Defense Infrastructure: NORAD and USNORTHCOM Need to Reevaluate Vulnerabilities Associated with Moving the NORAD Command Center from Cheyenne Mountain to Peterson Air Force Base, and to Acknowledge Acceptance of the Risks

Abstract

In July 2006, the former Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) announced plans to relocate certain functions from Cheyenne Mountain to create an integrated command center at Peterson Air Force Base (AFB). In May 2007, we reported that NORAD and USNORTHCOM had not analyzed the anticipated operational effects and that the Department of Defense (DOD) could not discern the full costs or security implications of the move. As a result, Congress directed the Secretary of Defense to submit a report by March 1, 2008, assessing the relocation of the NORAD Command Center and related functions from Cheyenne Mountain to Peterson AFB and mandated that we review DOD's report and the final plans for the relocation, and that we report to Congress within 120 days. Our report to Congress, which was classified by DOD, was issued on July 1, 2008, and provides additional details on the security issues surrounding the relocation of the NORAD Command Center from Cheyenne Mountain to Peterson AFB. This report is the unclassified version of our classified report. In reviewing DOD's report to Congress, our objectives were (1) to evaluate DOD's assumptions in its cost-benefit analysis of the three alternatives, and their effect on the recommendation; (2) to determine the extent to which DOD's report assessed and contained a plan to mitigate the security risks DOD identified at Peterson AFB; and (3) to determine the extent to which the final relocation plans take into account security issues raised in DOD's report.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 18, 2008
Accession Number
ADA487199

Entities

People

  • ;charles W. Perdue
  • Cheryl A. Weissman
  • Davi M. D'agostino
  • Gregory A. Marchand
  • Kimberly C. Seay
  • Marc J. Schwartz
  • Mark A. Pross

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Command And Control
  • Command Centers
  • Congress
  • Cost Benefit Analysis
  • Cost Estimates
  • Costs
  • Department Of Defense
  • Electronic Mail
  • Governments
  • Infrastructure
  • Mountains
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • United States Northern Command
  • Vulnerability

Readers

  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Air Force Base Actions.
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space