Defense Acquisitions: Status of the Safety, Performance, and Reliability of the Expeditionary Fire Support System
Abstract
The Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) -- which consists of two kinds of motorized vehicles, a 120-mm mortar, an ammunition trailer, and fire direction equipment -- is being developed to meet the United States Marine Corps' need for a weapon system that can be carried inside the MV-22 Osprey to support assault operations. The Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity (MCOTEA), the independent test agency for the Marines, conducted initial operational testing and evaluation of the EFSS from May to July 2007, and reported in September 2007, among other things, that it experienced several safety, performance, reliability, and mechanical problems. We briefed you on these and other issues related to the EFSS in September 2007. Subsequently, at your request, the Marine Corps delayed full-rate production of the EFSS until after GAO reported on the system. In December 2007, we issued our report, which described the system's safety, performance, reliability, and mechanical problems. MCOTEA retested the system in February and March 2008, focusing on determining whether the problems identified in 2007 were resolved. It reported its analysis of the test results in May 2008. Based on the May 2008 independent test report, most of the EFSS' safety, performance, reliability, and mechanical issues we reported in 2007 have been addressed through a combination of design changes and increased training. While some issues remain, MCOTEA did not judge them to be serious. The test report indicates that the EFSS major safety issue we previously reported on the system's inability to tow the ammunition trailer safely has been addressed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 18, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA490281
Entities
People
- Paul S Francis
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office