Solving field problems
Do not mass produce products
Directorates
Individual protection
Combat feeding
Collective Protection
Airdrop/ Aerial Delivery
Supporting Science and Technology
(biotechnology, nanotechnology)
Warrior Systems Technology & Program
Integration
Objective Force Warrior
Individual Protection
Directorate
Directs Research and Development in:
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Chemical/ Biological Protection
Ballistic Protection
Directed Energy Protection
Environmental Protection
Camouflage
Multi-functional Materials
Special Operations Forces (SOF)
1942 – Army Rangers established
1952 – Army Green Berets formed
1962 – Navy SEALs created
USSOCOM established in 1987
USSOCOM’s role validated in 2001 with
operations in Afghanistan
SOF Personnel and Office
SOF office does not report directly to NSC
New and highly flexible organization
– SOF Program Manager (PM) is the only
civilian PM at NSC
– Much financial flexibility due to small
volume of products
Strategy
Primary strategy is to “deliver good stuff”
to their customers
Take risks – ask for forgiveness, not
permission
Value of their reputation is increased by:
– Designing high quality products
– “Making it right” when they make mistakes
“What do we produce? Results.”
–Fred Chan
Unlike other directorates, all ideas come
from the field, not the lab
All manufacturing is out-sourced
Turn-around time of 2-8 months vs. 4-6
years for rest of military
Full process management
Production Process
1. Field & Evaluate request
2. Find or Design a Solution. Off-the-shelf
is preferred.
3. Source vendors for cost and speed
4. Guide vendors in transition to
production
5. Follow-up with field users
Marketing
Differentiation
– Emphasis on speed and results
– Higher individual autonomy
– Closer link to the customers
Competitors
– Other government agencies
– Private sector companies
Marketing Strategy
– Minimal advertisement, mostly word or mouth and reputation
– “If you build it, they will come.”
Finances
Funded by DOD (~$2 million).
Additional funding from special program
budget allocations and directorates (~$38
million).
Competes with private sector defense
contractors and other DOD research
facilities for 95% of its budget
Finances - Distribution
$2 million Operations and Maintenance budget
supports 9 staff members and capital
improvements
$.5 million RDTE budget enables development
of commercial and off the shelf products
$37.5 Million procurement budget funds the
actual purchasing of all developed equipment
Finances - Budgeting
Requests are planned out for five years into the
future
Every two years the budget is reviewed and
finalized
Budget approval comes from up the chain of
command, ultimately receiving congressional
approval
Budgeting received only covers Operation and
Maintenance expenses
Conclusion
SOF Group represents a new wave in
military organization to respond to the
need for a dynamic, lean, and productive
military.
Though entrepreneurial internally,
application of its methodology to other
parts of the military and to SOF’s own
role in the military is needed.
Thank you
Dianne St. Jean
Fred Chan
Michelle Poirier
Dick Brown
Natick Soldier Center Staff