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 2000-09-26 monographic deposited born digital 23 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-00-204 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204 P0b002ee1803870bd f:ns00204 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204 NSIAD-00-204 Army procurement Operational testing Procurement planning Military land vehicles Weapons systems Concurrency Defense capabilities Military aircraft Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Letter Report NSIAD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Army's decision to revise its Shadow 200 tactical Unmanned Aerial vehicle acquisition strategy.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) the Army has a questionable basis for revising its acquisition strategy to procure four additional Shadow 200 systems in February before operational testing is conducted; (2) in contrast, the Army's original strategy, which would prove system capabilities before producing additional systems, was sound; (3) among its reasons to justify the revision, the Army contends that accelerating the program will enable it to field a much needed capability sooner; (4) also, the Army believes that risk associated with additional production prior to operational testing is substantially mitigated by significant developmental and other testing that is planned; (5) GAO is concerned that the Army cannot know whether the Shadow 200 system will be operationally effective before operational testing takes place; and (6) GAO's previous reviews of other unmanned aerial vehicle programs have shown that buying systems before successfully completing testing has repeatedly led to defective systems that were later terminated or required costly redesign and retrofit to achieve satisfactory performance. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204.pdf GAO/NSIAD-00-204 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-204 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-00-204; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Questionable Basis for Revisions; Army procurement Operational testing Procurement planning Military land vehicles Weapons systems Concurrency Defense capabilities Military aircraft Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle