Warfighter Support: DOD's Urgent Needs Processes Need a More Comprehensive Approach and Evaluation for Potential Consolidation

Abstract

Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced significant risks of mission failure and loss of life due to rapidly changing enemy threats. In response, the Department of Defense (DOD) established urgent operational needs processes to rapidly develop, modify, and field new capabilities, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technology, and counter-improvised explosive devices (IED) systems. However, GAO, the Defense Science Board, and others have raised concerns about the effectiveness, efficiency, and oversight of DOD's various urgent needs processes. GAO conducted this review to determine (1) what various entities exist within DOD for responding to urgent operational needs, and the extent to which there is fragmentation, overlap, or duplication; (2) the extent to which DOD has a comprehensive approach for managing and overseeing its urgent needs activities; and (3) the extent to which DOD has evaluated the potential for consolidations. To conduct this review, GAO examined DOD?s urgent needs processes and collected and analyzed data from urgent needs entities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA538501

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Counter IED
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Asymmetric Warfare
  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Electronic Mail
  • Explosive Devices
  • Governments
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management