Missile Defense: Mixed Progress in Achieving Acquisition Goals and Improving Accountability

Abstract

Why GAO Did This Study. Since 2002, MDA has spent approximately $98 billion and has requested $38 billion more through fiscal year 2018 to develop, test, and field a system to defend against enemy ballistic missiles. The BMDS is comprised of a command and control system, sensors that identify incoming threats, and intercepting missiles. GAO is mandated by law to assess the extent to which MDA has achieved its acquisition goals and objectives, as reported to Congress through its acquisition baselines, and to report on other issues as appropriate. This report examines the agency s progress and any challenges in fiscal year 2013 associated with (1) developing, flight testing, and producing individual systems, which MDA refers to as BMDS elements; and (2) reporting resource and schedule baselines that support oversight. To support this effort, GAO examined MDA s acquisition and test reports, analyzed two of MDA s acquisition baselines resource and schedule to discern progress, and interviewed a wide range of DOD and contractor officials. What GAO Recommends. GAO recommends (1) any changes to the SM-3 Block IB be flight tested before DOD approves full production; (2) retest the fielded GMD interceptor to demonstrate performance; and (3) improve the content of its schedule baselines. DOD partially concurred with the first, non-concurred with the second, and concurred with the third, stating that the production and testing decisions will be made using the proper DOD processes. GAO believes both recommendations are valid as discussed in this report.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2014
Accession Number
ADA597785

Entities

People

  • Alyssa Weir
  • Aryn Ehlow
  • Brian Tittle
  • Cristina Chaplain
  • David Best
  • Hai V. Tran
  • John H. Pendleton
  • Karen Richey
  • Kenneth E. Patton
  • Meredith A. Kimmett
  • Robert Swierczek
  • Roxanna Sun
  • Steven Stern
  • Wiktor Niewiadomski

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Battle Management
  • Command And Control
  • Command And Control Systems
  • Congress
  • Control Systems
  • Defense Systems
  • Department Of Defense
  • Early Warning Systems
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Space Systems
  • Test And Evaluation
  • United States
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control