Combat Systems

Status of the Navy's Airborne Low Frequency Sonar Program Gao ID: NSIAD-91-208 August 21, 1991

GAO reviewed the Navy's Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) system, focusing on the: (1) impact the system will have on SH-60F and SH-60B antisubmarine warfare helicopters' operational effectiveness; and (2) status of the program.

GAO found that the: (1) system's added weight will impact the SH-60B helicopter's operational effectiveness in carrying out its antisubmarine warfare mission and could limit the potential for adding additional systems to the helicopter, but the weight of the SH-60F helicopter is not expected to change significantly because the sonar system will replace an existing dipping sonar system; (2) system's space requirements could seriously impair SH-60B search and rescue and medical evacuation missions if the sonar system has to be removed before the helicopter can be equipped with a stretcher; (3) program is currently more than 1 year behind schedule; and (4) Navy will revise the $1.2-billion program cost estimate when it decides which signal processor to use and awards the contract.

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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