Reliability of Airlift Data Systems

U.S. Government Accountability Office

Reliability of Airlift Data Systems

NSIAD-97-62R: Published: Jan 13, 1997. Publicly Released: Jan 13, 1997.

Highlights

View Report (PDF, 6 pages)

Share This:

Additional Materials:

Full Report:
- (PDF, 6 pages)

Contact:

Mark E. Gebicke
(202) 512-5140
contact@gao.gov

Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
youngc1@gao.gov

GAO reviewed the reliability of data in the Air Mobility Command's (AMC) Military Airlift Integrated Report System (MAIRS) and the AMC History System (AHS). GAO noted that: (1) AMC provided data from a number of its information systems, including AHS and MAIRS; (2) representatives of AMC and of outside contractors hired by AMC told GAO that data derived from these systems are not reliable; (3) AMC is aware that AHS data is unreliable and incomplete and has taken steps to obtain the missing data it needs for various purposes; (4) it has continued to maintain the MAIRS, which was slated to be eliminated more than a year ago, as an alternate source of data; (5) it has engaged at least two outside contractors to compare data from AHS to MAIRS in an attempt to create a single source of the most complete airlift data; (6) neither AMC nor the contractors could state whether the alternate sources of data were any more reliable than AHS; (7) GAO analysis of AHS revealed a number of records containing questionable information; (8) data in AHS comes from the Global Decision Support System (GDSS), which is the worldwide command and control system for strategic airlift and air refueling during peacetime, contingencies, and war; and (9) GAO has not specifically reviewed the GDSS system, but is concerned that the data in this system may also be unreliable. GAO asked DOD to respond to a number of specific questions regarding data on airlift operations.