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United States Government Accountability Office: 
GAO: 

Report to Congressional Committees: 

December 2010: 

Defense Acquisitions: 

Opportunities Exist to Improve DOD's Oversight of Power Source 
Investments: 

GAO-11-113: 

GAO Highlights: 

Highlights of GAO-11-113, a report to Congressional Committees. 

Why GAO Did This Study: 

Virtually all Department of Defense (DOD) weapon systems and equipment 
rely on power sources, such as batteries. In response to a mandate in 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, GAO 
determined (1) DOD’s approximate investment in power sources, (2) the 
extent to which DOD coordinates its power source investments, and (3) 
the extent to which DOD’s policies facilitate the use of standard 
power sources. To address these objectives, GAO obtained and analyzed 
DOD investment data, met with DOD officials and industry 
representatives, and attended DOD conferences aimed at facilitating 
power source coordination. 

What GAO Found: 

GAO determined that DOD has invested at least $2.1 billion in power 
sources from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2010. However, DOD 
lacks comprehensive, departmentwide data for its total investment in 
the power sources area. Availability of complete data varies across 
the three investment categories: science and technology (S&T), 
logistics support, and acquisition programs. While DOD appears to have 
adequate departmentwide data on S&T efforts, it does not have 
departmentwide data for all logistics support investments. DOD lacks 
sufficient data on its investments in power sources when they are 
developed or purchased for acquisition programs. The $2.1 billion 
amount includes investments in S&T and logistics support that GAO was 
able to identify, but not power source investments as part of 
acquisition programs because of the difficulty in obtaining investment 
data in that area. This lack of complete, departmentwide investment 
data hinders DOD’s oversight and future planning in the power sources 
area, adversely affecting its ability to ensure basic accountability, 
anticipate future funding, and measure performance. 

DOD’s mechanisms for coordinating power source S&T-—including 
interagency working groups, conferences, informal networks, and 
information technology resources—-are generally effective. However, in 
some of these activities participation by pertinent member agencies is 
voluntary and could be more complete. Agencies may be missing 
opportunities to coordinate activities—-such as avoiding initiation of 
similar research projects-—and leverage resources because agency 
participation is voluntary and the level of participation by pertinent 
agencies varies. In addition, DOD’s strategic planning process to 
facilitate the allocation of S&T funds for power source technologies 
could be improved. The S&T planning efforts can also be complicated by 
external factors, such as the additions Congress makes to DOD’s budget. 

Although DOD power source experts GAO staff spoke with agree that the 
department needs to increase its emphasis on power source 
standardization, DOD lacks departmentwide policies to help emphasize 
power source standardization. Existing policies have demonstrated 
limited effectiveness because of compliance problems and because they 
may only apply to specific power source applications. Although it is 
generally more economical to address standardization early in the 
acquisition process, according to DOD officials, power sources are 
generally not considered early in the process, potentially hindering 
standardization efforts. DOD has also not evaluated departmentwide 
opportunities for retrofitting deployed weapon systems and equipment 
with standard or other preferred power sources when cost effective. 

What GAO Recommends: 

To increase oversight of power source investments, GAO recommends that 
DOD consider how to best aggregate departmentwide investment data. To 
improve interagency coordination of S&T projects, DOD should determine 
ways to strengthen agency participation in coordination mechanisms. To 
increase emphasis on standardization, DOD should develop a standardization 
plan and enforceable departmentwide policies and identify opportunities to 
retrofit existing systems with standard power sources when cost effective. 
DOD concurred with the first recommendation and partially concurred with 
the other four. It was unclear from DOD’s response what actions it plans 
to take in response to GAO’s recommendations.

View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-113] or key 
components. For more information, contact Michael J. Sullivan at (202) 
512-4841 or sullivanm@gao.gov. 

[End of section] 

Contents: 

Letter: 

Background: 

DOD Lacks Comprehensive, Departmentwide Data on Some Power Source 
Investments: 

S&T Coordination Mechanisms Are Generally Effective, Though 
Opportunities Exist to Improve Strategic Planning: 

DOD’s Power Source Standardization Efforts Are Not Departmentwide and 
Lack Robust Enforcement: 

Conclusions: 

Recommendations for Executive Action: 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation: 

Appendix I: Scope and Methodology: 

Appendix II: DOD Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) 
Budget Activities: 

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Defense: 

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments: 

Table: 

Table 1: Principal DOD Coordination Mechanisms for Investments in 
Power Source S&T Projects: 

Figures: 

Figure 1: Sample of the DOD Power Source Inventory: 

Figure 2: Approximate Investment in Power Source S&T by DOD Component 
from Fiscal Year 2006 through Fiscal Year 2010: 

Figure 3: Approximate Investment in Power Source S&T by Type from 
Fiscal Year 2006 through Fiscal Year 2010: 

Figure 4: Minimum DOD Investments through DLA in Power Sources for 
Logistics Support: 

[End of section] 

United States Government Accountability Office: 
Washington, DC 20548: 

December 30, 2010: 

The Honorable Carl Levin:
Chairman:
The Honorable John McCain:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Ike Skelton:
Chairman:
The Honorable Howard P. McKeon:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
House of Representatives: 

Virtually all Department of Defense (DOD) weapon systems and equipment 
rely on power sources such as batteries. We estimate that DOD invested 
at least $2.1 billion in power sources from fiscal year 2006 through 
fiscal year 2010 in three investment areas: science and technology 
(S&T) activities such as research, logistics support such as providing 
the warfighter with supplies, and acquisition programs such as those for 
weapon systems or equipment. This amount will likely rise because of 
growing warfighter energy and power demands as well as interest in 
smaller, lighter, and more capable power sources. Power sources are a 
mission-critical technology and may ultimately affect the warfighter 
if DOD is unable to meet demand. For example, severe shortages of some 
types of batteries during initial combat operations in Iraq threatened 
to significantly degrade the operational capabilities of the United 
States military.[Footnote 1] During the shortages, caused in part by 
industrial base limitations and initial reliance on one supplier, the 
Marines reported having less than a 2-day supply of certain mission-
critical batteries rather than the required 30-day supply.[Footnote 2] 

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 mandated 
that GAO determine DOD's power source investments and coordination 
efforts.[Footnote 3] In this report, our specific objectives were to 
(1) determine, as completely as possible, DOD's total investment in 
power sources; (2) assess the extent to which DOD coordinates power 
source S&T investments departmentwide as well as with the Department 
of Energy (DOE); and (3) assess the extent to which DOD has policies 
that facilitate power source standardization. In consultation with 
congressional staff, we limited the scope of the term power sources to 
include tactical power sources used for soldier-carried equipment and 
vehicle applications as well as power sources for munitions (e.g., 
missiles) and satellites. Our scope excludes power sources used to 
support installations such as temporary or permanent military 
facilities. In terms of specific technologies, we focused on 
batteries, fuel cells, and capacitors. This was based on the 
predominance of batteries among tactically deployed power sources, the 
level of investment in fuel cells, and congressional interest in 
capacitors. 

