Drift

Future Combat Systems

FCS · Army · Boeing / SAIC · cancelled

+76% $91.4B (2003) → $160.7B (2006)
Future Combat Systems: cost trajectory from $91.4B in 2003 to $160.7B in 2006, +76% growth. Explore FCS interactively → Download 1-page brief (PDF)
Baseline
$91.4B (2003)
Current estimate
$160.7B (2006)
Cost growth
+76%
Units
—
Quantity change
—
Unit-cost change
—
IOC
2010s (planned) → Cancelled 2009
Schedule slip
—
Cost basis
BY
Confidence
medium · reconciled
The flagship “grew then died”: the Army’s own estimate climbed $91.4B → $160.7B (+76%, inflation-adjusted, per GAO) before SecDef Gates cancelled the core program in June 2009. Independent OSD/CBO estimates ran higher still ($200–300B) on broader scope. Zero systems fielded; ~$18B+ sunk.

Documented events

Source: GAO-07-672T (Mar 2007), verbatim: FCS acquisition cost was "$160.7 billion--76 percent--since the Army’s original estimate of $91.4 billion (figures adjusted for inflation)." Independent OSD/CBO estimates ran $203–234B+ on broader scope.

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Drift — an independent project by Aous Abdo, built from public GAO, CRS and DoD sources. Cost growth has many causes; a larger number is not by itself evidence of mismanagement. How this is built · Explore the data →