Navy Ship Defense

Concerns About the Strategy for Procuring the Rolling Airframe Missile Gao ID: NSIAD-90-208 August 27, 1990

GAO and the German Federal Court of Audit (BRH) reviewed the U.S.-German Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) program.

GAO found that: (1) since development of RAM began, the number and capability of various antiship missiles has significantly increased, and most will surpass RAM capabilities; (2) due to test limitations, the Navy will not be able to fully and realistically test the missile before the planned full-rate production decision in September 1990; (3) the Navy scheduled system tests to be configured with an upgraded computer and new target evaluation after full-rate production; (4) the German Navy had not planned any tests on its vessels before introducing the missile into its fleet; (5) estimated minimum U.S. and German fleet requirements for basic missiles will be significantly less than the 7,000 missiles planned; (6) U.S. and German Navy missile use plans were questionable; (7) the program office attempted to reduce the program's significant cost growth; and (8) the United States and Germany cited cost reduction as an objective in a negotiated memorandum of understanding that provided for establishment of a second production source.

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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