To determine DOD's total investment in power sources for S&T, 
logistics support, and acquisition programs, we interviewed officials 
within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and across DOD 
component organizations to determine an appropriate methodology for 
collecting the most complete set of investment data possible. We 
analyzed DOD investment data extracted from DOD research and logistics 
support databases and also other data that we gathered from pertinent 
DOD components. We determined that the data were sufficiently reliable 
for the purposes of providing approximate or minimum investment 
amounts in S&T and logistics support in this report. To assess the 
extent to which DOD coordinates power source S&T investments, we 
interviewed officials across the military services, other pertinent 
DOD components, DOE, and the power source industry. In addition, we 
attended private sector and federal government conferences related to 
power sources, took part in training sessions related to DOD-wide 
information-sharing resources, and collected information from the 
membership of a power sources industry association. We also drew 
extensively on other GAO work related to interagency coordination. 
[Footnote 4] In order to assess the extent to which DOD's policies 
facilitate power source standardization, we interviewed officials 
across the military services and other pertinent DOD components and 
reviewed existing policies and standardization efforts. A more 
detailed description of our scope and methodology is presented in 
appendix I. 

We conducted this performance audit from December 2009 to December 
2010 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit 
to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable 
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for 
our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 

Background: 

DOD invests in power sources such as batteries, fuel cells, and 
capacitors to support the warfighting effort by powering weapon 
systems and equipment.[Footnote 5] DOD's power source investment is 
expected to rise because of an increased reliance on advanced weapon 
systems and equipment and ongoing efforts to develop new technologies 
that are smaller, lighter, and more power dense.[Footnote 6] Batteries 
are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy. The 
two main types of batteries are primary (non-rechargeable) and 
secondary (rechargeable). Primary batteries, which are discarded after 
their charge has been depleted, are the most common battery type for 
soldier-carried applications. A subclass of primary batteries called 
thermal batteries is used for short-term, high-power applications 
(e.g., missiles). While primary batteries typically self-discharge 
available energy when not in use, thermal batteries have a longer 
shelf life because they remain inert until activated. Secondary 
batteries, which can be reenergized after their charge has been 
depleted, are less commonly used by deployed units than primary 
batteries. However, the Army has undertaken educational campaigns to 
increase their use in light of some cost efficiencies and operational 
advantages--including overall weight reduction of soldiers' equipment. 
[Footnote 7] Further, the military services are interested in 
transitioning from non-rechargeable batteries to secondary batteries 
because their use by deployed units may decrease the number of vehicle 
convoys needed to supply batteries in war zones. DOD is also 
interested in limiting the proliferation of battery types to reduce 
the number of different battery types the soldiers have to carry and 
limit soldier confusion over which battery is required to operate a 
device--thus simplifying operations and resupply. See figure 1 for a 
sample of DOD's power source inventory. 

Figure 1: Sample of the DOD Power Source Inventory: 

[Refer to PDF for image: photograph] 

Source: Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane (NSWC Crane): 

[End of figure] 

In general, fuel cells and capacitors are less mature technologies 
than batteries with respect to defense applications. Fuel cells are 
electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy in a fuel, 
such as hydrogen, into electrical energy. Fuel cells look and function 
very similar to batteries. However, the available energy of a battery 
is stored within the battery--and its performance will decline as that 
energy is depleted--while a fuel cell continues to convert chemical 
energy to electricity as long as it has a supply of fuel. Capacitors 
are passive electrical components that store energy and may be used 
for a wide range of commercial and defense applications. Although most 
capacitors are used for small, primarily consumer-oriented electronic 
devices, they are increasingly being developed for high-power 
weaponry. DOD research organizations have ongoing S&T efforts focused 
on maturing fuel cell and capacitor technologies so they can be 
deployed. Given the developmental nature of these technologies--as 
well as the predominance of batteries among tactically deployed power 
sources--this report principally discusses batteries. 

DOD invests in power sources in three broad, interrelated investment 
categories: (1) S&T efforts related to developing and improving power 
source technologies, (2) purchasing power sources for logistics 
support as part of routine warfighter resupply, and (3) developing or 
purchasing power sources for integration into a weapon system or 
equipment as part of an acquisition program. Ideally, technologies 
developed as part of S&T efforts will ultimately be incorporated into 
new or existing weapon systems or equipment. These three investment 
categories are described below. 

1. S&T: DOD research, development, test and evaluation investment is 
separated into seven discrete investment categories known as budget 
activities. The first three categories represent basic and applied 
research and technology development activities and are collectively 
known as S&T activities.[Footnote 8] These can include activities such 
as developing or improving upon different chemical combinations that 
enhance energy storage or power output capabilities, developing 
lighter components, and identifying and incorporating novel material 
components. This research may be conducted by many different entities, 
including DOD research centers and other government laboratories, 
power sources manufacturers, and academic institutions. According to 
DOD officials, these projects may be funded through a variety of 
mechanisms, including a DOD component's base budget, small business 
programs, such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 
program; and additions Congress makes to DOD's budget (i.e., 
congressional add-ons).[Footnote 9] 

2. Logistics support: This category includes the provision of 
logistical services, materiel, and transportation required to support 
the military in the continental United States and worldwide. Power 
sources are like any other materiel requirements of military units, 
such as food and clothing, in that they are a consumable commodity 
that must be reordered and resupplied according to military service 
needs. Power sources for logistics support are typically purchased 
through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which is the primary 
supplying agent for DOD. 

3. Acquisition programs: This category includes the selection of a 
military standard power source, the selection of a commercial-off-the- 
shelf (COTS) power source, or the design, development, and production 
of a program-unique power source as part of a DOD acquisition program. 
This process may be managed by the program office responsible for the 
weapon system or equipment acquisition, the contractor developing the 
system, or both. Since virtually all weapon systems and equipment 
include a power source, most acquisition programs have to undergo this 
process. 

For the purpose of this report, we define coordination as any joint 
activity by two or more organizations that is intended to produce more 
public value than could be produced when the organizations act alone. 
As we have previously reported,[Footnote 10] interagency coordination 
is important to avoid carrying out programs in a fragmented, 
uncoordinated way in areas where multiple agencies address a similar 
mission. Standardization, which is a form of coordination, includes 
efforts to expand the use of common or interchangeable parts by 
developing and agreeing on compatible standards. With respect to power 
sources, this may include developing standard shapes to facilitate the 
use of common, nonproprietary power sources in a range of weapon 
systems and equipment. 

DOD Lacks Comprehensive, Departmentwide Data on Some Power Source 
Investments: 

DOD lacks comprehensive, departmentwide data for its total investment 
in the power sources area and no single DOD office aggregates these 
data across all investment categories. Further, availability of 
complete data varies across the three investment categories: S&T, 
logistics support, and acquisition programs. We determined that 
DOD invested at least $2.1 billion in power sources from fiscal year 
2006 through fiscal year 2010. While DOD appears to have adequate 
departmentwide data on S&T efforts, it does not have departmentwide 
data for all logistics support investments. DOD has limited data on 
its investments in power sources when they are developed or purchased 
for acquisition programs. The $2.1 billion amount includes the 
investments in S&T and logistics support that we were able to identify 
but not power source investments as part of acquisition programs 
because of the difficulty in obtaining investment data in that area. 
In general, a lack of investment information can adversely affect 
DOD's ability to avoid unnecessary duplication; control costs; 
ensure basic accountability; anticipate future costs and claims on the 
budget; measure performance; maintain funds control; prevent and 
detect fraud, waste, and abuse; and address pressing management 
issues. [Footnote 11] 

DOD Has a High Level of Data on Power Source S&T Investments: 

We determined that from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2010 DOD 
invested approximately $868 million in the development of power source 
technologies through many individual power source S&T projects. 
However, this amount is approximate as it may not include all power 
source S&T project funding.[Footnote 12] Figure 2 depicts DOD's 
approximate investment in power sources S&T by DOD component. In the 
period from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2010, the Army was 
the largest investor with a total investment of about $361 million and 
the Navy was the second largest investor with a total investment of 
about $342 million. During that same time period, the Air Force 
invested about $90 million, the Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency (DARPA) invested about $51 million, and the Missile Defense 
Agency (MDA) invested about $26 million. 

