A 2008 date could be set for the Pentagon to decide if the Army can proceed with its multibillion-dollar Future Combat System program, if members of the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee get their way.

Last week, during the subcommittee's mark up of the fiscal year 2007 defense authorization bill, lawmakers inserted language into their version of the bill that would require the Defense Acquisition Board to make a "go/no go decision"? by Sept. 30, 2008.

"We are three years into [system development and demonstration phase] and there is still no independent cost estimate,"? subcommittee chairman Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) said April 26. "None of the required reports from last year dealing with transportability, lethality and survivability issues have been submitted to Congress as required by law. Projected dates for maturation of critical technologies have slipped. Design and production maturity would not be demonstrated under the current program plan until after the production decision is made."

The Military has been hard at work on the new "Future Combat System" to replace or upgrade much of the current Military technology. Now it looks like the FCS could finally become a reality and even as early as 2008. The Military has already begun much of the changes needed, but it'll take a good bit of money and time dedicated to the change to get the job done. The new FCS will make our Military faster, leaner, stronger and much more flexible giving us more options when engaging our enemies.

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