Executive Interview: Kevin Fahey
GCT 2011 Volume: 2 Issue: 6 (November/December)
EXCLUSIVE EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
JLTV, MRAP/M-ATV: Providing
Warfighters with Safe Rides
Kevin M. Fahey
Program Executive Officer
Combat Support & Combat Service Support
Kevin M. Fahey was selected for the Senior Executive Service in February 2000. As the program executive officer for Combat Support & Combat Service Support, he is responsible for all activities necessary to develop, produce, field and sustain tactical vehicle systems and force projection equipment that supports and safeguards our armed forces fighting across the globe.
He is responsible for the life cycle management of more than 350 diverse systems, to include all of the Army’s tactical wheeled vehicles (including the family of mine resistant ambush protected vehicles and the joint light tactical vehicle) and critical soldier support systems (force projection equipment, petroleum and water systems, construction and material equipment, tools and diagnostics equipment), across 16 product lines. He oversees the execution of an approximately $10 billion annual budget for all combat support and combat service support equipment and develops a workforce of more than 1,100 employees.
During his tenure as the program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems, he was responsible for the life cycle management and systems integrator of the Army’s ground combat vehicle programs, leading Army transformation for the future force. His portfolio included the heavy brigade combat platforms such as the Abrams, M113 and Bradley fighting vehicles, along with the Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the Joint Lightweight Howitzer Systems. He successfully executed a budget of $11 billion in 2007, $4 billion in 2006 and $5 billion in 2005. In 2007, Fahey was identified by the Department of Defense to lead the Army’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protection program, delivering more than 9,000 MRAP vehicles in less than 24 months to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of an urgent combat need.
Operating as the deputy program executive officer for ammunition, he was responsible for the management of critical Army ammunition programs and personnel. He effectively managed cost, schedule and performance parameters across the Army’s ammunition programs to include: equipping soldiers with combat ammunition, and fire combat and ammunition training support for dismounted soldiers, combat and tactical vehicles, helicopters, Naval vessels and high performance aircraft.
As the senior technical executive, close combat armament systems, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, he served as the research and development director for armament and munitions systems. He was the senior technical expert of smaller, lighter and more lethal munitions which increased mobility and counter-mobility of the Army’s operating forces.
Q: What is your assessment of the joint light tactical vehicle program?
A: The TD [Technology Development] phase was highly successful. The TD phase satisfied its intended purposes: demonstrate the integration of mature technologies as a complete system and provide an assessment of the technical, performance cost and schedule risks relevant to entering the EMD [Engineering and Manufacturing Development] phase. It gave the Army and USMC exactly the kind of information we needed to make really well-informed decisions about what JLTV can be and what it should cost.
Competitive prototyping during the TD phase improved the fidelity of the designs, demonstrated mature technologies, increased confidence in operational performance, fully informed requirements, and increased the confidence in cost estimates for the program life cycle. Currently, we are taking a hard look at ways to reduce the program schedule and costs necessary to execute the next phase of the program. We are working diligently to drive our costs down to ensure JLTV remains affordable, working with our joint users to lock in requirements that correspond to that affordable vehicle design, and refining our acquisition strategy to reduce schedule and risk.
The next program phase will include full and open competition, with the selection of multiple offerors. Our aim is to give industry greater latitude to demonstrate what’s achievable on a light platform—our competitive strategy is intended to deliver the best vehicle possible at the price that the program can afford.
Q: Will JLTVs provide the mobility and safety that the armed forces are seeking?
A: Yes. JLTV is a major Army-Marine Corps acquisition program for a new generation wheeled vehicle that would replace a portion of the services’ high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle [HMMWV] fleet. The program’s aim is to develop a new multi-mission light vehicle family with superior crew protection, payload and performance compared to the HMMWVs. The JLTV family will balance critical weight and transportability constraints within performance, protection and payload requirements, all while ensuring an affordable solution for the Army and USMC.
Q: There is talk of substantial defense funding reductions. Have you instituted any cost-cutting or efficiency moves?
