Reliability and Maintainability Requirements Need More Emphasis in Weapon System Development

Gao ID: MASAD-81-25 March 31, 1981

Reliability and maintainability (R&M) has become a key issue in a number of new and important weapon systems. GAO reviewed efforts by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Military Services to improve the R&M of their weapon systems.

R&M has not received appropriate emphasis in the decisions to design, produce, and field weapons system. GAO believes that the weapon system development process could be enhanced by: (1) establishing adequate management information systems to develop realistic R&M requirements; (2) establishing valid R&M requirements for each system entering the research and development cycle; (3) testing operational reliability rather than hardware reliability; (4) conducting earlier independent R&M demonstrations; and (5) emphasizing accurate and realistic R&M reporting at all levels of the decisionmaking process.



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.