Figure 2: Approximate Investment in Power Source S&T by DOD Component 
from Fiscal Year 2006 through Fiscal Year 2010: 

[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph] 

Fiscal year: 2006; 
Army: $62.5 million; 
Navy: $45.9 million; 
Air Force: $12.2 million; 
DARPA: $4.1 million; 
MDA: $2.5 million; 
Total: $127.2 million. 

Fiscal year: 2007; 
Army: $54.2 million; 
Navy: $50.2 million; 
Air Force: $18 million; 
DARPA: $19.1 million; 
MDA: $2.5 million; 
Total: $144 million. 

Fiscal year: 2008; 
Army: $76.7 million; 
Navy: $83.7 million; 
Air Force: $24.5 million; 
DARPA: $13.4 million; 
MDA: $3.4 million; 
Total: $201.7 million. 

Fiscal year: 2009; 
Army: $92.8 million; 
Navy: $86.9 million; 
Air Force: $26.8 million; 
DARPA: $5.5 million; 
MDA: $8.1 million; 
Total: $220.1 million. 

Fiscal year: 2010; 
Army: $74.9 million; 
Navy: $74.8 million; 
Air Force: $7.1 million; 
DARPA: $8.6 million; 
MDA: $9.5 million; 
Total: $174.9 million. 

Source: GAO analysis of data from the Army, Navy, Air Force, DARPA, 
and MDA. 

[End of figure] 

DOD's investment is largely concentrated within two power source 
technology areas: batteries and fuel cells. There is also significant 
investment in projects that involve more than one type of technology, 
which we refer to in figure 3 as multiple types. We found that the 
total investment for capacitor-related research was small relative to 
the other areas. This may be because capacitors for high-power defense 
applications are an emerging and still immature technology.[Footnote 
13] Officials informed us that DOD-wide interest in capacitors has 
increased along with an interest in high-power weaponry. As shown in 
figure 3, the largest investment--about 36 percent of the total for 
fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2010--was in fuel cells. 

Figure 3: Approximate Investment in Power Source S&T by Type from 
Fiscal Year 2006 through Fiscal Year 2010: 

[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph] 

Fiscal year: 2006; 
Multiple types: $24.7 million; 
Capacitors: $1.5 million; 
Fuel cells: $64.4 million; 
Secondary batteries: $11.3 million; 
Primary batteries: $25.3 million; 
Total: $127.2 million. 

Fiscal year: 2007; 
Multiple types: $28.2 million; 
Capacitors: $8.4 million; 
Fuel cells: $64.3 million; 
Secondary batteries: $16.8 million; 
Primary batteries: $26.4 million; 
Total: $144.1 million. 

Fiscal year: 2008; 
Multiple types: $64.9 million; 
Capacitors: $1.2 million; 
Fuel cells: $78.6 million; 
Secondary batteries: $25.9 million; 
Primary batteries: $31.1 million; 
Total: $201.7 million. 

Fiscal year: 2009; 
Multiple types: $84.5 million; 
Capacitors: $1.9 million; 
Fuel cells: $61.6 million; 
Secondary batteries: $43.9 million; 
Primary batteries: $28.3 million; 
Total: $220.2 million. 

Fiscal year: 2010; 
Multiple types: $76.7 million; 
Capacitors: $3.4 million; 
Fuel cells: $43.6 million; 
Secondary batteries: $23.8 million; 
Primary batteries: $27.3 million; 
Total: $174.8 million. 

Source: GAO analysis of data from the Army, Navy, Air Force, DARPA, 
and MDA. 

[End of figure] 

We identified a suite of DOD-wide information technology resources 
that includes a database used for tracking DOD-wide S&T activities. 
[Footnote 14] This database does not categorize projects in such a way 
that one could readily and reliably extract all activities for a 
certain research area (such as batteries). Despite these limitations, 
we were able to obtain suitable data from each research organization, 
which enabled us to present an approximate investment figure. 

DOD Has Data on Some Logistics Support Investments, but Not All 
Investments Are Tracked: 

We found that DOD invested at least $1.2 billion in power sources for 
logistics support from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2010. 
Though DLA supplies the nation's military services with critical 
resources needed to accomplish their worldwide missions, there are 
additional methods outside of DLA's procurement processes by which the 
military services may purchase power sources.[Footnote 15] For 
example, a service might purchase a power source outside of DLA's 
procurement processes if that service is the only consumer of the 
power source item. However, we found no DOD effort to aggregate and 
analyze these investments, even though DLA and military service 
logistics databases track investments using a standard governmentwide 
federal supply coding system that could be used for this purpose. 

We collected data from DLA and military service databases for 
investments in power sources for logistics support from fiscal year 
2006 through fiscal year 2010. We determined that military service 
purchases through DLA likely account for the majority of logistics 
supports investments captured by DOD databases.[Footnote 16] However, 
while the $1.2 billion investment amount we compiled includes data 
from these databases, DOD officials informed us that not all of these 
databases track power source purchases made as part of contractor-
performed maintenance for weapon systems and equipment--known as 
contract logistic support. As we have previously reported, DOD has 
extensively relied on contractors for activities such as logistics 
support.[Footnote 17] Thus, the minimum investment amount we generated 
does not include what is likely a substantial amount of power source 
investments for logistics support. Figure 4 depicts DOD's minimum 
investment in power sources for logistics support. 

Figure 4: Minimum DOD Investments through DLA in Power Sources for 
Logistics Support: 

[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph] 

Fiscal year: 2006; 
Minimum DOD Investments through DLA: $215.4 million. 

Fiscal year: 2007; 
Minimum DOD Investments through DLA: $210.2 million. 

Fiscal year: 2008; 
Minimum DOD Investments through DLA: $261.2 million. 

Fiscal year: 2009; 
Minimum DOD Investments through DLA: $296.8 million. 

Fiscal year: 2010; 
Minimum DOD Investments through DLA: $233.6 million. 

Source: GAO analysis of DLA data. 

[End of figure] 

DOD Lacks Sufficient Data on Its Total Investment in Power Sources for 
Acquisition Programs: 

Though virtually all DOD weapon systems and equipment rely on a power 
source, DOD has little data on its total investment in power sources 
for acquisition programs. DOD officials told us that neither the 
department nor individual DOD components have information showing the 
total amount invested in power sources for acquisition programs, 
although this information may be retained by individual program 
offices. We asked some program offices if they could provide basic 
cost information on the principal power sources used by their 
programs. Some program offices provided this information, but others 
did not. Some offices that could not provide this information provided 
an explanation; for example, one program office told us that the cost 
for the power source was built into the overall cost for the system 
and thus was not broken out as a specific expense. Other program 
offices simply provided no cost data and no explanation. 

