Contact Information: For further information, contact: Mr. Tim Stanos (202) 452-6990 email: tstanos@avascent.com
Avascent Offers Outlook on the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review
| Source: The Avascent Group
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - March 5, 2009) - The Avascent Group has released an analysis
of the upcoming 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. The assessment highlights
that the QDR will be driven by a range of Department of Defense objectives,
including a reordering of defense investment priorities.
"The QDR will be the key window through which the DoD leadership tries to
satisfy a number of objectives," noted the author and Partner at Avascent,
Doug Berenson. "These objectives include culling poorly performing
programs, transitioning away from supplemental budgets, and, of course,
pushing for greater balance in the investment program."
The analysis points to several areas in which significant decisions will be
made. Among them are force planning and strategy, technology risk and
acquisition stability, and supplemental appropriations.
As in any QDR, articulating the nation's defense strategy will be the top
priority. Avascent's evaluation suggests that Defense Secretary Robert
Gates will strive for balance in determining how the strategy will drive
future force requirements and risk tolerance. "How the administration seeks
to achieve this balance is the important question," according to Berenson.
Among the other top priorities in the QDR will be addressing an acquisition
system that has come under an increasing amount of scrutiny in recent
months. Key questions will involve how to fix a process that many believe
is broken while at the same time clearing the way for high-priority
technologies to reach the warfighter.
The way in which DoD funds these priorities could also be addressed in the
QDR. Avascent points out that while supplemental appropriations have been
used to fund critical war on terror-related items such as the MRAP and IED
defeat technologies, they have also been used to acquire existing weapons
systems. Shifting these costs to the base budget would signal a strong
commitment to legacy platforms for the foreseeable future.
As Avascent's analysis suggests, the decisions made through the QDR process
will have implications for a range of issues, including force structure,
technology investment, and acquisition reform to name a few.
About The Avascent Group
The Avascent Group is the leading management consulting firm specializing
in serving senior executives in the defense, aerospace, homeland security,
logistics, technical services and infrastructure sectors. Avascent provides
a full range of management consulting services, from strategic planning to
market analysis to organizational and operational improvement.