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Defense Logistics: Several Factors Limited the Production and Installation of Army Truck Armor during Current Wartime Operations

GAO-06-160 Published: Mar 22, 2006. Publicly Released: Mar 22, 2006.
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Highlights

In April 2005, GAO reported on factors affecting the timely production of up-armored high-mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV) and add-on armor kits for HMMWVs, as well as other items critically needed by deployed forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Due to high interest by Congress and the public regarding vehicle armor, GAO initiated this subsequent engagement to examine issues affecting the production and installation of armor for medium and heavy trucks. The objectives were to (1) determine the extent to which truck armor was produced and installed to meet identified requirements, (2) identify what factors affected the time to provide truck armor, and (3) identify what actions the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Army have taken to improve the timely availability of truck armor. To address these objectives, GAO collected and analyzed supply data for medium and heavy tactical trucks used by Army forces.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To ensure funding needs for urgent wartime requirements are identified quickly, requests for funding are well documented, and funding decisions are based on risk and an assessment of the highest priority requirements, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army to establish a process to document and communicate all urgent wartime funding requirements for supplies and equipment at the time they are identified and the disposition of funding decisions.
Closed – Not Implemented
In commenting on our draft report, DOD stated it believes the Army Requirements and Resourcing Board (AR2B) process, previously the ASPB process discussed in the report, conforms to the process that GAO prescribed in the recommendation. Consequently, no further actions to address the recommendation are planned by DOD at this time. However, as we stated in our response to DOD's comments in the report, we do not believe the ASPB process fully addresses the recommendation because the ASPB is not involved in the process to request and obtain funding once requirements are validated. As stated in our report, we continue to believe these events in the funding process for urgent wartime requirements must be fully documented to provide effective program oversight and to ensure funding decisions are made based on risk and an assessment of the highest priority requirements. We will continue to monitor DOD's management of its urgent wartime needs requirements process as part of our future planned work, and the the extent to which DOD's urgent wartime requirements are supported based on risk and an assessment of the highest priority requirements.

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Topics

Army procurementArmy suppliesDefense capabilitiesLogisticsMilitary land vehiclesMilitary materielMilitary operationsSchedule slippagesStrategic planningArmored vehiclesTimeliness