Electronic Warfare

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the operational testing of the Navy's Airborne Self-Protection Jammer (ASPJ) and surveyed alternative systems that the Navy could use to protect its fighter and attack aircraft. GAO noted that: (1) ASPJ failed to meet the Navy's effectiveness and suitability criteria; (2) ASPJ did not perform better than the Navy's currently fielded jammer when using current tactics; (3) the Navy terminated the production of ASPJ in December 1992 because ASPJ was not operationally suitable; (4) the Navy has been briefed on alternatives for ASPJ from a number of contractors; (5) the Air Force decided against using ASPJ for its aircraft even though it spent million of dollars on the ASPJ program; and (6) premature production could be prevented if the Department of Defense required demonstration of satisfactory performance before authorizing production.