United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2000-05-31 monographic deposited born digital 35 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-00-121 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121 P0b002ee180396b6f f:ns00121 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121 NSIAD-00-121 Ballistic missiles Defense capabilities Operational testing Weapons systems Naval procurement Cost overruns Air defense systems Navy Theater Wide System Patriot Missile Advanced Capability-Three Upgrade DOD National Missile Defense System SDI Theater High Altitude Area Defense System Navy Area Defense Program Aegis Weapon System Standard Missile System AN/SPY-1 Radar Letter Report NSIAD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Navy Theater Wide system, focusing on: (1) how the additional funding provided by Congress for the program in fiscal years (FY) 1997 through 1999 was used; and (2) whether significant risks to the program remain.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) the Navy used the $663 million in increased funding as intended to reduce technical risks and develop system technologies earlier than originally planned; (2) about 41 percent was used for system design and analysis efforts, such as reducing the technical risks associated with improving the system's ability to differentiate intended targets from other objects; (3) about 20 percent of the funding was used for procuring hardware items, such as rocket motors and test interceptor missiles; (4) according to program officials, the additional funding also allowed the program to shift from a demonstration effort to an acquisition program in which a weapon system will be fully developed and produced; (5) although the Navy used this additional funding to reduce technical risk and develop the system sooner, significant technical and schedule risks still exist; (6) technological advancement is required to differentiate the target from other objects; (7) such discrimination requires that the system's computer network can process an enormous amount of data in real time; (8) this network has not been built, and its software must be integrated with the computer code that is already installed on each ship's computer system; (9) current activities include writing software, examining several computer architectures for the network, and building the capability to test the network; (10) technological advancement is also required in developing the capability of the interceptor missile to seek and destroy the target; (11) GAO is concerned that the program office has proposed a schedule calling for initial operational testing of the missile in 2010 even though 50 percent of the required 80 missiles would be produced and delivered by 2008 and 100 percent by 2010; (12) operational testing is designed to provide an independent evaluation of whether a system meets required performance levels prior to beginning production; (13) GAO has found that cost overruns and the deployment of substandard systems occur when the Department of Defense proceeds into production before systems are tested under operational conditions; (14) the Navy has scheduled up to 7 flight tests between July 2000 and September 2001; (15) according to testing officials, test programs typically separate flight tests by about 6 months; (16) a longer interval between tests gives officials better opportunities to evaluate test results, understand problems, and incorporate solutions into the next test; and (17) the approved level of funding does not match the Navy program office's estimate of how much it needs to implement the program on schedule. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121.pdf GAO/NSIAD-00-121 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-121 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-00-121; Missile Defense: Schedule for Navy Theater Wide Program; Ballistic missiles Defense capabilities Operational testing Weapons systems Naval procurement Cost overruns Air defense systems Navy Theater Wide System Patriot Missile Advanced Capability-Three Upgrade DOD National Missile Defense System SDI Theater High Altitude Area Defense System Navy Area Defense Program Aegis Weapon System Standard Missile System AN/SPY-1 Radar