Department of Defense Efforts To Standardize Avionics Equipment

Testimony was given on Department of Defense (DOD) efforts to standardize avionics equipment. Standardization is seen as a means to reduce acquisition, control costs, and enhance the military services' readiness, interoperability, and reliability. GAO has found that DOD and the services are aware of the need for and the benefits of standardization and have taken some positive steps in that direction. They have established policies, set objectives, and issued guidelines to increase joint development and standardization among the services. However, little progress has been made because DOD and the services have not given adequate support to standardization efforts. The Joint Services Review Committee, which is responsible for developing avionics standardization, has not received the funds it needs. In addition, aircraft program managers are unwilling to depend on others to ensure standard items' availability when needed. Because of low visibility, ad hoc management, and the small size of Joint Services Review Committee projects, attempts to get top management attention have proved to be difficult. In addition, there are funding instabilities. After the required funds are approved, subsequent reprograming actions and budget cuts occur because of conflicting priorities within the services. The services have rejected a proposal to reserve a block of DOD funds to finance the development of joint standard equipment because they hesitate to dedicate funds for specific programs. GAO believes that a second proposal, to identify Joint Services Review Committee projects in each of the services' program elements for avionics systems, would provide greater visibility over joint programs.