Defense Logistics Agency chief Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek has given his organization marching orders to find $10 billion in efficiencies over the next five years. Speaking with defense reporters in Washington, D.C., on June 27, Harnitchek said the savings would be separate from the decline in demand for goods as the war in Afghanistan winds down. He’s convinced there are ways to reduce “over-buying” of goods and “keeping them around too long.” He said DLA is using every available computer modeling tool to accurately anticipate demand. Harnitchek said he wants a reduction in the distribution network, currently “at 26 places.” DLA wouldn’t design a distribution system “that looks like the one we have” if it were starting from scratch, he said. Nevertheless, he doesn’t see a reduction in DLA’s manpower level of 27,000 people.
Space Systems Command recently awarded Viasat a contract with a $450 million ceiling to design and field a mission operations center for the command’s burgeoning Space Data Network.