Countervailing Strategy Demands Revision of Strategic Force Acquisition Plans

GAO undertook a review of the major issues concerning the effect of recent changes in U.S. deterrence strategy on the performance requirements of strategic command, control, and communications systems.

Although countervailing strategy appeared in the fiscal years 1980 and 1981 Department of Defense (DOD) annual reports, and Presidential Directive 59 was signed in July 1980, GAO found various interpretations within DOD of the objectives of countervailing strategy, and there is no agreement on the weapon systems performance characteristics or the command, control, and communications capabilities needed to carry out the strategy. GAO also identified weapon system performance needed to meet the requirements of countervailing strategy. To meet these objectives, U.S. forces must have appropriate combinations of characteristics, including: (1) survivable, endurable, and flexible command, control, and communications systems that permit effective control over the forces continuously throughout a conflict; (2) weapon systems which can survive Soviet attacks; (3) endurance or continued readiness over a protracted period; (4) assured penetration of warheads to targets; (5) precision strike capability; and (6) timeliness, or capability to be launched and arrive on target in a short timeframe. The current Triad forces were not designed to carry out the employment strategy that has evolved through the 1970's. Some programs approved through fiscal year 1980 for strategic force modernization will provide some of the characteristics GAO believes are needed, but others will remain unfulfilled.

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.

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