Honeywell Computer Equipment Supplied to DOD

A firm requested that the Comptroller General provide corrections to his letter of October 1, 1979, to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Research and Development, House Armed Services Committee. There were three issues involved in the request. First, the firm claimed to have completed agreements with GAO concerning certain of its computer equipment supplied to the Department of Defense (DOD) as the World Wide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS). GAO has made changes to its report based, in part, on the suggestions furnished by the firm's representatives. However, the changes did not result in any substantially different posture relating to WWMCCS standard computers furnished by the firm. Second, the alleged agreements recognized that prior commentary by GAO concerning the equipment's "lack of on-line interactive capability" was in error. In its report GAO demonstrated that the WWMCCS standard computers and software had not effectively supported interactive processing in command and control exercises and in crisis situations. Additional computer systems have been acquired at WWMCCS sites to attempt to overcome these capability problems. Third, according to the firm, the major problem was that the WWMCCS computers were implemented in a predominantly batch environment. GAO found that this equipment, both computers and software, operated in a batch environment to meet DOD specifications. However, several unique file access facilities have been implemented which were necessary to meet needs for interactive processing, because the WWMCCS standard operating system and database management system were not responsive to mission requirements. It was concluded that the three issues presented did not constitute a basis for changing the October 1, 1979, letter.