Progress Made by AH-64 Helicopter Contractors in Preparing for High Rate Production
Gao ID: NSIAD-83-4 June 27, 1983In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Army's AH-64 Apache helicopter program, focusing on the ability of the prime contractors to meet production deliveries for the fiscal year (FY) 1984 buy.
The Army and its contractors have made significant progress in reducing the development, testing, and production readiness risks in the Apache program. Further, the Army has continued to intensively monitor and manage the program, and the prime contractors have established experienced and dynamic management teams. GAO noted that the Apache program is in the very early stages of production and believes that the Army and its contractors at this point are doing all that is possible to plan and gear up for achieving the higher production rates anticipated in the future. GAO concluded that there is nothing to indicate that the planned production rates for the FY 1984 buy cannot be achieved.