Defense Acquisitions: Status of Strategic C4 System Modernization and
Plans to Integrate Additional Mission Capabilities (Correspondence,
08/25/2000, GAO/NSIAD-00-212R).
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the
Department of Defense's (DOD) plans to modernize its current strategic
command, control, communications, and computer (C4) capabilities for
ballistic missile warning, space control, and air sovereignty/defense
missions, focusing on plans to: (1) modernize strategic C4 capabilities;
and (2) integrate additional system capabilities for newly planned and
assigned missions.
GAO noted that: (1) the U.S. Space Command's and the North American
Aerospace Defense Command's plan to modernize their strategic command,
control, communications, and computer systems is being implemented by
the Air Force, which is overseeing the efforts of two competing
contractors to develop detailed plans for designing and implementing the
modernization program; (2) in September 2000, the Air Force expects to
select one of the contractors to incrementally execute the program,
which could last 15 years; (3) until a single contractor is selected,
final modernization plans and estimated total acquisition and
implementation costs will not be available; (4) the commands have not
completed plans for integrating new mission areas into their command,
control, communications, and computer systems; (5) the commands, in
conjunction with other Department of Defense (DOD) organizations, are
studying, developing, and testing concepts for a national missile
defense system; (6) the command, control, communications, and computer
capabilities for such a system could be incorporated into DOD's
ballistic missile warning infrastructure located at Cheyenne Mountain
and eventually the modernization program; (7) however, until the
President decides that a national missile defense system should be
deployed and assigns the mission to a specific military command for
execution, plans to integrate the necessary C4 capabilities into the
commands' systems will remain preliminary; (8) the Secretary of Defense
assigned responsibility to the U.S. Space Command for implementing DOD's
computer network defense/attack missions; and (9) the Command's plans
for implementing the computer network attack mission beginning October
1, 2000, have been finalized and are awaiting Secretary of Defense
approval--plans for integrating these missions with current missions
have not been completed.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: NSIAD-00-212R
TITLE: Defense Acquisitions: Status of Strategic C4 System
Modernization and Plans to Integrate Additional Mission
Capabilities
DATE: 08/25/2000
SUBJECT: Defense procurement
Ballistic missiles
Defense capabilities
Systems conversions
Command control communications computer systems
Procurement planning
******************************************************************
** This file contains an ASCII representation of the text of a **
** GAO Testimony. **
** **
** No attempt has been made to display graphic images, although **
** figure captions are reproduced. Tables are included, but **
** may not resemble those in the printed version. **
** **
** Please see the PDF (Portable Document Format) file, when **
** available, for a complete electronic file of the printed **
** document's contents. **
** **
******************************************************************
GAO/NSIAD-00-212R
GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems
United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548
National Security and International Affairs Division
B- 285810 August 25, 2000 The Honorable Jerry Lewis Chairman, Subcommittee
on Defense Committee on Appropriations U. S. House of Representatives
Subject: Defense Acquisitions: Status of Strategic C4 System Modernization
and Plans To Integrate Additional Mission Capabilities
Dear Mr. Chairman: Your letter of October 18, 1999, referred to the
Department of Defense's (DOD) plans to modernize its current strategic
command, control, communications, and computer (C4) capabilities for
ballistic missile warning, space control, and air sovereignty/ defense
missions. Your letter mentioned that command and control functions for
national missile defense may be centralized with these missions and that the
U. S. Space Command has been assigned new missions called computer network
defense/ attack. 1 You expressed concern about how DOD plans to integrate
the systems needed for new missions into the systems used for current
missions. As agreed, this report provides information on DOD's plans to (1)
modernize current strategic C4 capabilities and (2) integrate additional
system capabilities for newly planned and assigned missions.
The U. S. Space Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command
(hereinafter referred to as the Commands) are supported by DOD's strategic
C4 system capabilities associated with missile warning, space control, and
air sovereignty/ defense. 2 The Air Force acquired the current C4 systems
during a 17- year effort called the Cheyenne Mountain Upgrade program that
began in 1981. The systems, which cost about $1.8 billion, were declared
operational in 1998. The Commands have now determined that some of the
systems' components are not well integrated, are becoming unsupportable
because spare parts are no longer available, and would be unresponsive to
future mission needs. As a
1 Computer network defense includes activities to protect and defend
information in computers and computer networks, and computers and networks
themselves, from disruption, denial, degradation, or destruction. Computer
network attack is the ability to deny, disrupt, or degrade enemy computers
and networks. 2 The U. S. Space Command is a DOD unified combatant command
that is responsible for conducting space
operations, including providing missile warning and space surveillance
support to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The North American
Aerospace Defense Command is a binational U. S. and Canadian command
responsible for warning of an attack against North America, including
surveillance and control of North American airspace.
