Attack Warning: Costs to Modernize NORAD's Computer System Significantly Understated
IMTEC-91-23
Published: Apr 10, 1991. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 1991.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) and Air Force's efforts to upgrade the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment System's computerized subsystems at Cheyenne Mountain, Wyoming, focusing on: (1) recent organizational changes for managing the Cheyenne Mountain Upgrade (CMU) program; and (2) whether the Air Force's $1.58-billion cost estimate for a mission-ready system was realistic.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the total costs to develop and deliver a fully functional, mission-ready CMU system be reported to Congress in the next quarterly Selected Acquisition Report. These costs should include those for completing all requirements, testing and maintaining delivered portions of the system until a complete mission-ready system is operational, and correcting integration problems. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD provided a special report to Congress to provide greater insight into CMU acquisition-related costs programmed for in the President's budget and the Future Year Defense Plan. These costs cover the incremental support needed to transition from current NORAD systems to the new CMU systems.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Air Force to assess the cost, schedule, and performance risks to the overall program from deferring subsystem requirements to later stages of system development, and report the results of this assessment to congressional appropriations and oversight committees. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD submitted a special report to Congress which provided a summary of changes to cost, schedule, or performance requirements of the Cheyenne Mountain upgrade that have occurred since the September 1989 Defense Acquisition Board program review.
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Air defense systemsAir Force procurementSoftwareexecutive relationsCost effectiveness analysisDefense contingency planningInformation systemsLife cycle costsMilitary budgetsSystems conversions