Avascent Offers Outlook on the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - March 5, 2009) - The Avascent Group has released an analysis of the upcoming 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. The assessment highlights that the QDR will be driven by a range of Department of Defense objectives, including a reordering of defense investment priorities.

"The QDR will be the key window through which the DoD leadership tries to satisfy a number of objectives," noted the author and Partner at Avascent, Doug Berenson. "These objectives include culling poorly performing programs, transitioning away from supplemental budgets, and, of course, pushing for greater balance in the investment program."

The analysis points to several areas in which significant decisions will be made. Among them are force planning and strategy, technology risk and acquisition stability, and supplemental appropriations.

As in any QDR, articulating the nation's defense strategy will be the top priority. Avascent's evaluation suggests that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will strive for balance in determining how the strategy will drive future force requirements and risk tolerance. "How the administration seeks to achieve this balance is the important question," according to Berenson.

Among the other top priorities in the QDR will be addressing an acquisition system that has come under an increasing amount of scrutiny in recent months. Key questions will involve how to fix a process that many believe is broken while at the same time clearing the way for high-priority technologies to reach the warfighter.

The way in which DoD funds these priorities could also be addressed in the QDR. Avascent points out that while supplemental appropriations have been used to fund critical war on terror-related items such as the MRAP and IED defeat technologies, they have also been used to acquire existing weapons systems. Shifting these costs to the base budget would signal a strong commitment to legacy platforms for the foreseeable future.

As Avascent's analysis suggests, the decisions made through the QDR process will have implications for a range of issues, including force structure, technology investment, and acquisition reform to name a few.

About The Avascent Group

The Avascent Group is the leading management consulting firm specializing in serving senior executives in the defense, aerospace, homeland security, logistics, technical services and infrastructure sectors. Avascent provides a full range of management consulting services, from strategic planning to market analysis to organizational and operational improvement.

Contact Information: For further information, contact: Mr. Tim Stanos (202) 452-6990 email: tstanos@avascent.com