Defense Acquisitions Issue Area Plan--Fiscal Years 1997-99 (Letter
Report, 05/01/97, GAO/IAP-97-7).
GAO provided information on its Defense Acquisitions issue area plan for
fiscal years 1997 through 1999.
GAO noted that it would assess: (1) the justification for new systems;
(2) development and acquisition (or major modification) of weapon and
space systems; (3) the Department of Defense's and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration's budgeting for their procurement
and research, development, test, and evaluation accounts; (4) the
management of the acquisition process, including acquisition reform
initiatives and reductions in acquisition infrastructure; and (5)
international collaboration and defense trade.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: IAP-97-7
TITLE: Defense Acquisitions Issue Area Plan--Fiscal Years 1997-99
DATE: 05/01/97
SUBJECT: Defense procurement
Federal procurement
Advanced weapons systems
Space exploration
Cost control
Research and development
Mission budgeting
Federal downsizing
International cooperation
International trade
IDENTIFIER: F-22 Aircraft
Advanced Tactical Fighter Aircraft
V-22 Aircraft
Osprey Aircraft
F/A-18E/F Aircraft
Hornet Aircraft
DOD Theater Missile Defense Initiative
Arsenal Ship
Navy New Attack Submarine Program
B-2 Aircraft
Advanced Technology Bomber
DOD Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
F-14 Aircraft
Tomcat Aircraft
Comanche Helicopter
RAH-66 Helicopter
Joint Strike Fighter
Army Crusader System
Medium Extended-Range Air Defense System
Sea-Based Theater Ballistic Missile
Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles
Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System
JSTARS
Federal Acquisition Computer Network
FACNET
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Cover
================================================================ COVER
National Security and International Affairs Division
May 1997
DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS ISSUE AREA
PLAN, FISCAL YEARS 1997-99
GAO/IAP-97-7
Defense Acquisitions Issues
(806300)
Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV
DOD - Department of Defense
GAO - General Accounting Office
JSF - Joint Strike Fighter
JPATS - Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
MEADS - medium extended-range air defense system
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
RDT&E - research, development, test, and evaluation
FORWARD
============================================================ Chapter 0
The General Accounting Office's goal is to provide unbiased analysis
and timely, accurate information for decisionmakers in the Congress
and executive agencies. Our work results in such products as
reports, briefings, and testimonies. The Defense Acquisitions issue
area is 1 of
32 issues for which GAO periodically develops multiyear strategic
plans.
Relying heavily on consultation with congressional committees, as
well as with industry, academia, and agency officials and other
experts knowledgeable of the issues, GAO develops strategic plans to
ensure that GAO's limited resources are directed at the most
important issues of concern to the Congress. For each issue area,
GAO's strategic plan describes the significance of the issues, our
objectives, and the focus of our work.
The Defense Acquisitions issue area covers programs of the Department
of Defense (DOD), the individual military services, and other
supporting defense agencies. It also is responsible for GAO's work
on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Its
work focuses on (1) the justification for new systems; (2)
development and acquisition (or major modification) of weapon and
space systems; (3) DOD's and NASA's budgeting for their procurement
and research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) accounts; (4)
the management of the acquisition process, including acquisition
reform initiatives and reductions in acquisition infrastructure; and
(5) international collaboration and defense trade. The principal
issues we cover are the
adequacy of the justifications for systems selected for development
or modification;
efficient, effective, and economical acquisition of systems;
assurance that funds budgeted for procurement and for research,
development, test, and evaluation can be and should be spent as
indicated;
cost savings from acquisition reform initiatives and related
infrastructure reductions; and
the use of international collaboration to acquire weapons in the
most cost-effective manner.
In the pages that follow, we describe our key planned work on these
issues.
Because events may significantly affect even the best of plans, our
planning process allows for updating the plan and responding quickly
to emerging issues. If you have any questions or suggestions about
this plan, please call me at (202) 512-4841.
