Accession Number:

AD1013565

Title:

Missile Defense: Ballistic Missile Defense System Testing Delays Affect Delivery of Capabilities

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

U.S. Government Accountability Office Washington United States

Personal Author(s):

Report Date:

2016-04-28

Pagination or Media Count:

60.0

Abstract:

For over half a century, the Department of Defense DOD has been funding efforts to develop a system to detect, track, and defeat enemy ballistic missiles. The current systemthe Ballistic Missile Defense System BMDSincludes a diverse collection of land-, sea-, and space-based assets located around the globe. Since 2002, the Missile Defense Agency MDAthe agency charged with developing an integrated the BMDShas received approximately 123 billion to develop and deploy this highly complex group of systems. Additionally, it is planning to spend around 38 billion through fiscal year 2020 to continue its efforts to develop, integrate, and field BMDS elements and supporting efforts, such as BMDS targets necessary for testing. Since 2002, various National Defense Authorization Acts NDAA included provisions for GAO to prepare annual assessments of MDAs progress toward meeting its acquisition goals. The fiscal year 2012 NDAA requires us to report on the extent to which MDA has achieved its stated acquisition goals and objectives, as reported through its acquisition baselines in the BMDS Accountability Report BAR, and include any other findings and recommendations on MDAs acquisition programs and accountability, as appropriate.

Descriptors:

• ballistic missiles
• test and evaluation
• accountability
• acquisition
• quality assurance
• Auditing
• Ballistic missile intercept systems

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE