Acquisition Reform: Role of Test and Evaluation in System Acquisition
Should Not Be Weakened (Testimony, 03/22/94, GAO/T-NSIAD-94-124).

GAO generally supports the acquisition reform proposals now before
Congress. Most of the proposed changes to the current test and
evaluation legislation should not be enacted, however, because they
address perceived rather than documented problems and because they would
undermine a key management control over the system acquisition process.
Given the problems that GAO continues to find in the acquisition of
defense systems, the priority given to test and evaluation should
increase, not decrease, as would occur if the proposed legislation were
enacted. GAO's reviews of test and evaluation issues, the defense system
acquisition process, and many individual weapon programs have
consistently shown that independent operational test and evaluation is
the most realistic way, short of war, to determine whether the Pentagon
is getting what it paid for. GAO also believes that, if a program is
"sold" on meeting certain requirements, the Defense Department's
commitment to that program should be strictly limited until those
requirements have been adequately demonstrated. Hence, GAO believes that
any change to the current test and evaluation legislation should at
least preserve, if not strengthen, this "fly-before-buy" principle.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-NSIAD-94-124
     TITLE:  Acquisition Reform: Role of Test and Evaluation in System 
             Acquisition Should Not Be Weakened
      DATE:  03/22/94
   SUBJECT:  Defense procurement
             Testing
             Proposed legislation
             Federal procurement policies
             Military systems analysis
             Weapons systems
             Internal controls
             Procurement evaluation
             Defense cost control
             Procurement procedures
IDENTIFIER:  PHOENIX Missile
             Army Heavy Equipment Transporter System
             Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles
             Army Palletized Load System
             Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile
             B-1B Aircraft
             C-17 Aircraft
             Short Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
             B-2 Aircraft
             T-45 Aircraft
             F/A-18E/F Aircraft
             F-22 Aircraft
             FMTV
             AMRAAM
             
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