Navy Tactical Computer Development-- Limited Competition And Questionable Future Software Savings

Abstract

In September 1980 the Navy awarded contracts for development of new computers for use in tactical digital systems. It received only two bids from the total U.S. computer industry for the development of the computers, and they were from companies which already had major involvement in Navy systems. GAO found that many computer manufacturers preferred more latitude to determine how to meet a customers needs than the Navy allowed in its proposals. Navy planning emphasized getting continued benefit from past software expenditures. Some companies criticized the Navy for making trade offs which limited potential software savings from a new Department of Defense standard programing language the Navy plans to adopt.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 15, 1981
Accession Number
AD1183173

Entities

People

  • Milton J. Socolar

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Commerce
  • Computer Architecture
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Computing System Architectures
  • Contracts
  • Cost Reductions
  • Costs
  • Department Of Defense
  • Engineering
  • High Level Languages
  • Instruction Set Architecture
  • Language
  • Machines
  • Procurement
  • Programming Languages
  • Standards
  • Test Facilities
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Economics
  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis