Improving rapid acquisition: a review of the riverine command boat procurement

Abstract

The Naval Expeditionary Combat Command procured the riverine command boat (RCB) under a General Services Administration multiple-award schedule contract. Four factors made this acquisition successful. First, an urgent requirement was identified. The global war on terrorism precipitated the need for a fast, maneuverable, highly lethal, and globally deployable naval riverine craft. Second was the ready availability of a proven commercial product; the RCB is a successful Swedish product. Third, the cost was within a procurement threshold that allowed its rapid acquisition. Fourth, funding was available. The approvals of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2003 and the Ronald Reagan NDAA for fiscal year 2005 were the key legislative elements that enabled the RCBs swift acquisition, relaxed procurement restrictions, and allowed warfighters access to systems such as the RCB. Though this procurement satisfied immediate naval requirements, readiness shortfalls later revealed that the acquisition had failed to address the life-cycle management of maintenance and sustainability. This MBA project analyzes shortfalls in the process used to acquire the RCB and recommends improvements in life-cycle management, as it pertains to acquisition, maintenance, and sustainability.