Major Acquisition Programs:

Selected Aspects of the Army's Forward Area Air Defense System

NSIAD-90-191: Published: Jun 25, 1990. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 1990.

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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Army's Forward Area Air Defense System (FAADS) program, focusing on: (1) the Army's requirements for FAADS; (2) the Army's expected use of each component in performing its ground-based air defense mission; (3) the cost and schedule of each component; and (4) the Army's reliance on its current air defense systems.

GAO found that: (1) the Army was acquiring FAADS because it had no weapon system or set of systems with a command and control system which could defeat the type of aircraft likely to threaten forward areas; (2) FAADS is intended to be a self-sufficient, front-line, air defense system able to detect, identify, and destroy attacking threat aircraft; (3) FAADS will consist of three new missile systems which will enhance the air defense capabilities of certain ground weapon systems and helicopters; (4) the Army estimated that FAADS components would cost about $11 billion to develop and produce; (5) FAADS fielding began in 1989 for one component, and the Army expected to field other components between and 1993 and 1998; and (6) the Army plans to continue to rely on older forward area air defense systems to some extent because of anticipated delays in fielding several FAADS components.

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