Recommendations for Executive Action

1. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: DOD requested funding for five more B-2s, for a force of 20. Congress concurred with DOD's budget request for five more B-2 aircraft.

   Recommendation: Because there are no strategic grounds for acquiring five more B-2s, adding such capability to the B-2 strategic bomber design will be complex, time-consuming, and extremely costly, its capability to perform intended conventional and strategic missions remains unproven, and other alternatives exist, the Secretary of Defense should not procure five more B-2s.

   Agency Affected: Department of Defense

2. Status: Closed - Implemented

   Comments: DOD rejected GAO's analysis that B-1B range had not been reliably tested. Standard follow-on test and evaluation tests for reliability and electronic countermeasures are being conducted but did not adequately address these other issues.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense should require further operational testing of the B-1B to: (1) verify that scheduled improvements in reliability and electronic countermeasures are achieved; and (2) remove remaining uncertainties concerning range performance.

   Agency Affected: Department of Defense

3. Status: Closed - Not Implemented

   Comments: DOD has determined that it will retain the Minuteman III force for the duration of its life cycle.

   Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense should reconsider DOD funding needs for and the cost-effectiveness of extensive major life-service upgrades for the Minuteman III force, taking into consideration the: (1) Air Force's $23-billion estimate for upgrading and maintaining the Minuteman III through 2020; (2) reduced-threat environment; and (3) likelihood that substantive modifications will require robust flight test programs that would quickly use up limited test assets.

   Agency Affected: Department of Defense

4. Status: Closed - Not Implemented

   Comments: DOD has determined that it will continue D-5 testing at a reduced rate.

   Recommendation: Given the importance of the D-5 missile to the sea leg of the triad, and given the importance of flight testing to achieve an understanding of missile performance, the Secretary of Defense should ensure that: (1) D-5 SLBM flight testing continues; and (2) the D-5 test rate is not from levels required to confidently assess weapon system capability.

   Agency Affected: Department of Defense

5. Status: Closed - Not Implemented

   Comments: It is not yet clear that testing has addressed the identified problems. No GAO work has been done to examine the realism of subsequent ACM/ALCM testing; therefore, it has not been determined by GAO whether subsequent testing has met the recommendation.

   Recommendation: To ensure the effectiveness of the cruise missile inventory, the Secretary of Defense should ensure that more realistic flight tests are performed of air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) survivability and of both ALCM and advanced cruise missile performance over terrain that has not been pretested.

   Agency Affected: Department of Defense

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