B- 285810
GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems Page 2
result, the Commands initiated a long- term program that is intended to
exploit off- the- shelf technology to achieve modernized capabilities that
are less costly to operate. The modernized capabilities to be developed are
referred to as the North American Aerospace Defense Command/ U. S. Space
Command Warfighting Support System (hereinafter referred to as the
warfighting support system).
Also, in anticipation of implementing additional missions, the Commands are
studying other system capabilities that may be needed. For example, assuming
that the United States deploys a national missile defense system, the
necessary command and control functions could become the Commands'
responsibility. 3 Also, the U. S. Space Command assumed the responsibility
for DOD's computer network defense mission on October 1, 1999, and it is to
assume the responsibility for the computer network attack mission on October
1, 2000.
RESULTS IN BRIEF
The U. S. Space Command's and the North American Aerospace Defense Command's
plan to modernize their strategic command, control, communications, and
computer systems is being implemented by the Air Force, which is overseeing
the efforts of two competing contractors to develop detailed plans for
designing and implementing the modernization program. In September 2000, the
Air Force expects to select one of the contractors to incrementally execute
the program, which could last 15 years. Until a single contractor is
selected, final modernization plans and estimated total acquisition and
implementation costs will not be available.
The Commands have not completed plans for integrating new mission areas into
their command, control, communications, and computer systems. The Commands,
in conjunction with other DOD organizations, are studying, developing, and
testing concepts for a national missile defense system. The command,
control, communications, and computer capabilities for such a system could
be incorporated into DOD's ballistic missile warning infrastructure located
at Cheyenne Mountain and eventually the modernization program. However,
until the President decides that a national missile defense system should be
deployed and assigns the mission to a specific military command for
execution, plans to integrate the necessary command, control,
communications, and computer capabilities into the Commands' systems will
remain preliminary. In addition, the Secretary of Defense assigned
responsibility to the U. S. Space Command for implementing DOD's computer
network defense/ attack missions. The Command's plans for implementing the
computer network attack mission beginning October 1, 2000, have been
finalized and are awaiting Secretary of Defense approval; plans for
integrating these missions with current missions have not been completed.
3 National missile defense is to protect the United States from limited
ballistic missile attacks from certain nations that possess such a
capability.
B- 285810
GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems Page 3
MODERNIZATION PLANS FOR CURRENT C4 SYSTEMS HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED
The Commands' plans for modernizing their current strategic command and
control mission capabilities by acquiring the warfighting support system
include (1) seeking solutions to the identified deficiencies associated with
supportability and future responsiveness and (2) moving from the separate C4
systems that support the Commands' current missions to an integrated system
that will reduce operating costs. These objectives were established for
several reasons. First, some of the mainframe computer systems that were
purchased in the 1980s are no longer produced, and the supplier has stated
in writing that technical assistance and spare parts would not be provided
after fiscal year 2000. Second, the Commands have estimated that their
current C4 systems are not likely to be capable of processing and
disseminating the increased amounts of data that will be generated by new
sensors being developed. An example is the Space- Based Infrared System that
is to support theater and national missile defense missions. Third, the
current C4 system architecture is an aggregation of individual mission-
oriented, but overlapping, systems that are not interoperable. According to
Command officials, this situation often requires considerable time to
implement changes in response to new mission needs. The Commands' objectives
for the modernization effort involve making incremental system replacements
by applying new technologies that comply with standards mandated by the
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics to
ensure interoperability- the electronic exchange of data- among DOD's C4
systems.
The Commands' plans are being implemented by the Air Force whose acquisition
strategy consists of two phases- migration demonstration and execution.
Contracting activities for the migration demonstration phase started in
November 1999, with the issuance of a request for proposals. In February
2000, two contractors were each awarded a $2.5- million contract for a 4-
month migration demonstration phase. The contracts require each contractor
to produce a master plan that includes (1) a system architecture and a
schedule for how the architecture is to be implemented, (2) an acquisition
strategy containing a technology forecast and risk assessment, (3) a program
management and systems engineering plan, and (4) a model for reducing total
life- cycle costs. Each master plan is to reflect the contractor's
interpretation of the Commands' requirements and concepts of operations and
address operational priorities for warfighting support system development
and implementation. The master plans describing the contractors' proposed
system architecture were submitted in July 2000 as competing proposals for
the execution phase.
