The Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) describes the approach and resources necessary to develop and integrate sustainment requirements into the system‘s design, development, Testing & Evaluation, fielding, and operations. It also details the development of a product support package (including any support contracts) and how they contribute to the Warfighter‘s mission requirements by achieving and maintaining the Sustainment Key Performance Parameters (KPP) and Key System Attributes (KSA). It is required by DoD Instruction 5000.02 “Enclosure 6” and documents the Program Manager‘s (PM) and Product Support Manager’s plan for formulating, implementing, and executing the sustainment strategy. The plan is included in the overall Acquisition Strategy of a program.  [1] The LCSP serves a valuable purpose in coordinating the efforts, resources, and investment of the DoD Materiel Commands such that downtime for fielded weapons systems is managed through deliberate productivity improvement steps that continually lower the cost of readiness. [3]

Definition: The Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) is a comprehensive document that outlines the strategic approach and resources required to effectively incorporate sustainment requirements throughout the entire life cycle of a system.

Purpose of the Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP)

The LCSP’s primary function is to guide program management, direct operations, and support planning and execution from the program’s start through its termination. It serves a valuable purpose in coordinating the efforts, resources, and investment of the DoD Materiel Commands such that downtime for fielded weapons systems is managed through deliberate productivity improvement steps that continually lower the cost of readiness. [3]

Primary Objective of the Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP)

The primary objective of the LCSP is to contribute to the fulfillment of the Warfighter’s mission requirements by achieving and maintaining critical Sustainment Key Performance Parameters (KPP) and Key System Attributes (KSA). These parameters and attributes encompass various aspects such as system reliability, maintainability, logistics footprint, supply chain management, and lifecycle cost considerations.

Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) Content

The LCSP should address the following areas according to DoD Instruction 5000.91 “Product Support Management of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework” (Section 4b): [4]

1. A comprehensive PSS;
2. Performance goals, including:
   • Sustainment key performance parameters (KPPs)
   •  Key system attributes (KSA)
   • Other appropriate metrics
3. An approved life cycle cost estimate for the system.
4. Results of the Product Support Business Case Analysis (PS BCA).
5. Affordability constraints and key cost factors that could affect the system’s O&S costs and proposed mitigation plans.
6. Sustainment risks, SCRM, and diminishing manufacturing sources, and material shortage (DMSMS) risk management and proposed mitigation plans.
7. Engineering and design considerations, including DMSMS resilience that support cost-effective sustainment for the system.
8. A technical data and intellectual property (IP) management plan for product support.
9. Major maintenance and overhaul requirements for the system
10. A plan to leverage enterprise opportunities across programs and DoD Components.

Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) Regulations

REGULATORY:  A draft is due for Development RFP Release and approved at Milestone B. The LCSP is reviewed by the Component Agency Executive (CAE) at least every 5 years after a system’s Initial Operational Capability (IOC). [2] According to Title 10 USC 4324, an LCSP is a requirement for all covered systems and the key document detailing the system’s product support planning and sustainment.

Product Support Management for the Adaptive Acquisition Framework

DoD Instruction 5000.91 “Product Support Management of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework” establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for product support management to establish product support factors early in the requirements development and acquisition process to achieve effective and efficient weapon system capability and life cycle management. The LCSP is the primary program management reference governing operations and support planning and execution from program inception to disposal. An LCSP is required for all covered systems and is the principal document establishing the system’s product support planning and sustainment, under Title 10 USC 4324.

DoD Instruction 5000.91 “Product Support Management of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework” – 4 Nov 21

Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) Updates in the Acquisition Process

The LCSP is updated at each milestone and specified decision points to reflect the increased maturity of the product support strategy, any changes in the corresponding product support package, current risks, and any cost reduction activities. The evolution of the LCSP is detailed below: [2]

• Pre-Milestone A: The LCSP begins in the Materiel Solution Analysis (MSA) Phase by describing the notional product support and maintenance concepts used to determine the sustainment requirements optimizing readiness outcomes and minimal Life Cycle-Cost (LCC).
• Milestone A: The LCSP will focus on the development of sustainment metrics to influence the design and the product support strategy, and on actions that can be taken prior to Milestone B to reduce future operating and support costs, including software sustainment. Planning will use factors and assumptions consistent with those used in the analysis of alternatives and affordability analysis or justify any deviation from those factors and assumptions.
• Development Request for Proposals Release Decision Point and Milestone B: The LCSP will focus on finalizing the sustainment metrics, integrating sustainment considerations with design and risk management activities, and refining the execution plan for the design, acquisition, fielding, and competition of sustainment activities.
• Milestone C: if applicable, the LCSP will focus on ensuring operational supportability and verifying performance.
• Full-Rate Production Decision or Full Deployment Decision: The LCSP will focus on how sustainment performance is measured, managed, assessed, and reported; and the actions to adjust the product support package to ensure continued competition and cost control while meeting warfighter mission requirements.
• After Initial Operational Capability (IOC): The LCSP is the principal document governing the system’s sustainment. Programs will update the plan whenever there are changes to the product support strategy, or every 5 years, whichever occurs first, supported by appropriate analyses, sustainment metrics, sustainment costs, system components or configuration (hardware and software), environmental requirements, and disposal plans or costs.

Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) Responsibility

The Program Manager (PM) and Product Support Manager are responsible for the content and preparation of the LCSP but should work with the user, the Product Support Manager, Product Support Integrator(s), and Product Support Providers to document performance and sustainment requirements specifying objective outcomes, resource commitments, and stakeholder responsibilities. [1]

AcqTips:

• Currently, the DoD Components use different names to address this requirement, e.g., the Army’s Supportability Strategy, and the USAF’s Life-Cycle Management Plan.
• An outline of the LCSP can be found in the DAG: Figure 5.1.2.2.F1
• DoD Instruction 5000.02 Enclosure 6 lists the LCSP content

AcqLinks and References:

• [1] Defense Acquisition Guidebook (DAG) – Chapter 5
• [2] DoD 5000.02 “Operation of the Defense Acquisition System”
• [4] DoD Instruction 5000.91 “Product Support Management of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework” – 4 Nov 21
• Mil-Handbook 502 “DoD Handbook Acquisition Logistics” – 30 May 1997
• [3] (Old) Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) Outline – 19 Jan 2017
• Life-Cycle Sustainment (LCSP) Outline Version 3.0 – 13 Oct 2022
• Draft Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP) Content Guide – 6 April 2010
• LCSP Frequently Asked Questions – 5 Nov 2011

Updated: 3/26/2024

Rank: G3