Submarine Combat System: BSY-2 Development Risks Must Be Addressed and Production Schedule Reassessed
IMTEC-91-30
Published: Aug 22, 1991. Publicly Released: Sep 06, 1991.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO identified technical risks in the Navy's SSN-21 Seawolf attack submarine's AN/BSY-2 (BSY-2) automated combat system, focusing on: (1) software and hardware development, design, testing, and integration; and (2) the use of independent verification and validation.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| The House and Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees should not fund any additional systems beyond the first three until the Secretary of Defense certifies that the initial BSY-2 is sufficiently developed and tested and can provide assurance that the system will satisfy mission requirements. | The end of the Cold War and the nation's budget crisis caused Congress to take a hard look at major weapon systems acquisitions. Congress intends to only fund three combat systems. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Navy to: (1) determine the impact of the risks GAO identified on the performance, cost, and current delivery schedule for the combat system; (2) adjust its current development approach, as warranted; and (3) report the results of the assessment and planned actions to mitigate these risks to the House and Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees. |
The Department of Defense (DOD) contends that it constantly monitors the risk areas to ensure that BSY-2 will meet program baseline. DOD believes that GAO-identified areas are overstated and that DOD has taken the action it considers warranted.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Navy to ensure that central guidance on unit-testing is developed and issued for use by all BSY-2 programmers and software engineers. |
DOD contends that the software test plan and software development plan provide central guidance for unit testing, unit test cases, and unit test procedures.
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Topics
Antisubmarine warfareComputer equipment contractsContract administrationContract performanceInformation systemsNaval procurementProgramming languagesSubmarinesSystems designTesting