The $1.5 billion acquisition program, led by the Navy, aims to develop an intratheater transport based on a commercial design with low technical risk. Pentagon acquisition executive Kenneth Krieg approved the start of the program's technology development phase in a May 5 memo. He also directed officials to include SOCOM in talks about the ship's requirements.

Program proponents have privately said the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and SOCOM have agreed on many of the JHSV capabilities, including payload, range, and speed; mission deck requirements; beam and length; cargo handling; and the environment in which the ship will operate. But some unresolved issues have created moderate risk in the requirements-development process.

The Navy and the Army have had difficulty agreeing who should man the ships. The different services have also debated which kinds of rotorcraft should operate from the ship. Quantity and basing issues, and the trade-offs associated with seeking various kinds of extra capability have also proved vexing.

At issue is the substance of the ship's capability development document (CDD), which outlines key requirements for the vessel. The Navy has drafted the document in consultation with the Army/Marine Corps Board, a senior-level panel that handles issues affecting soldiers and Marines. Later this month, the Navy's resources and requirements review board -- led by Vice Adm. Lewis Crenshaw -- is expected to bless that document before submitting it to the Joint Staff by July 31. The Joint Staff's review, which would conclude in early October, is supposed to ensure the JHSV meets joint requirements. This review could serve as a forum to adjudicate any lingering contentious issues.

Navy spokesman Lt. John Gay told Inside the Navy that “authoritative, measurable and testable capabilities needed by the warfighters will be defined” in the capability development document. He noted the CDD states the performance attributes, including the key performance parameters, that will guide development of the vessels.

Asked about the lack of consensus on certain issues, Gay said that “Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and SOCOM inputs are still being considered during the creation of the CDD.” The document is scheduled for completion in early fiscal year 2007, he said.

Fleet Forces Command and other Navy organizations recently drafted another related document -- the concept of operations for the ship -- at the direction of the sea service's resources and requirements review board. Crenshaw directed the command to prepare the concept by addressing Navy, naval, and joint requirements, in that order.

Diving into the manning debate, the concept of operations argues Navy crews ought to man every JHSV -- even the Army's ships. The concept notes current plans call for the vessels to be owned and operated by both the Army and the Navy, with a crew of fewer than 40 military personnel on each ship.

The Army has argued it needs to have its personnel operate its JHSVs. A naval source suggested the Army is unlikely to budge from that position. The Army also happens to be the largest financial sponsor of the program. Over the coming years, the Army plans to spend $940 million to buy five JHSVs while the Navy plans to spend $600 million to buy three.

Another manning option discussed would use civilian mariners and a military crew to operate each ship.

A third manning option, which has some support in the Navy Department, calls for using joint military crews.

The Marine Corps has taken the position that the manning should not limit the ship's mission, boost operating costs, limit habitability or reduce the ship's payload, while SOCOM has similarly said the manning should not limit the mission of the ship, according to Navy documents.

Whatever manning approach is selected, it will shape the program's plans for maintenance, training and support.

In discussions about the aviation capability, the Marine Corps and SOCOM have argued for a helicopter deck capable of handling large aircraft such as a CH-53K helicopter or a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The Army and the Navy advocated for a deck that would only be capable of handling an H-60, but the Marine Corps and SOCOM positions may be gaining ground.

The draft concept of operations -- which is separate from the CDD, but related -- indicates the deck “should be able to accommodate the landing, fueling and launching of CH-53K and H-60 series aircraft and potentially V-22.” The concept of operations notes giving the JHSV the capability to support the Osprey would better enable the ship to support special operations.

Addressing a separate aviation issue, the concept of operations also calls for having an aircraft shelter that can accommodate an H-60. This could be used to shield an H-60 from weather or provide limited space for maintenance work.

Meanwhile, the Navy is working on its JHSV acquisition strategy with the goal of issuing requests for proposals and conducting source selections between November 2006 and March 2008.

In September, the Navy plans to hold an industry day. Then, by the end of the calendar year, the Navy would issue its phase I request for proposals for full and open solicitation of industry designs, according to Naval Sea Systems Command. A phase II detail-design-and-construction source selection is planned for early 2008, according to the command.

“The Navy is still planning for phase I and phase II solicitations, however final approval for the JHSV acquisition strategy is still pending,” NAVSEA spokeswoman Linda Roberts told ITN last week.

In March 2008, the Pentagon is planning to conduct a milestone B decision, meaning the Defense Acquisition Board would decide whether to approve the start of the program's system development and demonstration phase. But before that decision is made, the program will have to satisfy criteria outlined in Krieg's May 5 memo.

Specifically, officials will have to decide on the ship's capabilities for antiterrorism and force protection, aviation, and command and control; plans for supporting the ship; the manning approach; and quantity and basing issues. Officials must also identify and quantify cost drivers for the program. Finally, officials must ensure risk-reduction efforts are complete, overall program risks have been reviewed and money has been set aside to address those issues.

The Navy is tentatively planning to award a contract for the lead ship by March 31, 2008, with the delivery of the first Army ship in FY-10 and the first Navy ship in FY-11. Program officials want the lead ship to cost $210 million, while subsequent ships would cost $170 million each, but the cost could end up higher depending on the degree of capability desired in key areas such as aviation.