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Weapon Systems: Shortfalls in Automatic Fault Diagnostics

NSIAD-87-98 Published: Apr 24, 1987. Publicly Released: Apr 24, 1987.
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Highlights

GAO reviewed the Army's problems with automatic diagnostic equipment, actions the Army is taking to overcome its problems, and improvements needed to minimize such problems in future weapons acquisitions.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should direct the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) to provide development contractors, where possible, with specific automatic diagnostic requirements, along with guidance for making trade-offs between internal and external diagnostics equipment.
Closed – Implemented
AMC has recommended four candidate systems for application of model diagnostic requirements. Also, system project officials are now provided with model statements-of-work and the implementation handbook (MIL-STD-2165). AMC determined how to implement the program based on resource, schedule, and optimum strategy.
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should direct the U.S. Army Materiel Command to establish plans for and monitor the development of diagnostics to ensure that diagnostics development and testing appropriately parallel system development and testing.
Closed – Implemented
The Army has published the Testability Implementation Handbook for implementation of MIL-STD-2165. Also, revised AR750-43 requires design for testability be a TMDE and supported end item consideration through full scale development.
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should direct the U.S. Army Materiel Command to develop and evaluate the use of contract incentives and penalties, where possible, to encourage contractors to meet these requirements.
Closed – Implemented
The Army established a working group to address this subject. It concluded that use of incentives or penalties cannot be assessed until the methods of verification of the diagnostics and specification have been established. This action addresses this recommendation, but is a long-term solution. Therefore, GAO believes that this recommendation should be closed.
Department of the Army Regarding ongoing standard automatic test equipment programs, the Secretary of the Army should direct the U.S. Army Materiel Command to ensure that standard diagnostic equipment, such as the Intermediate Forward Test Equipment (IFTE), is designed to meet user needs and remains technically advanced as long as it is being used.
Closed – Implemented
The Department of Defense (DOD) agreed and the Army is doing this through an expanded modular design.
Department of the Army Regarding ongoing standard automatic test equipment programs, the Secretary of the Army should direct the U.S. Army Materiel Command to base decisions to convert existing weapons to IFTE on a case-by-case, cost and effectiveness analysis.
Closed – Implemented
The Army initiated a policy on April 1, 1986, which specifies this intention. No further action is contemplated. GAO has no basis for objecting to the Army's actions.
Department of the Army Regarding ongoing standard automatic test equipment programs, the Secretary of the Army should direct the U.S. Army Materiel Command to assess Contact Test Set (CTS) and Standard Test Equipment-Expandable (STE) capabilities to determine the costs and benefits of supporting one standard tester.
Closed – Implemented
The Army has decided that CTS will be the suitcase tester of choice for Army systems. While there is a requirement for both testers, STE family testers (except for STE-ICE) are gradually being phased out. Dollar savings were not determined.

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Topics

Weapons systemsArmy suppliesEquipment maintenanceInformation systemsTest equipmentTestingMilitary forcesSystems designLogisticsSpecifications