We also asked a number of senior DOD officials--including officials 
from OSD and from the services at the assistant or deputy assistant 
secretary level[Footnote 18]--whether they could provide data on total 
investment in power sources for acquisition programs at the 
departmentwide or service levels, but none were able to do so. 
Officials from the Office of the Director of Operational Energy Plans 
and Programs, an office within OSD that serves as the principal 
advisor to the Secretary of Defense and others regarding operational 
energy, concurred.[Footnote 19] They stated that since these costs are 
not aggregated, DOD would have to require each acquisition program 
office to identify power source investments and then consolidate them. 
They stated that this would be a labor-intensive data collection 
effort given the large number of DOD acquisition programs.[Footnote 20] 

In order to gain an understanding of how some acquisition programs 
determined which power sources would be used by their programs, we 
asked several Army, Navy, and Air Force acquisition program offices to 
provide us with information on this process.[Footnote 21] Although 
these offices provided responses with varying levels of detail, we 
determined that there are several methods by which a program office 
may acquire power sources. For example: 

* Selection of existing military standard power sources: The program 
office for the V-22 Osprey, a tilt rotor aircraft developed by the 
Navy in the 1980s, followed a mandatory Navy specification for rotary 
aircraft that required the use of government-furnished batteries made 
to DOD military standards. According to the program office, the V-22 
program tested two military standard batteries already used in two 
other aircraft and determined that they met the power source 
requirements of the V-22. As such, the program selected these two 
batteries for use by the V-22. Because the V-22 selected preexisting 
batteries, the program incurred no development costs; the combined 
unit costs provided were $3,688. 

* Selection of COTS power sources: Officials from the Navy's P-8A 
Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft told us the program uses a COTS 
battery as the principal power source for its electronics systems. 
[Footnote 22] The P-8A is derived from a Boeing 737 commercial 
aircraft and has roles in antisubmarine and antisurface warfare as 
well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The program 
office assessed the suitability of the power source used by the Boeing 
737 and found that this COTS solution met their requirements and 
selected it for use by the program. Because the P-8A selected a 
preexisting COTS battery, the program incurred no development costs 
associated with program-unique power sources. The unit cost provided 
was $11,500. 

* Development of program-unique power sources: Officials in the Joint 
Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile program office told us that they 
determined that the program required the design, development, and 
production of a program-unique thermal battery because of the 
missile's strict design parameters in terms of internal space 
available for the power source. The program developed a new battery, 
but the program office was only able to provide limited cost 
information because the costs involved were included in the overall 
cost of the missile. The unit cost provided was $3,775. 

S&T Coordination Mechanisms Are Generally Effective, Though 
Opportunities Exist to Improve Strategic Planning: 

DOD coordination mechanisms for power source S&T activities are 
generally effective in facilitating coordination across pertinent DOD 
components and with DOE, but opportunities exist for improvement. We 
also found that DOD's strategic planning process for appropriately 
directing S&T investment for power source technologies could be 
improved. DOD also generally has deficiencies in strategic planning 
for critical technologies, processes for technology transition, and 
tools that support transition. Further, S&T planning efforts can be 
complicated by external factors. For example, congressional additions 
to DOD's budget account for just over half of the total S&T funding we 
identified for power sources. Since this process can be informal and 
lack transparency, outcomes in this area may be unpredictable and 
difficult to incorporate into strategic plans. 

S&T Coordination Mechanisms Are Generally Effective: 

DOD uses various mechanisms to facilitate the coordination of power 
source S&T activities across pertinent DOD components, DOE, and in 
some cases industry. According to DOD power source researchers, the 
principal means for coordinating is the Chemical Working Group of the 
Interagency Advanced Power Group (IAPG). The Chemical Working Group is 
part of the long-standing IAPG interagency working group and brings 
together researchers from relevant DOD components, DOE, and other 
federal stakeholders to exchange information about power source 
projects and avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. In addition, the 
Defense Technical Information Center--an organization responsible for 
providing information services to DOD--has a number of information 
technology resources related to S&T that were developed to facilitate 
information sharing between stakeholders across the DOD research and 
engineering community. Table 1 lists the principal ways DOD 
coordinates S&T projects. 

Table 1: Principal DOD Coordination Mechanisms for Investments in 
Power Source S&T Projects: 

Select coordination mechanisms: Interagency groups; 
Description: Interagency groups provide a forum in which researchers, 
acquisition personnel, and other pertinent stakeholders can share 
information and leverage resources. Key groups related to power 
sources include the Chemical Working Group of the IAPG and the Power 
Sources Technology Working Group of the Joint Defense Manufacturing 
Technology Panel. 

Select coordination mechanisms: Conferences; 
Description: There are several major conferences in the power sources 
area that provide a forum for information sharing and professional 
development in the power sources community, which includes DOD, DOE, 
and other agencies. One such conference is the Power Sources 
Conference, which has been held 44 times and brings together 
government, academic, and commercial researchers to discuss research 
projects. 

Select coordination mechanisms: Information technology resources; 
Description: The Defense Technical Information Center provides a suite 
of databases and Web 2.0 services to facilitate information sharing 
and professional development. One example is the Research and 
Engineering Database that compiles ongoing research and development 
projects throughout DOD. 

Source: GAO analysis. 

[End of table] 

As an example of the efficacy of these mechanisms, no power source 
projects presented at the 2010 annual Chemical Working Group meeting 
were identified as involving duplicative research within DOD or 
between DOD and DOE, though the meetings have been effective in 
identifying instances of project duplication in the past. 
Additionally, both DOD and DOE participate in several other 
coordinating groups together to leverage common efforts, and in July 
2010 DOD and DOE signed a memorandum of understanding developing a 
framework for cooperation and partnership on energy issues. Both 
organizations agreed to collaborate on S&T projects at research 
institutions sponsored by either agency, to synchronize S&T to expand 
complementary efforts, and to develop joint initiatives for major 
energy S&T programs of mutual interest. 

Though we found these mechanisms to be generally effective, agencies 
may miss opportunities to fully coordinate because attendance at these 
interagency groups and conferences is voluntary and the level of 
agency participation varies. Further, conversations with officials 
from DOD component organizations suggest that there may be limited 
awareness within the DOD power sources community of the coordination 
services available through the Defense Technical Information Center. 
In areas where multiple agencies address a similar mission, 
interagency coordination is important to collectively meet common 
goals and avoid carrying out programs in a fragmented, uncoordinated 
way. As we have previously reported,[Footnote 23] this lack of 
coordination can waste scarce funds, confuse and frustrate program 
customers, and limit the overall effectiveness of the federal effort. 
Agency officials informed us that the community of power source 
experts from the federal government, industry, and academia is small 
and well-connected by interpersonal relationships. Although it is not 
possible to accurately estimate the impact of these often informal 
relationships, officials believed that such relationships facilitate 
information sharing, which is beneficial to DOD-wide power source S&T. 

