Mobile Subscriber Equipment: the materiel fielding of a nondevelopmental system

Abstract

Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) is a tactical communications system which provides mobile field radio, telephone, and record traffic for the U.S. Army at corps and division levels. This system went from contract award to materiel fielding in a period of less than two and a half years through the utilization of nondevelopmental item (NDI) acquisition. The accelerated acquisition cycle presented many challenges to the successful deployment of this tactical communications system. This thesis examines the nontraditional methods of materiel fielding which were employed to address the challenges posed by the NDI acquisition of MSE. These nontraditional methods include contractor total package fielding, contractor developed and implemented training, and contractor logistic support. This thesis identifies the implications of these methods as a source of information for those elements of the acquisition community involved in materiel fielding planning. A significant lesson learned is that contractor total package fielding, training, and logistic support are viable alternatives for accomplishing materiel fielding for NDI systems