TRESTLE Electromagnetic Pulse Simulator Program Should Be Reevaluated

Gao ID: PSAD-77-159 November 4, 1977

TRESTLE is a special Department of the Air Force facility now under construction originally designed to simulate threat-level, electromagnetic pulse stresses on large aircraft generated by a high-altitude detonation of a nuclear weapon. Program costs have increased by l30 percent, or $34 million.

Because of technical problems, TRESTLE will not meet its original objective of being a threat-level simulator and, if completed as currently planned, could not provide test results to confirm that an aircraft can survive threat conditions and still meet its mission. Its use is further questionable because it will not be available for timely testing of prime candidate aircraft.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: No director on record Team: No team on record Phone: No phone on record


The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.