Electronic Warfare

To protect its helicopters against enemy weapons, the Army equips them with electronic warfare systems, including radar warning receivers, missile warning systems, and jammers. While these systems are considered crucial to the survival of helicopters during combat, inadequate test equipment is impairing the Army's ability to conduct and sustain air combat with operable electronic warfare systems. Because it is often inaccurate in indicating the system's combat readiness and does not allow for the timely diagnosis and repair of system malfunctions, the test equipment could jeopardize pilots and aircraft. This situation is due to the Army's failure to demonstrate the adequacy of test equipment in realistic operational testing before producing and deploying the electronic warfare systems, as required by Defense Department and Army policies. These consequences could recur on new systems being acquired unless the Army changes its acquisition process.

GAO found that: (1) inadequate test equipment impairs the Army's ability to conduct and sustain air combat with operable electronic warfare systems; (2) inadequate test equipment often inaccurately indicates the combat readiness of the systems and does not enable the timely diagnosis and repair of system malfunctions; and (3) the Army failed to demonstrate the test equipment's adequacy in realistic operational testing before producing and deploying electronic warfare systems.

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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