United States General Accounting. Report to Congressional Committees. Combat Air Power. Assessment of Joint Close Support Requirements and Capabilities is Needed.
Abstract
Close support weapons fire on targets close to U.S. ground forces and, as a result, are likely to influence the outcome of a battle. The military services have significantly improved the capability of their close support weapons since the 1980s and plan to spend more than $10.6 billion on further improvements between fiscal years 1996 and 2001. These plans however, come at a time of reduced defense budgets, defense downsizing, and questions about the affordability of future defense modernization programs. This report (1) discusses the aggregate capabilities of the military services to provide close support and the extent to which those capabilities continue to be modernized and enhanced; and (2) evaluates the processes the Department of Defense (DOD) uses to assess mission needs, capabilities, and modernization proposals for the close support mission. This review was part of GAO's broader effort to assess how DOD can better adapt its combat air power to meet future needs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 28, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA314524
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office