The execution phase is to begin in September 2000 following a source
selection process that started in July with the receipt of the contractors'
proposals. The Air Force will select one contractor who will have total
system performance responsibility for maintaining and sustaining the current
strategic C4 capabilities, developing and implementing new capabilities in
increments, and ensuring mission integrity throughout the period of system
improvement. According to Command officials, the modernization effort could
last 15 years. Until the Air Force selects a single contractor, final plans
for modernizing the Commands' strategic C4 capabilities will not be
available.
B- 285810
GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems Page 4
PLANS TO INTEGRATE ADDITIONAL SYSTEM CAPABILITIES FOR NEW MISSIONS HAVE NOT
BEEN COMPLETED
The Commands are developing plans to integrate system capabilities for the
planned missile defense mission and have recently proposed plans to
implement the computer network defense and attack missions. Plans for
command and control functions for the national missile defense system are
preliminary, awaiting a decision from the Secretary of Defense and the
President on whether to deploy the system. The U. S. Space Command has
developed a plan to implement computer network defense and attack separately
from other space missions and will consider integrating them at a later
time. The Command will not assume responsibility for the computer network
attack mission until October 2000, and it has proposed an organization
structure for implementing the mission.
C4 Capabilities For National Missile Defense Are Being Studied
This summer, the Secretary of Defense is expected to recommend a course of
action to the President regarding the feasibility of deploying a national
missile defense system. 4 The Commander in Chief of the Commands has stated
that a national missile defense mission would fit closely with the North
American Aerospace Defense Command's missile warning mission and it (1)
would share the Commands' space- based and ground- based missile warning
sensors and (2) could employ the command and control infrastructure of the
Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center. 5 Currently, however, the latest
unified command plan, which the President approved on September 29, 1999,
does not assign the national missile defense mission to a specific military
command. 6
Meanwhile, various DOD organizations, including the Commands, the Army
Strategic and Missile Defense Command, the Ballistic Missile Defense
Organization, and the Air Force Space Command, have been drafting
requirements, studying operations concepts, and developing technologies and
systems to carry out a national missile defense mission. In addition, the
Air Force Space Command and the Air Force's Strategic and Nuclear Deterrence
Command and Control System Program Office 7 are monitoring ongoing missile
defense technology and system development to ensure that these activities do
not lead to
4 See Missile Defense: Status of the National Missile Defense Program( GAO/
NSIAD- 00- 131, May 31, 2000) for information on this planned system.
5 Statement of General Ralph E. Eberhart, U. S. Air Force, Commander in
Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U. S. Space Command,
before the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Strategic Subcommittee (Mar.
8, 2000).
6 A unified command plan provides basic guidance, missions,
responsibilities, and force structure to all unified combatant commanders
and designates geographical and functional responsibilities for specific
combatant commanders.
7 This Air Force program office reports to the Air Force Electronic Systems
Center-- a component of the Air Force Material Command- and is responsible
for maintaining and sustaining the U. S. Space Command's existing C4 systems
and acquiring the new warfighting support system.
B- 285810
GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems Page 5
designs that would be incompatible with the future warfighting support
system. This action includes coordinating the development of warfighting
support system architecture documents with national missile defense command
and control concepts. However, until the President decides that a national
missile defense system should be deployed and assigns the mission to a
specific military command for execution, these activities are preliminary.
Computer Network Defense And Attack Mission Implementation Plans Have Been
Finalized
In December 1998, as a result of an increasing number of probes and
intrusions of defense computer systems and networks, the Secretary of
Defense established the Joint Task Force for Computer Network Defense to
coordinate and direct the defense of such systems and networks as an interim
step to assigning a computer network defense mission to a unified command.
In January 1999, the Secretary assigned the responsibility for this mission
to the U. S. Space Command, which was effective on October 1, 1999. This
Command has assumed the Joint Task Force's role of coordinating and
directing operations to protect and defend DOD's computer systems and
networks against attacks or intrusions. The Joint Task Force now reports to
the U. S. Space Command and will remain the primary operations center to
monitor and respond to such attacks. The Joint Task Force is supported by
computer emergency response teams in each of the military services that
monitor and respond to potential computer incidents within their respective
organizations. The U. S. Space Command has developed an implementation plan
that outlines its computer network defense role, responsibilities, and
strategy. This plan states that the mission will initially be performed
separately from space missions, but it later will be considered for
integration with space missions as part of the warfighting support system
implementation.
