| Defense Acquisitions. Rapid Acquisition of MRAP Vehicles |
08-Oct-2009 |
16 pages |
| Authors:
Michael J Sullivan; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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 | As of July 2008, about 75 percent of casualties in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were attributed to improvised explosive devices. To mitigate the threat from these weapons, the Department of Defense (DOD) initiated the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program in February 2007, which used a tailored acquisition approach to rapidly acquire and field the vehicles. In May 2007, the Secretary of Defense affirmed MRAP as DOD's most ... |
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| Defense Acquisitions. Many Analyses of Alternatives Have Not Provided a Robust Assessment of Weapon System Options |
Sep-2009 |
42 pages |
| Authors:
Michael J Sullivan; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| Department of Defense (DOD) weapon programs often experience significant cost and schedule problems because they are allowed to start with too many technical unknowns and not enough knowledge about the development and production risks they entail. GAO was asked to review the department's Analysis of Alternatives (AOA) process--a key first step in the acquisition process intended to assess the operational effectiveness, costs, and risks of alternative weapon system solutions for ... |
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| V-22 Osprey Aircraft: Assessments Needed to Address Operational and Cost Concerns to Define Future Investments |
23-Jun-2009 |
18 pages |
| Authors:
Michael J Sullivan; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| Since the 1980s, the V-22, developed to transport combat troops, supplies, and equipment for the U.S. Marine Corps and to support other services' operations, has experienced several fatal crashes, demonstrated various deficiencies, and faced virtual cancellation -- much of which it has overcome. Although recently deployed in Iraq and regarded favorably, it has not performed the full range of missions anticipated, and how well it can do so is in ... |
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| Defense Acquisitions. Measuring the Value of DOD's Weapon Programs Requires Starting with Realistic Baselines |
01-Apr-2009 |
23 pages |
| Authors:
John Oppenheim; Ron Schwenn; Bruce Fairbairn; Michael J Sullivan; Susan Neill; Ridge Bowman; Cheryl Andrew; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| We have conducted a body of work that examines weapon acquisition issues from a perspective that draws upon lessons learned from best practices in product development. Collectively, these practices comprise a process that is anchored in knowledge. Achieving the right knowledge at the right time enables leadership to make informed decisions about when and how best to move into various expensive acquisition phases. In essence, knowledge supplants risk over time. ... |
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| Defense Acquisitions: DOD Must Prioritize Its Weapon System Acquisitions and Balance Them with Available Resources |
18-Mar-2009 |
20 pages |
| Authors:
John Oppenheim; Susan Neill; Dayna Foster; Michael J Sullivan; Matt Lea; Alyssa Weir; Ken Patton; Sharon Pickup; Bruce Thomas; Ann Borseth; Ron Schwenn; Charlie Shivers; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| Since fiscal year 2000, the Department of Defense (DoD) has significantly increased the number of major defense acquisition programs and its overall investment in them. However, acquisition outcomes have not improved. Over the next 5 years, DoD expects to invest $357 billion on the development and procurement of major defense acquisition programs and billions more on their operation and maintenance. Last year, we reported that the total acquisition cost of ... |
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| Defense Acquisitions: DOD Must Balance Its Needs With Available Resources and Follow an Incremental Approach to Acquiring Weapons Systems |
03-Mar-2009 |
26 pages |
| Authors:
Ron Schwenn; Bruce Thomas; Matt Lea; Michael J Sullivan; Dayna Foster; Susan Neill; Charles Shivers; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| A broad consensus exists that weapon system problems are serious and that their resolution is overdue. With the federal budget under increasing strain from the nation's economic crisis, the time for change is now. DOD is off to a good start with the recent revisions to its acquisition policy, which, if implemented properly, should provide a foundation for establishing sound, knowledge-based business cases before launching into development and for maintaining ... |
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| Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs |
Mar-2009 |
191 pages |
| Authors:
Michael J Sullivan; Thomas J Denomme; Ridge C Bowman; David B Best; Jessica R Wintfeld; Sean C Seales; Carol T Mebane; Helena Brink; Ronald E Schwenn; Bruce D Fairbairn; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| This is GAO's seventh annual assessment of selected Department of Defense (DoD) weapon programs. The report examines how well DoD is planning and executing its weapon acquisition programs, an area that has been on GAO's high-risk list since 1990. This year's report is in response to the mandate in the joint explanatory statement to the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. The report includes the following: (1) ... |
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| Defense Acquisitions: Fundamental Changes Are Needed to Improve Weapon Program Outcomes |
25-Sep-2008 |
22 pages |
| Authors:
Ron Schwenn; Kenneth E Patton; Michael J Sullivan; Alyssa B Weir; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| Since 1990, GAO has designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) management of major weapon system acquisitions a high risk area. DOD has taken some action to improve acquisition outcomes, but its weapon programs continue to take longer, cost more, and deliver fewer capabilities than originally planned. These persistent problems-coupled with current operational demands-have impelled DOD to work outside of its traditional acquisition process to acquire equipment that meet urgent warfighter ... |
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| Best Practices: Portfolio Management |
14-May-2008 |
23 pages |
| Authors:
Michael J Sullivan; GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON DC ACQUISITION AND SOURCING MANAGEMENT
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| This briefing looks at the differences in procurement of major systems by DoD and commercial companies. |
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| Joining Pipe with the Hybrid Laser-GMAW Process: Weld Test Results and Cost Analysis |
Jun-2006 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
Michael J Sullivan; Edward W Reutzel; Darlene A Mikesic; PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV UNIVERSITY PARK APPLIED RESEARCH LAB
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| It has been nearly a quarter of a century since researchers first conceived of combining a conventional welding arc with a laser beam in a hybrid process but only recently has lasergas metal arc (GMA) hybrid welding begun to be utilized in industrial applications. Now, hybrid laser-GMA welding is fast making the transition from laboratory to production, in industries as diverse as shipbuilding to automobile manufacturing. Recent work investigating the ... |
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