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 1996-09-20 monographic deposited born digital 100 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-96-177 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177 P0b002ee180389239 f:ns96177 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177 NSIAD-96-177 Defense procurement Advanced weapons systems Air warfare Combat readiness Defense capabilities Air defense systems Fighter aircraft Defense economic analysis Tactical air forces Military inventories Joint Strike Fighter JCS National Military Strategy Tomahawk Cruise Missile F/A-18E/F Aircraft F-22 Aircraft Comanche Helicopter Longbow Apache Helicopter B-1B Aircraft DOD Bottom-Up Review Kiowa Helicopter Army Tactical Missile System LANTIRN Joint Standoff Weapon Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile EA-6B Aircraft KC-135 Aircraft Joint Tactical Information Distribution System Soviet Union Russia China Chapter Report NSIAD GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) plans to modernize its combat air capabilities, focusing on whether DOD has sufficient information from a joint perspective to: (1) prioritize its air power programs; (2) objectively weigh the merits of new program investments; and (3) decide whether existing programs should receive continued funding.<p/>GAO found that: (1) although DOD believes that its modernization plans are affordable, it faces a major challenge in attempting to fund the services' air modernization programs; (2) DOD has not sufficiently assessed joint mission requirements or compared these requirements to the services' aggregate capabilities; (3) DOD is proceeding with some major air modernization programs without clear evidence that the programs are justified; (4) the services plan to acquire numerous advanced weapons systems over the next 15 to 20 years to enhance their interdiction capabilities despite the availability of viable, less costly alternatives; (5) reductions in combat aircraft inventories have been largely offset by improvements in night-fighting and targeting capabilities and increases in advanced long-range missile inventories; (6) although potential adversaries possess capabilities that could threaten U.S. air power, the severity of these threats appears to be limited; and (7) DOD has taken steps to enhance information on joint combat requirements, but these efforts have had little impact in identifying duplication in existing air combat capabilities. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177.pdf GAO/NSIAD-96-177 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-177 Chapter Report GAO/NSIAD-96-177; Combat Air Power: Joint Mission Assessments Needed Before Making Program and Budget Decisions; Defense procurement Advanced weapons systems Air warfare Combat readiness Defense capabilities Air defense systems Fighter aircraft Defense economic analysis Tactical air forces Military inventories Joint Strike Fighter JCS National Military Strategy Tomahawk Cruise Missile F/A-18E/F Aircraft F-22 Aircraft Comanche Helicopter Longbow Apache Helicopter B-1B Aircraft DOD Bottom-Up Review Kiowa Helicopter Army Tactical Missile System LANTIRN Joint Standoff Weapon Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile EA-6B Aircraft KC-135 Aircraft Joint Tactical Information Distribution System Soviet Union Russia China