House bill calls for net-centric acquisition studies

A new House bill introduced in the Armed Services Committee would direct the Defense Department to study alternatives for acquiring and funding technology that supports network-centric operations.

H. R. 1537 was introduced March 16 by Rep. Joe Sestak, (D-Pa.). Sestak serves a newly formed special panel to address defense acquisition reform. Under the bill, DOD would have to hire an independent research and development center to study of policies, procedures, organization and regulatory constraints that affect the acquisition of technologies supporting network-centric operations.

The bill also would require the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to conduct a similar study.

The studies would examine the development of a system for understanding the components that contribute to network-centric operations, such as data transport, processing, storage, data collection and dissemination of information.