Ten Years of COTS

COTS in Military SystemsA Ten Year Perspective: 

COTS in Military Systems A Ten Year Perspective Presentation by: Mr. Gregory Saunders Director DSPO

1776 – 1781 Revolutionary War: 

1776 – 1781 Revolutionary War Even George Washington’s Continental Army went to war with civilian clothing, equipment, and weapons. They went to war with what they had.

COTS – War of 1812: 

COTS – War of 1812 By the war of 1812, we had advanced little on the situation that existed in 1776.

COTS – U.S Civil War: 

COTS – U.S Civil War By the U.S. Civil War, military unique equipment was increasingly replacing commercial off-the-shelf items.

COTS – World War I: 

COTS – World War I By World War I, the proliferation of technology-driven standardized military unique equipment was on a roll.

COTS – World War II: 

COTS – World War II World War II, military unique technology increasingly replaced commercial products across a broad spectrum of requirements.

COTS – Korea, Viet Nam, & Gulf War: 

COTS – Korea, Viet Nam, & Gulf War MIL Spec components assured quality and performance BUT Some COTS products began to outperform Mil Spec products on the battlefield

The Movement Back to COTS: 

The Movement Back to COTS 1949 – President Truman’s Scientific Advisory Board urges greater use of commercial products 1972 – Report of the Commission on Government Procurement – Congressional Commission asserts the Government can make much greater use of the commercial marketplace 1982 – ADCoP Policy – After several years of pilots, DoD issues first formal policy on commercial acquisition – invents CIDs

The Movement Back to COTS: 

The Movement Back to COTS 1991 – SecDef Perry, announces the DoD Strategic Acquisition Initiative (SAI) - mandates that U.S. defense contractors look first at COTS products when developing new technology and upgrades. 1994 - SecDef Perry memorandum “Specs and Standards – A New Way of Doing Business” mandates preference for commercial standards and products 1997 – SecDef Cohen launches Defense Acquisition Reform Initiative accelerated COTS

Why COTS?: 

Why COTS? Latest technology Shorter development cycle Ready availability Reduced acquisition cost Lower support cost Faster technology refresh cycle Leverage commercial investment Benefit from best commercial practices Open system architectures More flexible, scalable, and configurable

Additional Factors Driving Move to COTS: 

Additional Factors Driving Move to COTS Microcircuits and Components rapidly evolving technology dramatic worldwide market growth explosion of commercial use shrinking DoD market share declining supplier base for "Mil-Spec" components need for latest technology to maintain technological lead

What is a COTS Product?: 

What is a COTS Product? Sold, leased, or licensed to the general public Offered by a vendor trying to profit from it Listed for sale with a list price May conform to industry standards Supported and evolved by the vendor, who retains the intellectual property rights Available in multiple, identical copies Used without modification of the internals Not developed or owned by the Government

COTS Challenges: 

COTS Challenges COTS may add new complexity to parts management. Increased need for technology refresh, insertion, and obsolescence management. Some COTS products may not hold up to harsh military environment and use.

1994 – 2004The COTS RevolutionDid We make the Right Decision?: 

1994 – 2004 The COTS Revolution Did We make the Right Decision?

COTS Success Story: 

COTS Success Story Acoustic – Rapid COTS Insertion Program Replace existing submarine acoustic systems Installed A-RCI on the first ship less than 2 years after it started the program Completed three major submarine upgrades in the first 3 years Savings of $3 million per hull over the legacy sonar systems U.S. regained a clear acoustic advantage through improved sonar performance 200 times increase in computing power at one-tenth the cost Reduced scheduled maintenance actions by 56 percent Reduced the training time from 20 weeks to 4 weeks An $8 million inventory reduction over 4 years

COTS Success Stories: 

COTS Success Stories NASA - Control Center System (CCS) Ground-based command and control system for the Hubble Space Telescope. Successfully integrated 30 COTS and GOTS components with one million lines of legacy code and one half million lines of custom code. prototype built in three months first production release one year after proof of concept greater productivity than previous systems new and enhanced capabilities

COTS Success Stories: 

COTS Success Stories Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Mission Computer Upgrade COTS operating system software 22 COTS central processing units (CPUs) Higher availability Increased capability Lower cost

COTS Success Stories: 

COTS Success Stories U-2 Reconnaissance Fleet Radar Computer Upgrade Crusader Field Artillery System Integrated Data Environment (IDE) development CMstat V5 Configuration management for F-22, Paladin, Crusader, and DDG-51 AN/PPS-5 Ground Surveillance Radar Modernization

COTS Success Stories: 

COTS Success Stories Defense Dissemination System (DDS) Laser Beam Recorder Aviation and Missile Research and Development Engineering Center Avenger Training System Upgrade Electronic Miniaturization for Missile Applications Program Standard Missile Electronics Assembly Unit

Why COTS is a Success: 

Why COTS is a Success The COTS business model works because the incentives and market pressures compel economically rational decisions, resulting in constant innovation, little waste, and a rising standard of development. COTS products adapt or become obsolete Open market success brings competition and lower prices Competitive market creates broader choice Inferior products lose market share and die Commercial developer is motivated to minimize cost and shorten development cycles Exactly the rationale for pursuing COTS in the first place

Ongoing COTS Issues: 

Ongoing COTS Issues Obsolescence Inconsistent and short term availability Fast turning commercial technology Constantly changing IC design and processes IC changes "react differently" in some DoD applications

Meeting COTS Challenges: 

Meeting COTS Challenges COTS challenges require a new mindset and new practices.  COTS-Based System Tradeoffs Leverage the Marketplace Engineer an Evolvable Architecture Avoid COTS Modification Think More Like a Business Negotiate Licenses & Supplier Relationships Realign Budgets for COTS Realities Establish Evolution as a Way of Life Evolve COTS-Based Systems Continuously Take the Long View on System Acquisition Change the Culture

Lessons Learned : 

Lessons Learned We see many benefits from using COTS We must adapt to COTS life cycle and design We Can Adapt Using COTS is good for Government and Industry Using COTS changes the way we build systems

Conclusion: 

There are no permanent victories to win is to stay alert and maneuver Conclusion Ample experience Right thing to do It is working