Attack Warning

Status of the Cheyenne Mountain Upgrade Program Gao ID: AIMD-94-175 September 1, 1994

Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain complex is designed to track and warn of enemy air attacks. The Air Force program to modernize aging computer systems at the facility is eight years behind schedule and $792 million over budget. Air Force officials now project that the completion date will slip by another three years and that development costs will increase by at least $104 million. Both projections, GAO believes, may be understated. Moreover, major subsystem incompatibilities could prevent the upgraded system from becoming fully operational.

GAO found that: (1) the CMU program continues to experience cost increases and schedule delays; (2) major CMU subsystems are unreliable and do not meet users' requirements; (3) the Air Force has prematurely declared some subsystems operational; (4) because the Air Force is paying for some CMU subsystem development with funds designated for operations and maintenance, the cost of developing CMU is being understated; (5) significant incompatibilities among CMU component subsystems have been identified that could prevent the overall system from becoming fully functional; and (6) the Air Force has made improvements in program management and is considering further program management changes.



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