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Future Combat Systems (FCS) was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unprecedented fast and flexible battlefield network. In April and May 2009, Pentagon and army officials announced that the FCS vehicle-development effort would be cancelled. The rest of the FCS effort would be swept into a new, pan-army program called the Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization Program.〔 ==Development history== As planned, FCS included the network; unattended ground sensors (UGS); unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); unmanned ground vehicles; and the eight manned ground vehicles. The Boeing Company and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) worked together as the lead systems integrator, coordinating more than 550 contractors and subcontractors in 41 states.〔 A spiral model was planned for FCS development and upgrades. As of 2004, FCS was in the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase, which included four two-year spirals. Spiral 1 was to begin fielding in Fiscal Year 2008 and consist of prototypes for use and evaluation. Following successful evaluation, production and fielding of Spiral 2 would have commenced in 2010. The evaluation was conducted by the Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF), previously known as Evaluation Brigade Combat Team (EBCT), stationed in Fort Bliss. As of December 2007, AETF consisted of 1,000 soldiers from the 1st Armored Division. In August 2005, the program met 100% of the criteria in its most important milestone to date, Systems of Systems Functional Review.〔("Future Combat Systems (FCS) Successfully Completes Major Program Milestone" ). Boeing, August 15, 2005]〕 On October 5, 2005, Pentagon team recommended "further delaying the Army's Future Combat Systems program" in light of the costs of the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and expected declines in future budgets.〔(). Wired News, October 17, 2005.〕 The Pentagon announced plans in January 2006 to cut $236 million over five years from the $25 billion FCS 2007–2011 budget. The entire program was expected to cost $340 billion.〔("Pentagon takes minimal cut out of Boeing program" ). ''Seattle Post Intelligencer'', January 25, 2006.〕 As of late December 2006, funding was scaled back for critical elements of the overall FCS battlespace, and the most advanced elements were deferred. The program had completed about one-third of its development as of 2008, which had been planned to run through 2030. Technical field tests began in 2008. The first combat brigade equipped with FCS had been expected to roll out around 2015, followed by full production to equip up to 15 brigades by 2030.〔("Timeline: Army Modernization and Future Combat Systems" ), ''Washington Post'', December 6, 2007〕 However, the program had not met the initial 2004 plan of fielding the first FCS-equipped unit in 2008.〔Department of Defense authorization for appropriations for fiscal year 2004: hearings before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, first session, on S. 1050, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the armed forces, and for other purposes ()〕 On April 6, 2009, President Barack Obama's Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates announced plans to cut FCS spending as part of a shift toward spending more on counter-terrorism and less to prepare for conventional warfare against large states like China and Russia.〔("Military Budget Reflects a Shift in U.S. Strategy" ). ''New York Times'', April 7, 2009. Retrieved on April 7, 2009.〕 This included, but was not limited to, cancelling the series of Manned Ground Vehicles. In May 2009, the proposed DoD budget for fiscal year 2010 has minimal funding for Manned Ground Vehicles research.〔McLeary, Paul. ("U.S. Army Ground Vehicles Up and Down" ). ''Aviation Week'', 8 May 2009.〕 The Army plans to restart from the beginning on manned ground vehicles.〔Military Deputy for Budget Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Mgt and Comptroller) Lt. Gen. Edgar Stanton and Acting Director, Army Budget Office William Campbell May 07, 2009, (News Transcript ), U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs).〕 The service is to restructure FCS so more Army units will be supported.〔Osborn, Kris. ("FCS Is Dead; Programs Live On" ). ''Defense News''. 18 May 2009.〕〔Chavanne, Bettina H. and Michael Bruno. ("U.S. Army Continues to Face Pressure on FCS" ). ''Aviation Week'', 19 May 2009.〕 The DoD released a memorandum on 23 June 2009 that cancelled the Future Combat Systems program and replaced it with separate programs under the Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization umbrella to meet the Army's plans.〔("Future Combat System (FCS) Prograto Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization" ), US DoD, 23 June 2009.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Future Combat Systems」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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