Louis J. Rodrigues
Director
Defense Acquisitions Issues
CONTENTS
============================================================ Chapter 1
FOREWORD
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:1
1
TABLE I: KEY ISSUES
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:2
4
TABLE II: PLANNED MAJOR WORK
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:3
8
TABLE III: GAO CONTACTS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:4
9
TABLE I: KEY ISSUES
============================================================ Chapter 2
Issue Significance
---------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Weapon and Space Systems Many of the military systems that are in planning
Justification: or under development were designed to counter a no
Are DOD and NASA selecting longer existing Soviet threat. The notion of an
for development only those all-out confrontation in Europe has given way to
systems and modifications concerns over regional instabilities. In light of
that are adequately these changes, justifications for weapon systems
justified? must be revisited to determine whether the systems
support a new strategy focused on regional
instabilities and to ensure that the appropriate
trade-offs are being made in the current
constrained budget environment. NASA systems need
to be considered in light of significant
reductions in resources to achieve NASA's
mission.
Weapon and Space Systems Despite the many attempts at acquisition reform,
Acquisition: significant problems continue to occur. Major
Are DOD and NASA ensuring commitments to systems are still made before
that systems are being adequate testing ensures that the systems will
acquired in an efficient, meet critical performance requirements. Costs for
effective, and economical systems continue to escalate. Some recent systems
manner? have doubled in price. Schedules for the delivery
of systems continue to slip. New reform
initiatives are opening the door to government use
of the best acquisition practices in the private
sector. Use of these best practices can improve
the acquisition process and help ensure that
systems are acquired in the most efficient,
effective, and economical manner.
Budget Analysis: Over $150 billion was requested in fiscal years
Do acquisition-related 1996 and 1997 for the acquisition of military
budgets reflect current systems and support items. Analyzing planned
needs and should prior-year budgetary expenditures is necessary to identify
funds be rescinded? those that are unnecessary and those that can and
should be delayed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives Focus of Work
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Determine whether the justifications Justifications of major systems such
for new and modified systems are as F-22, V-22, and F/A-18 E/F; directed
reasonable and logical and support the energy weapons; precision-guided
national military strategy. munitions; national and theater missile
defense; the Navy's new arsenal ship;
Determine whether DOD, the services, the new attack submarine; and DOD and
and NASA have adequately considered NASA space systems.
meeting stated requirements through
alternative uses of or modifications to
current systems.
Assess whether accurate cost
estimates, including estimates for
operation and support costs, are being
developed and used to determine which
programs should be pursued and which
systems best meet requirements within
limited budgets.
Determine whether DOD, the services, Acquisition of major systems such as
and NASA have selected the lowest risk B-2, F-22, Joint Primary Aircraft
and least costly acquisition strategies Training System (JPATS), F-14,
consistent with the need for the Comanche, F/A-18 E/F, Joint Strike
planned system or modification. Fighter, DOD and NASA space systems,
Crusader, Navy systems to improve
Determine whether selected littoral warfare capability, and
acquisition strategies commit the digitized battlefield systems.
government to production before
sufficient testing is accomplished.
Ensure that key milestone decisions
in the acquisition process are timely
and are adequately supported.
Identify whether technical problems
identified during testing affect the
system's capability and costs.
Determine whether the services and
NASA are incorporating acquisition
reform initiatives into their processes
for acquiring new systems or modifying
current systems.
Determine whether the services and
NASA are using the best acquisition
practices.
Identify items in current budget Reviews of the procurement and
requests that should be considered for research, development, test, and
denial or reduction. evaluation budget accounts for
aircraft, C3I, ships, ground and DOD
Identify prior-year appropriations space systems, missiles, munitions,
that could be rescinded. ballistic missile defense, defense
agencies, and NASA systems.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Issue Significance
---------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Acquisition Management: The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act and the
Are DOD and NASA Federal Acquisition Reform Act require GAO
streamlining and improving evaluations of several provisions' implementation
their acquisition processes, across the federal government. In addition, DOD
practices, and has underway numerous reengineering initiatives
infrastructure while and pilot programs designed to further acquisition
ensuring public funds are reform and is expecting to see reductions in the
properly spent? acquisition infrastructure. The success of these
reform initiatives and reductions in
infrastructure are intended to improve the way DOD
buys its goods and services and provide DOD a
major source of the future funding for its
modernization program. At the same time, defense
acquisition and DOD and NASA contract management
remain high-risk areas for misuse of billions of
dollars in public funds.
