United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1998-03-05 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:T-RCED/AIMD-98-85 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85 P0b002ee180383eba f:r198085t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85 T-RCED/AIMD-98-85 Air traffic control systems Equipment maintenance Life cycle costs Computer software verification and validation Systems design Federal procurement Systems conversions Air transportation operations Radar equipment FAA Advanced Automation System FAA Display System Replacement FAA Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System Testimony RCED AIMD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) automation program, focusing on: (1) how the automation program has evolved from the initial program to the current one; (2) to what extent FAA has had to implement costly interim projects and to sustain the older equipment; and (3) whether the ongoing acquisitions are achieving their cost and schedule goals.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) in the 1994 restructuring, FAA cancelled segments of its initial automation program, scaled back others, and ordered the development of less costly alternatives; (2) FAA still plans to replace the aging equipment that is increasingly difficult to maintain and to provide a basis for adding new capabilities at a later date; (3) one of the cancelled segments from the initial program would have addressed hardware maintenance problems that are now emerging with the mainframe computer; (4) the agency expects to incur costs of about $160 million during fiscal years 1998 and 1999 to replace the mainframe computer hardware; (5) as a result of the longstanding history of schedule delays in the automation program, FAA has added four interim projects--costing about $655 million--to sustain and enhance current automated equipment; (6) almost all of FAA's facilities that control air traffic at lower altitudes near airports will be upgraded through these interim projects; (7) FAA has had mixed results in achieving its cost and schedule goals for the two major ongoing acquisitions in its restructured automation program; (8) the Display System Replacement is within budget and on schedule; and (9) however, the Standard Terminal Automated Replacement System will likely have schedule delays of at least 6 months largely because software development has taken longer than expected and the agency and the contractor lack sufficient time to perform needed testing. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85/html/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85/pdf/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85.pdf GAO/T-RCED/AIMD-98-85 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-AIMD-98-85 Testimony GAO/T-RCED/AIMD-98-85; Air Traffic Control: Evolution and Status of FAA's Automation Program; Air traffic control systems Equipment maintenance Life cycle costs Computer software verification and validation Systems design Federal procurement Systems conversions Air transportation operations Radar equipment FAA Advanced Automation System FAA Display System Replacement FAA Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System