Missile Defense: Precision Tracking Space System Evaluation of Alternatives

What GAO Found

Why GAO Did This Study

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 mandated that the DOD Director for Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) conduct an evaluation of PTSS alternatives and report it to the congressional defense committees. The act also limited the use of funds made available for fiscal year 2013 for PTSS until (1) DOD submitted to the congressional defense committees a formal plan for the evaluation of PTSS alternatives--called a terms of reference--that had been approved by the Missile Defense Executive Board in coordination with the Defense Space Council, and (2) CAPE completed the evaluation of alternatives.

Additionally, the act mandated that GAO assess the PTSS terms of reference and evaluation of alternatives, and then both brief and report our assessment to the defense committees. To meet the requirements of the mandate, we assessed the extent to which (1) the terms of reference submitted by DOD addressed an evaluation of alternatives, and (2) the PTSS report submitted by DOD included an evaluation of alternatives.

To conduct this work, we reviewed both the terms of reference and the PTSS report to determine whether they provided for and assessed alternative systems and concepts as well as to determine whether internal agency coordination occurred consistent with the restrictions and requirements for the PTSS program in the Fiscal Year 2013 NDAA. We also interviewed DOD officials from CAPE; Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; Missile Defense Agency; U.S. Strategic Command; and Joint Staff.

For more information, contact Cristina Chaplain at (202) 512-4841 or chaplainc@gao.gov.