30 JANUARY - MARCH 2008

ARMY AL&T

Countermeasure Flares Team (CFT)Leverages Acquisition Process to Meet Warfighter Demands

Rene Medina

In November 2005, the Army drastically increased

monthly requirements for the M211, M212 and M206

countermeasure flares from 9,000 to 54,000 in just 3

months. This new requirement was the challenge faced

and met by the Project Manager Close Combat Systems

(PM CCS) CFT.

An AC-130 Spectre gunship fires M211 flares during an air interdiction mission. DuringOperations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, the USAF and SOCOM expended nearly 80,000 flares per month. (USAF file photo.)

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Driving the demand was the highly ac-celerated, fleetwide fielding of the newhelicopter-mounted Common MissileWarning System (CMWS) withoutsufficient munitions to support it intheater. “The M211, M212 andM206 flares have been highly effectivein defeating surface-to-air heat-seekingmissiles, and have saved countless Sol-diers’ lives,” remarked PM CCS COLRay Nulk. “Recognizing this, theCFT worked tirelessly with contractorsto meet the increased demand and getthis lifesaving equipment into thehands of our warfighters.”

As demand rose and funds becameavailable, the team worked with theflare producers to rapidly increase pro-duction capacity. At the same time, thetesting team performed lot acceptancetesting against intensive schedules toverify product quality while performingadditional qualification testing in sup-port of new production processes andequipment implementation. According

to Santo Lombardo, PM CCS Pyro-technics and Shoulder Launched Muni-tions Division Chief, exceptionally closecommunication between the govern-ment and contractors — Alliant Tech-systems Inc. for the M212 and AlloySurfaces for the M211 — allowed thisto be choreographed so effectively.

Prompt, Expedited ContractingIn response to Soldiers’ increasedneeds, the integrated product team(IPT) was established to guide the ef-fort streamlined the contractingprocess, resulting in several awardswithin 30 days of receiving funds.This was accomplished by providinginnovative contracting strategies suchas multiple ramp ups, product im-provements and increased productionquantities. It also required the devel-opment and staffing of several justifi-cation and approvals to various levels,the highest being the Assistant Secre-tary of the Army for Acquisition, Lo-gistics and Technology (ASAALT).

The M206 team promptly executedsupplemental funding requirements,assuring appropriate justifications, ap-provals, solicitation and award docu-mentation was completed to awardtwo split (45 percent/55 percent) contracts within 1-2 weeks of fundingreceipt. The team’s contracting spe-cialists negotiated requirements anddelivery schedules with each contractorto meet 30-60 day customer-requireddelivery dates.

The IPT was able to identify issues,develop solutions and contractually ex-ecute alternative approaches quicklyand decisively to meet the need formore countermeasure flares to supportthe increase in fielding of the CMWScurrently being used in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). “By developingeffective solutions and accelerating theaward of multiple contracting actions,the team was able to provide a higherlevel of protection to our Soldiers during conflict,” said Lombardo.

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Collaboration Increases Production Without DelaysThe government team and flare pro-ducers worked in close collaborationso increases in production capacity didnot interrupt current flare production,delivery or quality. Jointly, they wereable to streamline approvals of newtooling, manufacturing processes andlot acceptance testing to ensure thatdeliveries arrived in time to supporttheater operations. PM CCS qualifiednew suppliers to support increasedproduction, not only allowing in-creased rates, but also eliminating po-tential single points of failure while re-ducing and mitigating risks. Manufac-turers were directed to expedite flaredelivery by shipping directly from theproduction line to Dover Air ForceBase (AFB), DE, or Charleston AFB,SC, for delivery to Kuwait or Iraquntil inventory was sufficient in the-ater to support monthly requirements.

The team also helped facilitate con-struction of a new manufacturing plantthat successfully completed the rampup of M211 flare production to 80,000units per month — enough to meetArmy, U.S. Special Operations Com-mand (SOCOM) and U.S. Air Force(USAF) requirements for the flare.

Expedited Delivery andClearance Times Transportation specialists on the CFTmanaged the delivery process to expe-dite clearance and shipment of materialsthrough constant communication andquick action. Aside from continuouslytracking production delivery schedules,they provided liaison support betweenthe contractor, Defense Contract Man-agement Agency and Army Air Clear-ance Authority to expedite clearanceinto the aerial port of embarkation.Using Lean Six Sigma techniques in ad-dition to other initiatives, process timewas reduced from 3 days to 1.

The transportation specialists also coor-dinated unit line number airlifts di-rectly with the U.S. Central Command(CENTCOM) and U.S. Army Trans-portation Command and created aweekly dedicated Air Mobility Com-mand channel mission to provide sup-ply stability to the entire theater.Diplomatic clearance time was reducedfrom 21 to 9 days for these criticalitems. This group was also able tomaximize scarce transportation assets,including diverting in-transit groundshipments to alternate ports to meetcritical theater needs.

Continuous Reporting toArmy Leaders and WarfightersThe CFT continuously reported flarerequirements, usage and projections tothe very highest level of Army leader-ship, supporting balcony briefings,CENTCOM status briefs, weekly pro-duction updates and reports to theASAALT. This vital information wasprovided to Congress in support of theArmy’s request for supplemental fund-ing for these urgently needed flares.