S&T Strategic Planning Could Be Improved: 

We found that though DOD has generally effective S&T coordination 
mechanisms, its strategic planning process to facilitate the 
allocation of S&T funds for power source technologies could be 
improved. Most DOD components generate strategic plans to guide S&T 
investments, though we found no current Air Force plan. We found that 
existing military service-level S&T strategic plans are not specific 
and typically do not discuss investments in power sources in depth, if 
at all. There have also been several technology roadmaps developed or 
initiated specifically for the power sources area.[Footnote 24] 
However, we have been told by DOD researchers that these roadmaps may 
quickly become irrelevant without frequent updating because necessary 
investment levels and the maturity of the pertinent technologies may 
evolve over time. Further, unless roadmapping efforts are coordinated, 
DOD cannot be assured that they will be complementary and fully assist 
agencies in addressing shared technological challenges. Additionally, 
though DOD has established the Energy and Power Community of Interest 
to focus on power source issues as part of its broader Reliance 21 
program,[Footnote 25] representatives of this group told us that it is 
a relatively new organization and is still finalizing organizational 
planning. They said that the community of interest will develop 
strategic planning documents specific to power sources that will 
enable DOD to better plan in this area. 

We have previously reported that DOD lacked a single executive-level 
OSD official who is accountable for operational energy matters and 
recommended that one be designated.[Footnote 26] We also noted that 
DOD lacked a comprehensive strategic plan for operational energy. As a 
result, in October 2009 DOD established the Director of Operational 
Energy Plans and Programs. According to officials from this office, 
they will, among other things, coordinate departmentwide policy, 
planning, and program activities related to operational energy demand 
and relevant technologies. Further, officials told us that this office 
will also include power source technologies in its purview. The 
Director was recently confirmed, and the office is currently working 
to gather the personnel required to support its efforts. The Duncan 
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 
requires the office to submit an annual strategic plan on 
departmentwide operational energy.[Footnote 27] 

We have previously reported that DOD generally faces problems with 
deficiencies in strategic planning for critical technologies, 
processes for technology development and transition, and tools that 
support transition.[Footnote 28] Similarly, some DOD officials told us 
about challenges in transitioning a new power source technology from 
the laboratory to an acquisition program. We identified some efforts 
that support power source technology transition within the services. 
However, DOD researchers said that the overall problem still occurs in 
this area and that promising technologies may be forgotten or 
overlooked if they are not transitioned into an acquisition program. 
In addition, DOD's lack of oversight and comprehensive data on power 
source investments for acquisition programs may further complicate 
technology transition efforts. 

External Factors Can Pose Planning Challenges: 

S&T planning efforts can be complicated by external factors. We found 
that DOD investments in power source S&T come from several sources, 
including base budget funds, small business programs (such as the SBIR 
program), and congressional add-ons--that is, additions Congress makes 
to DOD's budget. From the data we collected, we determined that 
congressional add-ons account for approximately 55 percent of the DOD 
total investment we identified in power source S&T from fiscal year 
2006 through fiscal year 2010. While these add-ons provide funding for 
S&T, officials at DOD research organizations told us that these add-
ons may pose a challenge to strategic planning for two reasons. First, 
research organizations may lack complete discretion over how to apply 
the funds--while they may be able to accept or decline an add-on, 
these add-ons do not give them full control over the project. Second, 
since this process can be informal and lack transparency, outcomes in 
this area may be unpredictable and difficult to incorporate into 
strategic plans. 

DOD's Power Source Standardization Efforts Are Not Departmentwide and 
Lack Robust Enforcement: 

Though DOD officials agree that the department needs to increase its 
emphasis on power source standardization, it lacks a departmentwide 
policy to emphasize or compel early consideration of standard power 
sources. Absent emphasis on early standardization, profit incentives 
can often lead companies to develop unique, proprietary power sources. 
The Army has a policy to encourage standardization, but the other 
services lack comparable policies. Although it is generally more 
economical to address standardization early in the acquisition process 
and prior to the deployment of weapon systems or equipment to the 
field, opportunities may exist to increase standardization by 
retrofitting weapon systems or equipment for which a proprietary power 
source has already been developed. This was recently done successfully 
with the TALON bomb disposal robot. DOD's lack of emphasis on power 
source standardization limits opportunities to obtain potential 
benefits, including reduced item unit costs and a smaller logistical 
footprint. 

Efforts to Standardize Lack Sufficient Emphasis and Oversight: 

It is important to emphasize standardization early in a program before 
certain system decisions are made. Without early consideration of the 
available standard power source, the design parameters of a system may 
become more constrained as other parts are developed and integrated. 
As a result, remaining space may not be sufficient to fit the shape of 
appropriate standard power sources. Although in some cases developing 
a program-unique power source is necessary because of legitimate 
constraints, such as necessary limitations on the space available for 
a power source, officials told us that companies may develop program- 
unique power sources unnecessarily. Not requiring power source 
standardization can result in unnecessary proliferation that may 
ultimately have downstream implications in terms of resupplying the 
warfighter. DOD officials we spoke with agree that the department 
needs to increase its emphasis on power source standardization. 
However, DOD lacks a departmentwide policy to help emphasize power 
source standardization and compel early consideration of standard 
power sources. We found that without policies requiring 
standardization, programs may choose to develop or select nonstandard 
power sources when an existing military standard or other preferred 
item could have been used, potentially hindering standardization 
efforts. 

DOD and industry officials told us that power sources are often not 
considered by program offices, or are thought of by acquisition 
officials as a peripheral concern because of the low costs relative to 
overall program costs. Additionally, according to the Defense 
Standardization Program, DOD's performance-based acquisition policies 
give contractors primary responsibility for recommending the use of 
standard components to meet performance requirements. DOD officials 
and power source company representatives have told us that program 
managers may choose not to exercise oversight of these contractor 
decisions. Further, during these discussions, we were told that 
companies have a profit motive to develop proprietary power sources as 
part of the acquisition of a weapon system or equipment because they 
would prefer to be sole-source suppliers. Thus, they may not consider 
standard options that would provide more optimal solutions for DOD 
customers. 

According to DOD officials, an instance of a contractor choosing a 
proprietary power source over an existing battery occurred with the 
batteries for two radio systems used by the Army and the Marine Corps--
the AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio and the AN/PRC-152 
Falcon radio. Though the radios are functionally similar, they each 
use a program-unique proprietary battery instead of an existing 
battery or a battery common to both radios. Further, although the 
batteries are very similar in design and each will fit in the other 
device, a superficial design characteristic on one battery prohibits 
the battery from powering the other manufacturer's radio. In addition, 
the charger interfaces are not compatible, so the batteries cannot be 
charged using a single charger without modification, such as through 
an adapter. As a result, the service users of the two radios must 
manage inventories for two types of batteries and chargers, and the 
soldiers in the field have to ensure that they take the correct 
battery for their radio since the other battery will not be 
compatible. Also, the military services are unable to competitively 
procure the batteries because each is a proprietary device and the 
services must rely on the sole-source supplier of each battery--
potentially increasing the risk of item shortages or delays. 

Though DOD officials we spoke with in the power sources area agree 
that the department needs to increase emphasis on power source 
standardization early in programs, existing organizational efforts 
lack authority and resources to implement any policies. For example, 
DOD's Defense Standardization Program established the Joint 
Standardization Board for Power Source Systems to focus specifically 
on power source standardization.[Footnote 29] According to the board's 
charter, it serves as a standing technical group for power source 
standardization efforts.[Footnote 30] Its specific role is to 
participate in the development of an overarching DOD standardization 
strategy for power sources and to promote commonality of component 
parts or interfaces by facilitating a coordinated approach with joint 
programs. However, the Chairman of the Joint Standardization Board for 
Power Source Systems told us that though the board is part of the 
Defense Standardization Program, it does not have the funding it needs 
to function and thus has had little impact. He added that other joint 
standardization boards have significant user funding because 
particular acquisition program managers, or sponsors, have a vested 
interest in the results of their work. 