A: Over the past year, the PEO CS&CSS has been working diligently to support the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army in identifying and implementing ways to become more efficient and effective. As an organization, PEO CS&CSS has actively participated in numerous capability portfolio reviews over the past year with the vice chief of staff of the Army where he has focused and challenged the Army community on requirements and affordability. Concurrently, PEO CS&CSS has been working hard to implement the under secretary of defense for acquisition, logistics and technology’s Better Buying Power initiatives. In addition, over the past several years we have devolved a very strong Lean Six Sigma capability within our organization, which has resulted in significant cost savings and efficiencies for the Department of Army.
Q: How has your command expanded and improved over the past year?
A: In April, we gained a new responsibility to actively support the life cycle management of commercial light and medium tactical wheeled vehicles for the Afghan National Security Forces [ANSF]. The product director non-standard vehicles [PD NSV] portfolio includes the currently fielded Ford Ranger and Navistar vehicle fleets, as well as any future procurements. The goal of PD NSV is to provide the ANSF the capability and capacity to be self-sustaining and independently able to conduct security operation missions. PD NSV’s mission is a critical part of the overall Afghan transition plan.
Additionally, as we focused on ways to be more efficient and effective, it caused us to assess our organization to identify ways to better manage our systems by portfolios, thus resulting in better alignment of programs and management of our systems from a fleet perspective. Based on those assessments, we transitioned some offices within PEO CS&CSS across the organization to enable greater portfolio alignment and maximum efficiency.
For example, the product manager joint light tactical vehicles transitioned under the leadership of Colonel David Bassett, project manager tactical vehicles [PM TV], to greater align the Army’s Tactical Wheeled Vehicle [TWV] programs under one PM office. This will ensure synergism between the HMMWV program and JLTV, and enable a cohesive management of the Army’s light tactical vehicles from a fleet perspective, consistent with the Army approved TWV strategy.
Additionally, the product manager armored security vehicles [ASV] and PD NSV transitioned from PM Tactical Vehicles and PM Force Projection, respectively, to PM Joint Combat Support Services [PM JCSS] effective October 1, 2011. The ASV and NSV programs are both primarily focused on providing equipment and capability to the Afghanistan National Army and Security Forces. The alignment of ASV and NSV under PM JCSS will ensure we remain focused on a consolidated approach to providing capability to the Afghanistan National Army consistent with the U.S. policy.
Q: Has the strategy of developing different versions of the MRAP worked well?
A: Our mission has always been to get the maximum number of survivable vehicles, with test-proven performance, delivered in the shortest time possible. The rapid acquisition strategy using multiple IDIQ [indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity] contracts allowed us to do that. So the short answer is, yes, the strategy has been very successful.
Q: How do you assess the work of revamping and updating MRAPs for duty in Afghanistan?
A: We’ve been very successful in refurbishing MRAPs for Afghanistan. The acquisition of an MRAP all-terrain vehicle [M-ATV] is also a big part of that equation. Today we have about 15,000 MRAPs in Operation Enduring Freedom and about 7,000 of them are M-ATVs. We have never fallen below the CENTCOM requirement for readiness. We have a large support element of about 3,000 people OCONUS providing critical support doing de-processing, maintenance, and battle damage and repair.
Q: How has the M-ATV fleet performed in Afghanistan?
A: The ability to go off road gives troops the ability to be less predictable by going off road rather than driving on predictable routes. The M-ATV also gives combatant commanders the flexibility to seize the offensive while remaining protected from IEDs and ambush attacks. The M-ATV has performed very well.
Q: Are MRAPs and M-ATVs protecting troops well in IED detonations?
A: M-ATVs and MRAPs are saving lives. They offer a proven capability to reduce combat deaths and casualties associated with roadside bombs and other explosive threats.
Q: Does the IED detection equipment that you attach to vehicles work well?
A: The ongoing and additional procurements of this equipment provide us affirmation that the detection equipment is desired by the warfighters. They would be the best source of how well the equipment works, but the additional orders seem to indicate the effectiveness of the equipment.
Q: What are your closing thoughts about CS&CSS and the men and women who serve in it?
A: The men and women who serve in this organization are simply amazing. They are the most competent and dedicated group of people you will ever meet. They have done remarkable work providing tremendous equipment to our men and woman who serve our country with honor. It is relatively easy for us to stay focused knowing that what we do makes our military’s lives better and contributes to them being able to do their mission effectively and safely. The biggest worry I have is if these tremendous folks can continue the pace, but they never cease to amaze me! ♦