Fiscal 2008 New Start and Additional Fiscal 2007 Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations Announced

The Department of Defense announces the selection of seven Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) projects for fiscal 2008 and three JCTD projects that started at the end of fiscal 2007.

Fiscal 2008 New Starts:

Combat Autonomous Mobility System (CAMS) — Autonomous, ground-mobile system that leverages manpower for Special Operations Forces
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
Transition Service/Agency: U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Communications AirBorne Layer Expansion (CABLE) — Integrated Services airborne communications relay and gateway effort to provide seamless mesh network environment for data, voice, and IP-based networks
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)
Transition Service/Agency: Navy and Air Force
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Collaborative On-Line Reconnaissance Provider/Operationally Responsive Attack Link (CORPORAL) — Scalable, IP-based, plug and play open architecture tailored to the ground war fighter for critical information sharing
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM)
Transition Service/Agency: Marine Corps
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Hard Target Void-Sensing (HTVS) Fuze —Void-sensing, cockpit-programmable, and BLU-109/113/122 warhead-compatible fuze that functions in greater than 10,000 pounds per-square-inch concrete
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: USSTRATCOM
Transition Service/Agency: Air Force
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System (JFPASS) — Integrates and automates access control and perimeter security for expeditionary military installations
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: U.S. European Command (USEUCOM)
Transition Service/Agency: Army
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Multi-Function Threat Detector (MFTD) — Affordable, hostile fire indicator with threat classification
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: USCENTCOM
Transition Service/Agency: Navy
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Shadow Harvest (classified) — Obscured target mitigation via a rapidly tailorable multi-intelligence on-board package
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: U.S. Southern Command
Transition Service/Agency: Air Force
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Three additional Fiscal 2007 New Starts:

Global Observer (GO) — High-altitude, long-endurance, liquid hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial vehicle
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: USSOCOM and USSTRATCOM
Transition Service/Agency: USSOCOM
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Joint Surface Warfare (JSuW) — Integrated multiple airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance and strike platforms with dynamic retasking of existing stand-off weapons for maritime interdiction
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: U.S. Pacific Command
Transition Service/Agency: Army
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

Zephyr — Joint, real-time, battlefield persistent surveillance and communications via an extended-duration, solar-powered, unmanned aerial vehicle
Combatant Command/User Sponsor: USCENTCOM and USEUCOM
Transition Service/Agency: TBD
Project Oversight: OSD/DDR&E/AS&C

The JCTD business model, entering its third year, completely replaced the ACTD model in fiscal 2007 to rapidly move advanced technology and innovative concepts into the hands of warfighters in the field. Building on the successful ACTD model in which new operational concepts are combined with maturing technologies in a joint environment, JCTDs focus more on tailoring projects to a combatant commander's specifically identified needs — emphasizing "needs pull" over historical "technology push."

A JCTD enables faster project start-up by providing more resources earlier in the traditional two-year DoD budget cycle and a flexible start process that facilitates urgently needed combatant command-driven capabilities throughout the fiscal year. One key aspect of the JCTD program is the enhanced transition planning process, which seeks to deliver enduring capabilities to the combatant commands.

The JCTD program also demands faster fielding of interim capabilities; structures funding to provide incentives for military service and agency participation without requiring the services or agencies to fund from their existing programs; and, provides services and agencies clear visibility in their participation of joint efforts.