Officials from this board also noted that while emphasizing 
standardization early in acquisition programs will undoubtedly yield 
future benefits, DOD lacks a comprehensive plan for creating an 
appropriate level of emphasis on power source standardization and that 
DOD also lacks a policy for ensuring the achievement of 
standardization goals. Accordingly, these officials recommended in a 
Defense Standardization Program publication that DOD establish a plan 
(in conjunction with power source experts from throughout the federal 
government, industry, and academia) to create an appropriate level of 
DOD-wide emphasis on standardization. Further, they recommended that 
DOD create a policy that addresses the use of nonstandard power 
sources and that might articulate a process of senior-level review to 
determine if requests to use nonstandard power sources are justified. 

Army Policy Encourages Standardization, but Other Services Lack 
Comparable Policies: 

The most significant DOD power source standardization policy we found 
related to acquisition programs is section 8.8 of Army Regulation (AR) 
70-1.[Footnote 31] Two main objectives of this policy are to decrease 
the number and types of batteries the Army uses and limit the 
development of unique batteries except where necessary. The regulation 
prioritizes use of military or commercial standard rechargeable 
batteries in acquisition programs, with a particular emphasis on using 
rechargeable batteries. Program managers are supposed to coordinate 
system battery requirements with Army power source subject matter 
experts, who we were told are currently in the Army Power Division. 
[Footnote 32] For programs where military or commercial standard 
rechargeable battery types are not practical, program offices can 
choose from a list of military-preferred batteries. The regulation 
requires that program managers obtain an Army acquisition executive 
approval--which we were told is the responsibility of the Assistant 
Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology--if a 
program manager intends to use batteries other than those articulated 
in the regulation. This approval is based on a favorable technical 
evaluation by Army Power Division officials. 

Army Power Division officials stated that there are several 
difficulties associated with ensuring that acquisition programs 
consistently follow the regulation. They said that section 8.8 of AR 
70-1 can only succeed if there is an effective mechanism for ensuring 
that acquisition programs comply with it, and they identified 
challenges that may compromise effective implementation of the 
regulation. First, Army Power Division officials told us that program 
managers might not be aware of the requirements. They said that they 
do not know how many Army acquisition programs comply with section 8.8 
of AR 70-1 since they are only aware of the programs to which they 
provide consulting services as part of the regulation. They could not 
tell us if any programs did not comply with the regulation and 
therefore did not request a technical evaluation before developing a 
program-unique battery. 

Second, they said that program managers may not comply with AR 70-1 
because they do not understand the potential downstream logistical 
issues that can occur when battery decisions are not made early in the 
acquisition process. Army Power Division officials said they prefer to 
get involved with an acquisition program early in the process so they 
can help identify the best battery solution before system decisions 
restrict potential choices. They said that to do so they have to earn 
the respect and trust of program managers so that these programs will 
seek technical consultation early in the process. They added that the 
Army Power Division proactively tries to establish and maintain good 
relationships with the different Army program offices that might have 
battery needs. 

Third, the Army Power Division receives approximately half of its 
funding via customer reimbursement, meaning that it receives funding 
from program offices when it provides consultative services. These 
variables put the Army Power Division in a difficult position when 
current and potential acquisition program customers of their technical 
services request a favorable technical evaluation to support use of a 
program-unique battery. Army Power Division officials told us that 
their evaluation may be influenced by their desire to avoid 
compromising existing relationships with program offices. They added 
that an unfavorable evaluation may lead the program manager to forgo 
consultation with the Army Power Division in the future, meaning the 
Army Power Division would lose a customer and associated funding. 
Further, these officials told us that if a program were to request an 
evaluation of a nonstandard battery late in the weapon system or 
equipment development process (such as right before the start of 
production), the Army Power Division might suggest approval of the 
battery to the Army acquisition executive to avoid delaying production. 

While Army officials acknowledge compliance issues, the Program 
Manager-Mobile Electric Power has recently established the position 
Product Director for Batteries to help facilitate central coordination 
to reduce battery proliferation in the Army based on a perceived lack 
of central coordination in the Army on battery issues.[Footnote 33] 
This position has just been established and thus has not yet had much 
impact, but the Product Director for Batteries told us that pending 
approval he intends to eventually take over and update section 8.8 of 
AR 70-1--including enforcement and approving or denying of waiver 
applications--as well as any other Army battery standardization 
efforts. He told us that because he is a program manager he will have 
more authority than the Army Power Division to promulgate and enforce 
policies applicable to increasing the emphasis on standardization. 
[Footnote 34] 

Aside from the Army efforts, we found limited power source 
standardization efforts in the other military services. In general, 
they are limited to specific applications, such as aircraft, and are 
not applicable to the whole service or are not departmentwide. The 
Navy has several platform-specific efforts within the Naval Air 
Systems Command to develop military performance specifications for 
multiple battery types to limit proliferation of aircraft battery 
types. The Marine Corps Systems Command has developed an interactive 
computer-adaptive tool to help acquisition personnel in selecting 
appropriate, existing batteries for their programs. Also, the Marine 
Corps Systems Command has a topic paper on electrical connectors--
including connectors for batteries--that is intended to reduce 
proliferation of the connectors that connect the battery to weapon 
systems or equipment. However, use of these tools is voluntary. We did 
not find any Air Force-wide processes for encouraging the use of 
existing standard or other preferred power sources. 

DOD Has Not Evaluated Departmentwide Opportunities to Standardize 
Power Sources in Deployed Weapon Systems and Equipment: 

Although it is generally more economical to address standardization 
early in the acquisition process and prior to the deployment of weapon 
systems or equipment to the field, opportunities may exist to increase 
standardization by retrofitting weapon systems or equipment for which 
a proprietary power source has already been developed. However, DOD 
has not undertaken a departmentwide assessment to identify other 
weapon systems or equipment that use a nonstandard power source but 
that could be retrofitted with a more efficient and lower-cost 
standard power source with a relatively small investment. Such efforts 
may provide significant cost savings and operational benefits. 
[Footnote 35] For example, Army and Navy research organizations 
replaced the expensive proprietary batteries used by TALON bomb 
disposal robots with military standard batteries that are already in 
the DLA inventory. Army officials noted that their standardization 
effort for the TALON robot generated a cost savings of about $7,000 
per unit of the system. A Navy effort to retrofit TALON robots with 
military standard batteries extended the robot's battery life by 23 
percent. Because of the success of the standardization effort in terms 
of cost and operational advantages, the Marine Corps and the Army 
replaced proprietary battery packs with the retrofitted military 
standard batteries for deployed units of the system. 

