Army's Remotely Piloted Vehicle Shows Good Potential but Faces a Lengthy Development Program
C-MASAD-82-8
Published: Feb 26, 1982. Publicly Released: Feb 26, 1982.
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Highlights
GAO evaluated the Army's prospects for successfully deploying the Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) system in light of important upcoming program decisions. RPV is designed to acquire targets for artillery, to designate targets for precision-guided munitions and reconnaissance, and to extend the attack capability of division commanders beyond the forward edge of the battle area where ground-based systems cannot see and where the risk to piloted observation aircraft is high.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Army to budget for and pursue the development of system enhancements, if progress is adequate, to overcome some of the potential operational limitations of the system. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Army to ensure that the testing program is structured so that operational tests demonstrate both individual subsystem and total integrated weapon system performance. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should give consideration to discontinuing the program or reorienting it to a low-level research and development program if RPV progress is such that it does not command high sustained funding. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Army to determine whether the RPV program's progress is such that it should command sustained funding levels that would permit achieving its initial operational capability on schedule. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
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