Integrated Approach to U.S. Air Defense of Central Europe Should Result in More Effective Mission Accomplishment

The U.S. Army and the Air Force air defense forces stationed in central Europe share a joint mission and a combined North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission to defend the NATO central region airspace against an attack by the Warsaw Pact. In its review of this mission, GAO focused on critical issues needing Department of Defense (DOD) attention to improve the effectiveness of joint mission capabilities.

Critical issues associated with the performance of this joint mission include the following: (1) limited coordination within DOD to ensure the best mix of ground and air weapons to meet joint mission needs; (2) an inability to ensure that adequate resources are available to acquire and operate needed systems; (3) problems in identifying aircraft in a NATO environment so that a distinction can be made between enemy and friendly forces; (4) constraints on realism in air defense training and exercises in a NATO environment; and (5) shortcomings associated with new or improved U.S. air defense systems. If there is to be an adequate air defense capability to meet the Warsaw Pact threat of the 1980's, it is essential that DOD fully address these issues. Since about $34 billion remains to be spent on new or improved systems, it is also essential that an integrated, long-range air defense modernization plan be developed to determine what economies and efficiencies are possible.

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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