Experts: Army’s $2.7 Billion Intelligence Computer Doesn’t Work
Analysts Familiar With System Say It Is Actually Hindering Intel Sharing
How much money does it cost to build a computer system which shares real-time intelligence among troops fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan? The question is still out, but we know for sure that the $2.7 billion the Army has spent didn’t accomplish the goal.
That’s the report from experts and analysts familiar with the system, and which have used the system, and concluded that not only does it not work the way it was supposed to, it is actually making intelligence sharing more difficult.
At its core, the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) is supposed to quickly parse through text-based reports to find relevant information. In practice, the experts say, it crashes all the time and the search engine doesn’t work very well, when it works at all.
One of the intelligence officers familiar with the system insisted that virtually any commercial solution would have worked better, and there are calls to buy a different system. The Army is insisting the current system is already paid for and will eventually be fixed to work properly, but with support costs mounting and the system virtually useless, it seems difficult they will be able to argue that the sunken costs are anything but a total loss.
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curmudgeonvt
July 6th, 2011 at 6:40 am
I wonder how much of the taxpayer's largess will be returned to the taxpayer by the contractors responsible for delivering a SUCCESSFUL and fully functional product? The contractors, as much as I could determine after a couple of minutes of googling include:
Major System Contractors: Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin, L-3 Communications, Northrop Grumman, Hughes, Goodrich and Houston-Fearless
Major Support Contractors: Northrop Grumman, SAIC, Spectrum, Booz Allen Hamilton and General Dynamics
You can be sure that there are clauses in the contracts that preclude any possible repayment for delivering a non-functional product – in fact, from personal experience, I suspect that there might be mechanisms in the contract to guarantee bonus payments despite failure of the project. There is an extensive history of the Pentagon making bonus payments upon non-delivery or failure.
MetaCynic
July 6th, 2011 at 8:25 am
I guess it's better that the government merely pissed away $2.7 billion of our money instead of getting a functional information sharing system which further enhances the military's ability to spy on, harass and kill people.
thedissenter
July 6th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
This is stereotypical of the government in general. Paying exorbitant amounts of our tax dollars for junk that doesn't work.
thedissenter
July 6th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
The usual list of suspects. Over and over and over and over and over again.
MeMyself
July 6th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
You actually make a very good point!