Defense Management: DOD Needs to Improve Program Management, Policy, and Testing to Enhance Ability to Field Operationally Useful Non-lethal Weapons
Abstract
Nonlethal weapons (NLW) provide an alternative when lethal force is undesirable. The Department of Defense (DoD) defines NLW as those that are explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate personnel or materiel, while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property and the environment. DoD created the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program in 1996 to have centralized responsibility for the development of NLW and coordinate requirements among the services. GAO was asked to review the status of NLW programs within DoD and the military services by identifying the extent to which DoD and the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program have developed and fielded NLW since the program's inception; DoD has established and implemented policy, doctrine, and training for NLW; and DoD has conducted testing and evaluation prior to fielding NLW. GAO reviewed and analyzed DoD and service plans, guidance, and doctrine and interviewed officials associated with NLW development. GAO recommends 8 actions to help DoD assess the extent to which capability gaps are filled, better incorporate logistics and supportability considerations, develop performance criteria and improve program oversight, clarify NLW policy and doctrine, and finalize a risk assessment methodology for NLW test and evaluation. DoD generally agreed with GAO's recommendations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA497868
Entities
People
- Davi M. D'agostino
- David F. Keefer
- Grace A. Coleman
- Gregory Marchand
- James Driggins
- Jena Whitley
- Joseph Kirschbaum
- Rae Ann Sapp
- Rebecca Shea
- Sally Newman
- Sandra Burrell
- Scott Clayton
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office