Standardization May Provide Benefits to Both DOD and the Industrial 
Base: 

DOD's lack of emphasis on power source standardization limits 
opportunities to obtain potential benefits, including reduced item 
unit costs and a smaller logistical footprint. According to a Defense 
Standardization Program case study of an effort by the Army to 
standardize batteries, standardization may enable DOD components to 
offer manufacturers greater production volumes and avoid reliance on 
sole-source suppliers for mission-critical items, which may result in 
a healthier industrial base and improved operational readiness. 
[Footnote 36] In general, the military battery industrial base in the 
United States is characterized by small and midsized companies that 
operate in an environment with lower sales volume compared to the 
commercial battery industry. One study of the industry characterized 
the United States military battery industry as struggling for survival 
with some companies relying solely on government sales for income. 
[Footnote 37] Further, DOD demand is irregular because of fluctuations 
based on periods of increased or decreased military activity. For 
example, a surge in demand for some non-rechargeable batteries related 
to the initiation of combat operations in Iraq exceeded the amount 
that the industrial base could produce--which threatened to reduce 
military capability.[Footnote 38] Though representatives from a major 
DOD battery supplier told us that they would prefer to develop and be 
the sole-source supplier of proprietary power sources, they noted that 
absent this option they would prefer a scenario where companies could 
compete to produce standard power sources in order to stabilize their 
production volumes and revenue. Actions that could contribute to the 
health of the industrial base--such as providing for greater 
production volumes through increased standardization--could be 
beneficial to DOD in ensuring the continued availability of military 
battery producers and mitigating future potential production and 
supply shortfalls. 

Conclusions: 

The goal of any acquisition program is to provide the warfighter with 
the best possible weapon system or equipment. However, in light of 
increasing dependence on power sources, supporting the warfighter's 
power needs with more power, longer life, and less weight--as well as 
ease and sufficiency of supply--is also crucial. The proliferation of 
unique battery types could become more pronounced and ultimately 
affect the warfighter as military power demands increase. The current 
manner in which DOD manages its power source investments and 
translates them into products that meet warfighter needs is less than 
optimal. Specifically, DOD is not able to efficiently and effectively 
plan future investments if it lacks of strategic investment knowledge 
of its total power source investment in S&T, logistics support, and 
acquisition programs. Further, while DOD mechanisms for coordinating 
power source S&T projects appear effective, their success depends on 
voluntary participation by all pertinent agencies. Incomplete 
participation in coordination mechanisms limits opportunities to 
leverage common efforts. Though DOD has some standardization efforts, 
decisions on what power sources will be put into new equipment and 
ultimately the hands of the warfighter and the supply system are often 
not made by DOD program managers and hence these programs may 
unnecessarily use proprietary power sources. Improving management and 
coordination of the power sources area could help DOD achieve optimal 
return on its investment. Without sufficient departmentwide 
investment data; more effectively coordinated investments; and 
increased power source standardization, optimal DOD outcomes in this 
area cannot be expected. 

Recommendations for Executive Action: 

To increase oversight of power source investments and to allow for 
enhanced strategic planning, we recommend that the Secretary of 
Defense consider how to best aggregate departmentwide investment data 
(from S&T, logistics support, and acquisition programs) in the power 
sources area and develop a mechanism to aggregate power source 
investment data across these investment categories at a level 
sufficient to guide decisions and policy. 

To ensure a high level of interagency participation and coordination 
in the power sources S&T area, we recommend that the Secretary of 
Defense determine methods to strengthen pertinent member agency 
participation in interagency coordination mechanisms. 

To increase DOD-wide emphasis on power source standardization both 
during design of weapon systems and equipment as well as for deployed 
systems, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense identify and 
direct the appropriate office(s) to take the following actions: 

* Develop a plan to optimize use of standard power sources for weapon 
system or equipment types that are more amenable to such 
standardization. 

* Develop a DOD-wide policy--based on the above standardization plan-- 
similar to section 8.8 of Army AR 70-1 that requires senior 
acquisition executive approval before allowing acquisition programs to 
use a power source that is not standard or preferred. As part of this 
new policy, consider requiring an independent review of the 
appropriateness of using the nonstandard or nonpreferred power source. 

* Identify opportunities to cost effectively retrofit deployed weapon 
systems and equipment that use a proprietary power source with an 
existing military standard or other preferred power source. 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation: 

In written comments on a draft of this report, DOD concurred with one 
of our five recommendations and partially concurred with four. The 
department stated that it had already taken or plans to take specific 
actions in response to our recommendations, but it is unclear from DOD’
s response what these actions entail. 

DOD concurred with our recommendation that the Secretary of Defense 
consider how to best aggregate departmentwide investment data (from 
S&T, logistics support, and acquisition programs) in the power sources 
area and develop a mechanism to aggregate power source investment data 
across these investment categories at a level sufficient to guide 
decisions and policy. We believe that aggregating these data is 
important to inform decision making and investment in the power sources 
area. 

DOD partially concurred with our recommendation that the Secretary of 
Defense determine methods to strengthen pertinent member agency 
participation in interagency coordination mechanisms. DOD commented 
that existing coordination mechanisms are generally effective and have 
been improving since the office of the Director, Operational Energy 
Plans and Programs (DOEPP) was established. DOD added that the DOEPP 
office will continue to seek ways to strengthen interagency coordination. 
However, DOD did not provide specific information on how it believes 
coordination mechanisms have improved or what additional methods might 
be used to strengthen coordination. Our review identified voluntary 
attendance and varying participation in interagency groups that if 
enhanced could further improve coordination. 

DOD also partially concurred with three recommendations related to 
power source standardization, namely, that the Secretary of Defense: 1) 
identify and direct appropriate office(s) to develop a plan to 
optimize use of standard power sources for weapon systems or equipment 
types more amenable to standardization; 2) develop a DOD-wide policy 
similar to section 8.8 of Army AR 70-1 that requires senior 
acquisition executive approval before allowing acquisition programs to 
use a power source that is not standard or preferred; and 3) identify 
opportunities to cost effectively retrofit deployed weapons systems 
and equipment that use a proprietary power source with an existing 
military standard or other preferred power source. DOD indicated that 
on-going activities led by the DOEPP office are adequately addressing 
all these needs and no expansion of effort is necessary. However, DOD 
did not provide any details related to specific, ongoing DOEPP activities 
addressing these needs, and we found no evidence of any such DOD or 
DOEPP actions while conducting our review. While DOD established the 
DOEPP office in October 2009, it has only had a Director since June 
2010. In late August 2010, DEOPP office officials informed us that they 
were still writing position descriptions and working to gather the personnel 
required to support their efforts, but gave no indication that any 
substantive work had been undertaken. Our review revealed there is no 
DOD-wide plan or policy to emphasize power source standardization, 
even though DOD officials told us that DOD needs further emphasis in 
this area. Without a departmentwide plan to emphasize or compel early 
consideration of standard power sources, the use of unique, 
proprietary power sources will likely continue and DOD will not be 
able to obtain the full benefits of standardization, such as reduced 
item unit costs and a smaller logistical footprint. 

By not identifying specific actions the department has taken or plans 
to take to implement our recommendations, we believe that DOD may not 
have appropriately considered our recommendations, and as a result we 
are concerned that in the coming months it will not seek ways to fully 
implement these recommendations. 

DOD’s written comments are reprinted in appendix III. 

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Defense; the 
Deputy Secretary of Defense; the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; the Secretaries of the Army, 
Navy, and Air Force; the Commandant of the Marine Corps; the Director, 
Office of Management and Budget; and other interested parties. The 
report also is available at no charge on the GAO Web site at [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov]. 

