Air Force Procurement

Current Plans May Provide More Ground-Attack Capability Than Needed Gao ID: NSIAD-92-137 May 5, 1992

Air Force regulations require re-evaluation of procurement plans when threats change. Since 1981, the Air Force has spent $3.1 billion to equip and support aircraft capable of making ground attacks at night, and it plans to spend at least $1 billion more. Despite declining budgets and the diminishing threat of Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces, the Air Force plans to acquire even more night-capable equipment. Other questionable aspects of this planned procurement are (1) failing to consider total nighttime ground-attack assets; (2) equipping hundreds of aircraft that will have only 8 years left on a 22-year useful life; and (3) buying certain equipment, even though less expensive alternatives would meet most of the Air Force's requirements. Finally, the Tactical Air Command's plans for F-16 nighttime training are subjectively, rather than objectively, based and do not reflect possible environmental restrictions.

GAO found that: (1) in 1982, the Air Force established the need for 700 night-capable aircraft to counter the Warsaw Pact threat and planned to purchase the Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night for its ground attack force; (2) the Air Force could have nearly 1,000 night-capable aircraft by 2000 if it proceeds with its modernization plan, even though the threat perceived in 1982 has significantly diminished and the military budget has declined; (3) the Air Force's procurement plan does not consider the total night-capable force that would result from its proposed procurements and modernizations; (4) the Air Force also plans to equip aged aircraft and purchase more expensive equipment than necessary; (5) the Air Force Tactical Air Command plans to propose a significant increase in the number of training flights that F-16 and A-10 aircraft pilots should perform at night, but relies on subjective consensus rather than objective, empirical data in determining the necessary amount of night flight training; and (6) noise pollution and other environmental considerations may limit or preclude nighttime training.

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.

Director: Team: Phone:


The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.