Common Close Support Weapon (CCSW)

Common Close Support Weapon (CCSW) Weapons Trade Study was conducted in FY04. The participants included the US Army Infantry Center (USAIC), Unit of Action Maneuver Battle Lab (UAMBL), Lead Systems Integrators, VIs, Program Manager Lethality, Program Manager Soldier Weapons, Project Manager for Maneuver Ammunition Systems, Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity, and the Army Research Laboratory. Eight weapons were traded: M240, Mk 19 Mod 3, Mk 47 Mod 3, M2, XM312, XM307, M230, and RMK30. The XM307 and XM312 were both part of the Advanced Crew Served Weapons (ACSW) program. Trade criteria included: Lethality; weapon and ammunition life cycle costs; risk; and integration issues.

The study found the ACSW weapons wer not the best in any one category, but it was selected as the weapon of choice with all aspects considered. The ACSW weapons were among the lightest weight and smallest volume. The ACSW weapons were among the most lethal, and were rated low risk. The XM312, coupled with off-the-shelf ammunition, was seen as a fallback.

Project Manager-Soldier Weapons was to develop the XM307 and XM312 weapons, the family of 25mm ammunition, the dual feed module, and the remote sensor package for remote operations. General Dynamics was to develop the weapon mount, ammunition feed system, and remote weapon charger. United Defense-Limited Partnership was to develop the fire control (the existing XM307 fire control would not utilized), the stabilization package, and conduct overall integration as a system.

In 2004, as a result of the Common Close Support Weapon (CCSW) Weapon Trade Study, the ACSW family was selected as the foundation for the FCS CCSW program. It was planned that the XM307/XM312 would be the dismounted infantry crew served weapon and defensive armament system for 7 variants of the Future Combat System. The system included: a 25mm automatic cannon (XM307) capable of firing airburst and armor piercing ammunition; and, a .50 caliber variant (XM312). The ACSW family provided increased lethality and significant reductions in weight and supportability costs. The high explosive airbursting munition provided incapacitation and suppression out to 2,000 meters against both exposed and defilade personnel targets and light skinned vehicles. The ACSW transitioned from the Objective Crew Served Weapon (OSCW) Advanced Technology Demonstration/Development (ATD) at tha time, but had not included the .50 caliber variant. The effort for the .50 Cal Variant was to be a new start in FY04. The CCSW subsystem supported the Legacy to Objective transition path of the Transformation Campaign Plan.

In support of Annexes D, G and I of the FCS Operational Requirement Documents, dated 15 April 2003, the ACSW family would be developed as the CCSW for potentially all 9 FCS vehicle variants. The ACSW family became a core essential system for FCS Increment 1. The Acquisition Strategy and Acquisition Plan were approved by the AAE on 30 December 2003. A Justification and Approal was submitted to the Army Acquisition Executive for approval to award the SDD contract to the original weapon system developer. The Project Manager would utilize Alpha negotiations to award a Cost Plus Award Fee contract. Cost as an Independent Variable and Design to Unit Cost would be applied. Supportability would be addressed (at the beginning and) throughout the program.

As a result, the ACSW family became the foundation for the FCS CCSW system, with the XM312 providing a low risk approach and easy growth potential to 25mm air bursting munitions in the XM307. The spiral development approach provided tremendous flexibility for the transformation campaign. The XM312 and/or the XM307 were planned for mounting on 7 of the 8 vehicles requiring close support offensive and defensive capabilities. CCSW applications included: MCS, NLOS-C, NLOS-M, FRMV, R&SV, C2V, and ARV-A(L) variants of the FCS Mannged Ground Vehicle.

The decision to fund the ACSW program as part of the CCSW program was based on the CCSW requirement in the 14 April 2003 version of the FCS ORD. The 11 July 2006 version of the ORD for the FCS contained essentially the same wording for the CCSW requirement. As written, the operational requirements document for the FCS did not provide detailed requirements to develop the ACSW. A representative from the Army Deputy Chief of Staff (G-3/5/7) agreed that the operational requirements document for the FCS did not contain sufficient detail to develop the ACSW system. Further, the Joint Requirements Oversight Council validation of the operational requirements document for the FCS did not specifically address whether the Army would be required to prepare a separate and more detailed requirements document for the ACSW.

The XM307 Program Office (which included development of the XM312 variant) was determined in 2007 to have begun developing the XM307 in the SDD phase of the acquisition process before the Joint Requirements Oversight Council approved the warfighter requirements for the XM307. As a result, the FCS and the XM307 Program Offices prematurely spent about $98.1 million in research, development, test, and evaluation funds on developing the XM307 program. In this regard, the FCS Program Manager planned to spend an additional $93.3 million in those funds for the program without assurance that the XM307 would satisfy warfighter requirements. In 2007 the Army initiated plans to withdraw $80.1 million of the $93.3 million from the program and to use the remaining $13.2 million to close out the contract.

In response to a draft version of a Department of Defense Inspector General report, which was later published on 5 June 2007, the Program Executive Officer Soldier rescinded the acquisition decision memorandum that allowed the XM307G Program to enter the SDD phase. Further, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) withdrew $2.697 million in FY07 research, development, test, and evaluation congressional plus-up funds and plans to withdraw an additional $18,000 in remaining congressional plus-up funds. The Assistant Secretaries of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) and (Financial Management and Comptroller) were directed not to fund any additional work on the XM307G Program until the program had an approved requirements document and an acquisition decision memorandum approved by a properly designated milestone decision authority.

With the termination of the manned components of the FCS program in 2008, the decision was made to effectively shelve the ACSW program. The CCSW requirement was directly linked to the manned components of the FCS.