| Summary: | Extremely high weapon system Operation and Support (OandS) costs have become one of the central issues within the Department of Defense. Historically, OandS Costs represent 60% to 80% of the total life-cycle cost of weapon systems. Consequently, minor increases in OandS Costs across many systems can have major impacts to the efficient execution of the defense budget, restrict the ability to maintain readiness, and deplete funding needed for modernization. The principal finding of this research is that the Chief Logistician of a developmental project office can radically reduce future OandS Costs by fulfilling several key roles during a short timeframe in the system life-cycle. These key roles include a number of strategic imperatives, a half-dozen unique activities related to both the design of the weapon system and the logistics plans for supporting the system, and a full understanding of the techniques to overcome existing inhibitors. Finally, suggestions are presented for over-hauling the Chief Logistician's status in a typical project office to more effectively deal with these difficult challenges of system development.
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