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 1994-11-21 monographic deposited born digital 50 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-95-18 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18 P0b002ee180381a16 f:ns95018 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18 NSIAD-95-18 Military procurement Testing Proposed legislation Product performance evaluation Advanced weapons systems Procurement evaluation Defense cost control Procurement procedures Federal procurement policies Defense capabilities C-17 Aircraft T-45A Aircraft Apache Helicopter Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile ALR-56C Radar Warning Receiver ALR-67 Radar Warning Receiver APR-39 Radar Warning Receiver ALQ-135 Jammer ALQ-131 Block I Jammer ALQ-131 Block II Jammer ALQ-135 Preplanned Product Improvement Jammer ALQ-184 Jammer Airborne Self-Protection Jammer USM-464 Electronic Warfare Test Set F-14D Aircraft Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles Army Palletized Load System Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical Terminal AN/AVR2 Laser Warning System F-22 Aircraft SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System MK-50 Torpedo MH-53E Helicopter DOD Multifunctional Information Distribution System AMRAAM ASPJ FMTV Chapter Report NSIAD

The Pentagon plans to spend more than $79 billion in fiscal year 1995 for the acquisition of weapon systems. Because the Defense Department (DOD) allows low-rate initial production to begin before operational testing and evaluation is completed, the military has amassed large inventories of unsatisfactory weapons requiring modification; meanwhile, combat troops have been outfitted with substandard equipment. Once begun, low-rate initial production significantly limits the options available to DOD and Congress when a system proves deficient. In GAO's view, the key decision as to whether to proceed with production should be made at the start of low-rate initial production because, in many cases, it is also the de-facto full-rate production decision. Therefore, decisionmakers need good independent information on the system's performance and suitability at that point. In today's national security environment, there should be very few cases in which an urgent need dictates that DOD will start low-rate initial production without being certain that the system will work as intended. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18.pdf GAO/NSIAD-95-18 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-18 Chapter Report GAO/NSIAD-95-18; Weapons Acquisition: Low-Rate Initial Production Used to Buy Weapon Systems Prematurely; Military procurement Testing Proposed legislation Product performance evaluation Advanced weapons systems Procurement evaluation Defense cost control Procurement procedures Federal procurement policies Defense capabilities C-17 Aircraft T-45A Aircraft Apache Helicopter Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile ALR-56C Radar Warning Receiver ALR-67 Radar Warning Receiver APR-39 Radar Warning Receiver ALQ-135 Jammer ALQ-131 Block I Jammer ALQ-131 Block II Jammer ALQ-135 Preplanned Product Improvement Jammer ALQ-184 Jammer Airborne Self-Protection Jammer USM-464 Electronic Warfare Test Set F-14D Aircraft Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles Army Palletized Load System Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical Terminal AN/AVR2 Laser Warning System F-22 Aircraft SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System MK-50 Torpedo MH-53E Helicopter DOD Multifunctional Information Distribution System AMRAAM ASPJ FMTV Title 10 Section 2400 10 U.S.C. 2400 Public Law 101-189