The team also provided support and in-formation directly to warfighters in the-ater through weekly teleconferenceswith the Coalition Forces Land Com-ponent Command’s Command, Con-trol Communications and Computers(CFLCC C4) Ammunition Officer;PM CCS; Joint Munitions Command(JMC) managers; and logistics support.The weekly meetings were an integralpart of coordinating with CENTCOM,the 321st Theater Materiel Manage-ment Center and the U.S. Army Ma-teriel Command. CFT members havealso traveled to theater to provide thelatest information on flare status.

In recognition of their outstandingsupport, CFLCC C4 presented the

32 JANUARY - MARCH 2008

ARMY AL&T

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter fires flares during a combat troop insertion during OIF. Transport helicoptersare especially vulnerable to shoulder-fired IR-guided missiles. The new LA59 flare will greatly improve crewsurvivability in both Army fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of PM CCS.)

USAF transport planes preemptively firecountermeasure flares during take-off and landing,as those are the times when they are mostvulnerable to shoulder-fired IR missiles. (DODphoto by SA Julianne Showalter.)

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team with commander coins. Positivefeedback was received from theater re-garding the Joint Munitions andLethality Life Cycle ManagementCommand support. CFLCC C4Commanding General BG RaymondV. Mason remarked, “[CFT’s] dailydedication and coordination effortsfor Class V have been nothing shortof outstanding! It is individuals likeyou who have allowed the U.S. Armyto leverage its logistics capabilities togive our Soldiers and our allies thebest support available.”

Team Wins PrestigiousPackard AwardThe PM CCS CFT received the DavidPackard Excellence in AcquisitionAward in November 2006 in conjunc-tion with the U.S. Army ArmamentResearch, Development and Engineer-ing Center; the Rock Island-basedJMC; the U.S. Army Tank-automotiveand Armaments Command contract-ing staffs; the Army Field SupportCommand; and the CommunicationsElectronics Research, Developmentand Engineering Center (CERDEC)(e.g., CERDEC’s Infrared (IR) Flares

Team) for their work on the M211,M212 and M206 countermeasureflares project.

“This award means a great deal to allof us,” stated Patti Felth, Deputy PMCCS. “Through teamwork, hard workand focus on our ultimate customer,the Soldier, we are proud to have beeninstrumental in meeting the Army’s ac-celerated demand for the lifesavingM211, M212 and M206 flares.”

Multipurpose Flare PromptsQuick Procurement ActionIn early 2007, the U.S. military experi-enced an increase in aircraft lossesfrom enemy attack. Testing conductedin FY06 by SOCOM had shown thatthe LA59 (XM216) Aircraft Counter-measure Flare provided a better level ofprotection with a lower visible signa-ture and a lower cost than the M206,M211 and M212 flares currently inuse. When the results were presentedto Army senior leaders, including ViceChief of Staff of the Army GENRichard A. Cody, at an aviation sum-mit held in February 2007, Cody di-rected PM CCS to procure the LA59.

The LA59 improves crew survivabilityby protecting Army fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft from shoulder-firedIR-guided missiles. It also acts as adecoy to counter an attack on aircraftfrom various IR-guided missile threatsat both low and high altitudes. Thisnew flare can serve as protection forArmy helicopters and low-altitude air-craft, and can be used on the A-10, F-16 and C-130. The LA59 is intendedfor use in either the CMWS dispenseror the Improved Countermeasure Dis-penser (ICMD) package, both of whichhold 30 flares total. Currently, uponengagement, the CMWS dispenses aminimum of one each of the M206,M211 and M212 for up to 10 engage-ments. With the LA59, the CMWS or

the ICMD will be able to handle up to30 engagements.

“Once sufficient quantities of the LA59are on hand,” said Lombardo, “it willenhance the current cocktail of counter-measure flares that are used to counteran attack on aircraft at high altitude.”

The CFT developed an acquisition strat-egy to rapidly get the Army on contractto procure the LA59 by using a lettercontract to award a 1-year indefinite de-livery indefinite quantity contract only 3days after receiving congressional ap-proval for new start authority. The IPTused this Undefinitized Contract Awardapproach to award a delivery order con-currently with the contract award andbegan receiving flare deliveries in No-vember 2007, with increased flare pro-duction per month exponentially byMay 2008. PM CCS definitized thecontract in October 2007, which willvastly increase deliveries in May 2008 asthe initial contract will only satisfy theurgently needed requirements.

Army requirements for aircraft counter-measure flares consist of operational re-quirements (war reserve plus training re-quirements) of approximately 800,000per year. This 1-year contract will allowthe government enough time to haveanother contract vehicle in place to sat-isfy additional nonurgent requirements.

RENE MEDINA is the Pyrotechnic FlaresProject Officer with PM CCS, Program Ex-ecutive Office Ammunition. He has a B.S.in electrical engineering from the New Jer-sey Institute of Technology and an M.S. in technology management from the StevensInstitute of Technology. Medina is anArmy Acquisition Corps member and isLevel III certified in manufacturing, pro-duction and quality assurance as well asprogram management. He is a certifiedLean Six Sigma Black Belt.

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During OIF, U.S. and coalition forces havedepended heavily on American manufacturingbase initiative and production capability tocounter insurgent ground-to-air missile threats.Here, an Australian airman loads U.S. producedM206, M211 and M212 flares to his aircraft inpreparation for a combat mission. (Photocourtesy of PM CCS.)

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