Production of Some Major Weapon Systems Began With Only Limited Operational Test and Evaluation Results
NSIAD-85-68
Published: Jun 19, 1985. Publicly Released: Jun 19, 1985.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed selected major weapon system programs and the performance of operational test and evaluation (OT&E) to determine: (1) whether the Department of Defense (DOD) obtains sufficient OT&E results before production begins on weapon systems that are concurrently developed and produced; and (2) the adequacy of OT&E information contained in annual DOD Congressional Data Sheets.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense, in an effort to improve the quality of information to decisionmakers in the acquisition of major weapon systems, should ensure through the Director, OT&E, that test results critical to assessing mission performance are available before production start-up. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD revised its test and evaluation policy on March 12, 1986. The new policy does not ensure that OT&E results will be available before production start-up. GAO is in the process of preparing a summary report for agency comment which will reemphasize the importance of this recommendation.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should require the Director, OT&E, to provide its views to the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations and Armed Services on the impact of not performing OT&E critical to assessing mission performance before production begins. This is particularly important when planned OT&E is not accomplished. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD revised its test and evaluation policy on March 12, 1986. The new policy does not ensure that OT&E results will be available before production start-up. GAO is in the process of preparing a summary report for agency comment which will reemphasize the importance of this recommendation.
|
| Department of Defense | To improve the reporting of OT&E results to Congress, the Secretary of Defense should direct the military departments to expand their implementing instructions on preparing congressional data sheets to include a more complete and accurate portrayal of OT&E results on major weapon programs. |
Closed – Implemented
As a result of this recommendation, the Director, OT&E, is attempting to enforce current instructions on preparing Data Sheets by refusing to approve the Bi-Monthly Contract Award Reports unless the Data Sheets contain complete and accurate OT&E results. However, DOD did not expand its implementing instructions to improve the reporting of OT&E results.
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Topics
ConcurrencyProduction engineeringReporting requirementsSystems evaluationTestingWeapons systemsMilitary forcesOperational testingDevelopmental testingAircraft acquisition program