DCO Holds Consortium Industry Day

On Dec. 4, 2017, Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) held an industry day for Cyberspace Real-time Acquisition Prototyping Innovation Development, also known as C-RAPID, on Fort Belvoir, Virginia. DCO is looking for a consortium that can help accomplish Agile processes while staying synchronized with technology providing flexible, efficient modular designs needed for Army cyber operations. “Today is not only about cyber, but where we can go with acquisition,” said LTC Scott Helmore, product manager, DCO. “How do we start with cyber and really just blow it up?” he asked the audience of industry partners and government stakeholders.

The consortium will manage a 60-day prototype process, which includes a 30-day procurement spirit and operational assessment. DCO is planning a solicitation release by March 2018 and a final award by May 2018. The competing industry partners on the consortium receive a down select, which leads to a potential trial test period in order to see how their products work with the Army’s DCO systems. “This process is preventing everyone from wasting their time,” said LTC Helmore. “We give industry the capability to build inside our environment; this reduces both of our risks.”

By using an evolutionary acquisition process, DCO plans to use a single acquisition document to reduce documentation by focusing on capability drop decisions, not traditional milestone decisions. Using these techniques, DCO will be able to provide acquisition capabilities much faster. The consortium will solve problems, build a cyber-industrial bench and, ultimately, be a more cost-effective experience for the Army.

DCO is a program under Installation Information Infrastructure – Communications and Capabilities. They create defensive cyber capabilities for the U.S. Army Cyber Protection Teams. The focus: take immediate action to protect data and networks – in all operating environments and conditions. DCO currently has eleven requirements they are focused on today, with six programs starting in 2018.