Battlefield Automation

Requirements Need to Be Updated Before the Air Defense System Is Produced Gao ID: NSIAD-94-213 September 22, 1994

This report is based on GAO's follow-up review of the Army's efforts to acquire a $1.1-billion command, control, and intelligence (C2I) system as part of its forward area air defense system. This C2I system consists of a ground-based sensor to detect and track aircraft and computer hardware and software to process that information. Despite the Defense Department's direction, the Army has not redefined the C2I system requirements and may also award a $59-million low-rate initial production contract before it receives the results of operational testing. As a result, the Army could be committing to the procurement of an unproven system that may not be justified.

GAO found that: (1) as a result of the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, FAAD C2I systems and subsystems have changed to counter smaller, less capable regional threats; (2) although the Army has updated the requirements for forward area weapon systems, the Army has not revised C2I system requirements; (3) contrary to Department of Defense procurement guidance, the Army is planning to award a $59-million low-rate initial production contract without determining its suitability or completing operational testing of the integrated system; and (4) the Army is fielding an interim configuration of the FAAD C2I system despite the diminished threat and changes to the weapons 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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