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Combat Identification Systems: Changes Needed in Management Plans and Structure

NSIAD-95-153 Published: Sep 14, 1995. Publicly Released: Sep 14, 1995.
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Highlights

GAO reviewed the Army's and Navy's development of combat identification systems to reduce the occurrences of friendly fire incidents, focusing on the services' management plans and structures for the systems' development and integration.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should create a single Office of the Secretary of Defense funding line for the Army's battlefield combat identification (BCI) and the Navy's cooperative aircraft identification (CAI) efforts.
Closed – Not Implemented
In its final comments on the report, DOD stated that it believes that establishing a single funding line for executing DOD's numerous combat identification projects would be impractical, given the wide range of technologies and applications at different stages of development and levels of effort.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretaries of the Army and the Navy to develop and institute a cohesive management structure and plan in line with the Process Action Team's recommendation.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD has stated that a cohesive management structure already exists, and noted that "creating new organizations or altering the make-up of existing organizations ... would add little value to the management structure already in place." DOD does not intend to take action on this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretaries of the Army and the Navy to develop a joint COEA for their BCI and CAI efforts giving due consideration to the problem and costs of obtaining the systems' interoperability.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD stated that the Battlefield Combat Identification COEA is a joint effort that will consider numerous alternatives that appear to have some potential for providing the needed performance and interoperability. DOD added, however, that aircraft identification system COEA has been overtaken by the results of a combat identification task force. DOD does not intend to implement the recommendation for development of a joint Cooperative Aircraft Identification/Battlefield Combat Identification COEA.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army to use the 70 near-term systems on hand or currently under contract for the Task Force XXI digitized brigade experiment.
Closed – Implemented
Congress reduced program funding by $8 million, based on the GAO recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army to not acquire more near-term systems than necessary until the Army determines whether the near-term technology is affordable and will be fielded and, if determined desirable, it can be integrated into the mid- and long-term combat identification and aircraft solutions.
Closed – Implemented
Action has been completed and is consistent with the intent of GAO's recommendation. An accomplishment report documenting the actions taken has been filed.

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Topics

Accident preventionAir warfareArmy procurementCost effectiveness analysisDefense contingency planningFratricideGround warfareMilitary aircraftNaval procurementSystems compatibilityWarning systems