Also in January 1999, the Secretary assigned the responsibility for the
computer network attack mission to the U. S. Space Command, which is to be
effective on October 1, 2000. The U. S. Space Command indicated a desire to
consolidate the computer network defense and attack missions and to
incorporate the military services' emergency response teams into the
military services' component commands of the U. S. Space Command- the Army
Space Command, the Naval Space Command, and the 14 th Air Force (a component
of the Air Force Space Command). The Command and the military services
collaborated in identifying and studying organizational alternatives for
executing the mission. The Command has developed an implementation plan that
proposes to assign military computer network attack forces to the military
services' components of one or more unified commands. Under this proposal,
Army forces would be assigned to the Army Space Command, Air Force forces
would be assigned to the Air Combat Command (the Air Force component of the
Joint Forces Command), and naval forces would be assigned to all unified
commanders' naval components. Should a crisis occur, and as directed by the
President or the Secretary of Defense, control of these computer network
attack forces would be transferred to the unified command needing support.
This plan has been submitted to the Secretary of Defense for approval in
preparation for instituting this mission on October 1, 2000. At this time,
it is not known whether this proposed structure will effectively and
efficiently meet the computer network attack mission needs.
B- 285810
GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems Page 6
AGENCY COMMENTS
DOD provided written comments on a draft of this report, which we reprinted
in enclosure 1. DOD concurred with the report and suggested technical
changes for clarification and accuracy that we incorporated as appropriate.
SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
To review the plans for modernizing strategic C4 capabilities, we examined
the U. S. Space Command's March 1998 long- range plan; the Commands' April
1998 draft master evolution plan, May 1998 mission need statement, February
1999 capstone requirements document, and October 1999 operational
architecture for the warfighting support system; and the Air Force's October
1999 statement of objectives and November 1999 request for proposals for
phase one of the contract to acquire the warfighting support system. To gain
additional understanding of the modernization plans, we discussed
information contained in these documents, the rationale for modernizing the
C4 capabilities, and the preliminary plans for implementing the
modernization program with representatives from Air Force Headquarters in
Washington, D. C. and U. S. and Air Force Space Commands and the Air Force's
Strategic and Nuclear Deterrence Command and Control System Program Office
at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
To review the plans for integrating additional system capabilities for newly
planned and assigned missions, we examined the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1999
unified command plan; the Secretary of Defense's direction and the charter
for creating the Joint Task Force for Computer Network Defense; the U. S.
Space Command's computer network defense/ attack implementation plans and
concept of operations; and the planning, requirements, and architecture
documents discussed above. To gain additional understanding of the planning
to implement and integrate these missions into the Commands' mission
structure, we discussed planning and architecture information and ongoing
planning efforts with representatives of (1) the Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence
and the Joint Staff in Washington, D. C.; (2) the Defense Information
Systems Agency, and the Joint Task Force for Computer Network Defense in
Arlington, Virginia; and (3) the U. S. and Air Force Space Commands and the
Air Force's Strategic and Nuclear Defense Command and Control System Program
Office at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
We performed our review from December 1999 through July 2000 in accordance
with generally accepted government auditing standards.
--- We are sending copies of this report to Senator Daniel K. Inouye,
Senator Carl Levin, Senator Ted Stevens, Senator John Warner, Representative
John P. Murtha, Representative Ike Skelton, and Representative Floyd D.
Spence in their capacities as Chairs or Ranking Minority Members of Senate
and House Committees and Subcommittees. We are also sending copies to the
Honorable William S. Cohen, Secretary of Defense; the Honorable F. Whitten
Peters, Secretary of the Air Force; and the Honorable Jacob Lew, Director,
Office of Management and Budget. Copies will also be made available to
others upon request.
B- 285810
GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems Page 7
If you or your staff have any questions concerning this report, please
contact me on (202) 512- 4841. Major contributors to this report were Homer
Thomson, Frederick G. Day, and Maria A. Durant.
Sincerely yours, Louis J. Rodrigues Director, Defense Acquisitions Issues
ENCLOSURE I ENCLOSURE I Page 8 GAO/ NSIAD- 00- 212R DOD Strategic C4 Systems
(707464)
*** End of document. ***