International Collaboration Tightening budget pressures and changes in DOD's
and Defense Trade: acquisition policies point to an increased role
How can DOD take advantage for international collaboration in weapons
of the international acquisition through co-development and production
marketplace to safely of major systems and buying and selling systems
acquire weapons in the most and components. International competitive
cost-effective manner? pressures, including foreign government defense
procurement policies, pose new challenges for U.S.
companies and government policymakers. U.S.
government responses to this complex international
environment will be a major factor in safeguarding
U.S. technological leadership and in influencing
the health of the U.S. defense industry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives Focus of Work
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Evaluate the implementation of Acquisition reform initiatives, such
governmentwide acquisition reform as the use of off-the-shelf and
legislation and the costs/benefits of nondevelopmental technology, Federal
new proposals. Acquisition Streamlining Act
evaluations, electronic commerce
Identify best commercial acquisition systems, high-risk area updates, use of
practices that can be incorporated into task order contracts and research and
the DOD and NASA acquisition processes. development contracts as "pass
throughs," evaluation of best
Determine whether the savings that acquisition practices and acquisition
have been estimated as a result of infrastructure adjustments, and the
acquisition reform and acquisition impact of defense industry
infrastructure reductions are likely to restructuring.
materialize.
Identify and report internal control
weaknesses on individual systems and in
the acquisition process that result in
fraudulent, wasteful, or abusive
practices in systems acquisitions.
Assess DOD's efforts to utilize Consolidation of the European defense
opportunities for international sector, cost savings realized by DOD
cooperation in the development and from sales to non-DOD customers, recent
production of weapon systems. practices in offset arrangements, and
the medium extended-range air defense
Examine changes in the international system (MEADS) co-development program.
defense market and the U.S. government
response and determine their impact on
the competitiveness and capabilities of
the U.S. defense industry and on U.S.
trade policies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE II: PLANNED MAJOR WORK
============================================================ Chapter 3
Issue Planned Major Job Starts
----------------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Weapon and space system --Navy's plans to develop an arsenal ship.
justifications --Precision-guided munitions acquisition.
--Airborne laser boost phase intercept program.*
--Sea-Based Theater Ballistic Missile Defense.*
--Intratheater airlift requirements.*
--Aircraft investments.*
--Unmanned aerial vehicle requirements.
Weapon and space system --B-2 cost and performance.*
acquisitions --F-22 status.*
--F-14 modernization programs.*
--Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) progress.*
--Joint Primary Aircraft Training System.*
--Comanche Helicopter Program.
--Joint direct attack munition.*
--DOD's space plans, programs, and activities.
--Army's Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles program.
--Space station development, operational planning, and
management.
--Army's development of the digitized battlefield.
--Navy's New Attack Submarine.*
--Joint STARS.*
Budget analysis --DOD's and NASA's fiscal year 1998 RDT&E and
procurement budget requests for weapon and space
systems and intelligence programs.*
Acquisition management --Savings from acquisition reform.*
--Potential savings from industry restructuring.
--DOD's initiative to use commercial off-the-shelf and
non-developmental item alternatives.
--Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act effectiveness.*
--DOD's use of multiple award task and delivery order
contracts.
--R&D contract pass throughs.*
--Technology insertion/Advanced Concept Technology
Demonstrations.
--High-risk updates on defense and NASA.
--FACNET.*
International --European defense consolidation.
collaboration and --Practices in offset arrangements.
defense trade --Medium extended-range air defense system co-
development program.
--Realizing unit cost savings from weapons exports.*
--U.S. benefits from international data exchange
agreements.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Ongoing assignments.
TABLE III: GAO CONTACTS
============================================================ Chapter 4
DIRECTOR
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:0.1
Louis J. Rodrigues (202) 512-4841
ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:0.2
David E. Cooper
Katherine V. Schinasi
Thomas J. Schulz
Thomas J. Brew (Denver)
Allan Li
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:0.3
Francis P. Degnan, Jr.
Thomas J. Denomme
Lee A. Edwards (Huntsville)
William R. Graveline (Huntsville)
Paul L. Francis
John K. Harper
Steven F. Kuhta
Robert D. Murphy (Dayton)
Richard J. Price
Charles F. Rey
James K. Spencer*
Clifton E. Spruill
Derek B. Stewart*
Robert J. Stolba
Kevin M. Tansey*
Charles W. Thompson
Homer H. Thomson
Charles A. Ward
Karen S. Zuckerstein
* Staff on detail
*** End of document. ***