GAO urges Army to detail NGC2 fielding schedule and costs
The Army's NGC2 network modernization must have a unit-by-unit schedule and life-cycle cost estimate before FY 2028
GAO reports that the Army lacks a detailed fielding schedule and long-term cost data for its Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) effort, creating risk that the tentative FY 2032 goal of fielding the full technology stack across 11 divisions and four corps will not be met.
The Army's short-term schedules extend only through FY 2027 and do not identify the specific units to be equipped by fiscal year. Cost documentation supporting the President's FY 2026 budget submission totals approximately $3.3 billion, yet the Army has not produced an initial life-cycle cost estimate for the collective effort.
GAO recommends that the Secretary of the Army ensure the Capability Program Executive Command and Control Information Network develop a detailed fielding schedule that identifies units by fiscal year and regularly reassess it, and that the Army determine preliminary life-cycle costs, update them as NGC2 evolves, and include the initial estimate in the FY 2028 budget request. The Department of Defense has concurred and outlined steps to implement the recommendations.
The review was mandated by Senate Report 118-188, which directed GAO to assess how the Army's battlefield network modernization aligns with evolving user needs and its ability to scale NGC2 across the service.
GAO examined Department of Defense policy, Army budget requests, and other planning documents, and consulted Army officials, concluding that without a detailed schedule and cost data, Congress and Army leaders lack the information needed to make informed decisions about the effort.