Should you or your staff have any questions concerning this report, 
please contact me at (202) 512-4841 or sullivanm@gao.gov. Contact 
points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs 
may be found on the last page of this report. Key contributors to this 
report are listed in appendix IV. 

Sincerely yours, 

Signed by: 

Michael J. Sullivan:
Director:
Acquisition and Sourcing Management: 

[End of section] 

Appendix I: Scope and Methodology: 

For the purposes of this report, we limited "power sources" to 
tactical power sources used for soldier-portable and vehicle 
applications (e.g., motorized land vehicles, aircraft, and ships) as 
well as munitions and satellite power sources. We excluded power 
sources for operational or strategic applications, including power 
sources used to support installations such as temporary or permanent 
military facilities, because of the size and complexity of the 
tactical power sources portfolio and its significance to the efforts 
of the warfighter. We focused on batteries, fuel cells, and capacitors 
based on (1) language in the congressional mandate, (2) predominance 
of batteries among tactically deployed power sources, and (3) the 
recommendations of Department of Defense (DOD) experts.[Footnote 39] 

To determine DOD's total investment in power sources, we met with 
officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and across 
DOD component organizations to determine an appropriate methodology 
for collecting as complete a set of investment data as possible. We 
divided investment into three categories generally based on the three 
main defense technology life cycle areas: (1) science and technology 
(S&T); (2) logistics support, or the provision of logistics, materiel, 
and transportation according to military needs; and (3) power sources 
for DOD weapon systems or equipment acquisition programs. Based on a 
review of the budget and on discussions with OSD officials, we found 
that there was no central repository for DOD investments in power 
source S&T. DOD officials told us that one would have to request the 
data from each pertinent S&T organization. As a result, we developed a 
data collection instrument asking each research organization to 
provide data on all power source projects within our scope. 
Specifically, we requested project-level information, including the 
project name, purpose, budget activity, and funding history from 
fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2010. We also requested data on 
projected future funding, but not all organizations were able to 
provide this information. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) compiled 
the data for the Navy since ONR manages all Department of the Navy S&T 
funds, including those for the Marine Corps. The Army Deputy Director 
for Technology from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army 
for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology's Research and Technology 
Division compiled the data from the Army research organizations. The 
Air Force Research Laboratory compiled data for Air Force power source 
S&T projects. We assessed the reliability of these S&T data by (1) 
performing electronic testing of required data elements and (2) 
obtaining responses from agency officials knowledgeable about the 
data. We determined that the data were sufficiently reliable for the 
purposes of presenting an approximate total of S&T investments in this 
report. This investment amount is approximate because creating an 
exhaustive list of all power source S&T projects was not possible 
because of the lack of centralized DOD management of this area and the 
fact that we had to rely on data gathered by each research 
organization. Additionally, since some organizations involved in this 
area are funded by other DOD customers, it is difficult to accurately 
track the precise amounts of funding for specific projects. 

We also interviewed officials from each service and its component 
research organizations about S&T efforts in the power sources area. 
For the Army, we met with the Army Deputy Director for Technology from 
the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, 
Logistics and Technology, Research and Technology Division; officials 
from the Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command; officials 
from the Army Research Laboratory; officials from the Army Communications- 
Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center's Army Power 
Division; and the Program Manager-Mobile Electric Power Product 
Director for Batteries. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for 
Installations and Environment, and the Army Tank Automotive Research, 
Development and Engineering Center both provided written responses to 
our questions. For the Navy, we spoke with officials from ONR; Navy 
Surface Warfare Center Crane Division; the Naval Undersea Warfare 
Center Newport Division; the Naval Air Systems Command's Power and 
Energy Division; and the Marine Corps Systems Command. The Assistant 
Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment 
provided written responses to our questions. For the Air Force, we 
spoke with officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory, and we 
obtained written responses from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the 
Air Force for Energy, Environment, Safety and Occupational Health and 
the Air Force Materiel Command. We also obtained written responses 
from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). We also 
spoke with officials from U.S. Special Operations Command and obtained 
data on their power sources S&T investments. 

To assess the involvement of the defense power sources industry in DOD 
investments in power source S&T, we met with representatives of Saft 
America Inc. (Saft), Advanced Thermal Batteries, and EaglePicher 
Technologies, LLC (EaglePicher). According to the companies, Saft and 
EaglePicher are two large DOD battery suppliers. We also attended an 
annual power sources technology conference as well as two meetings of 
the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Military Power 
Sources Committee and spoke with representatives from additional 
companies, including Alion Science and Technology, Dow Kokam, and 
Yardney Technical Products. We also gathered information through 
interviews with and written responses from the membership of the NDIA 
Military Power Sources Committee in order to gain additional 
perspective from the industry. We also met with members of the South 
Carolina Research Authority's Defense Advanced Battery Manufacturing 
Coalition. 

To determine DOD's investments in power sources as part of a DOD 
weapon systems or equipment acquisition programs, we initially 
searched DOD budget requests to locate power source investment data 
related to acquisition programs. This method demonstrated that power 
sources are typically not broken out as specific cost elements of 
budget request line items related to acquisition programs. We were 
told by cognizant DOD officials that this information was not 
available in an aggregated format. Though we judged that the scope of 
DOD's existing acquisition programs, which includes around 100 major 
defense acquisition programs and smaller programs, was too large for 
us to obtain information from every program, we decided to obtain 
information from selected programs. We did not assess the reliability 
of acquisition program data because we determined that it would not be 
feasible for DOD to generate these data to enable us to determine the 
investment in this area for this report. We selected weapon systems 
and equipment from each of the military services to provide a cross 
section of weapon system and equipment types (e.g., aircraft, 
satellites, ships, vehicles, and portable electronics). As part of 
this effort, we spoke with program office officials and obtained data 
from the following programs: 

* Army: Patriot/MEADS missile and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. 

* Navy: Joint Program Executive Office for the Joint Tactical Radio 
System, DDG 1000 destroyer, AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided 
Missile, P-8A Poseidon, Joint Multi-mission Submersible, Mine-Resistant 
Ambush Protected vehicle, and the V-22 Osprey program offices. 

* Air Force: Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Navstar Global 
Positioning System (GPS) GPS III, and Advanced Extremely High Frequency 
satellites program offices. 

To determine DOD's investments in logistics support, we requested 
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) data on sales of power sources to the 
military from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2010. Though these 
data do not include power sources that DLA might have procured as part 
of its inventory management processes, they do include all power 
sources that the military services bought from DLA during this period. 
To obtain data on military service power source procurements that 
occur outside of DLA, we obtained data from the Air Force Materiel 
Command, the Naval Supply Systems Command, and the Army Materiel Command. 
We assessed the reliability of logistics support data by (1) 
performing electronic testing of required data elements and (2) 
obtaining responses from agency officials knowledgeable about the 
data. We determined that the data were sufficiently reliable for the 
purposes of presenting a minimum investment in this area in this 
report. Our investment total for logistics support represents a 
minimum amount because, as DOD officials informed us, the data we 
obtained from DLA and military service logistics databases do not 
capture power source purchases made as part of contract logistics 
support--a type of contracting activity on which DOD has relied 
extensively. 

To assess the degree to which DOD coordinates power source 
investments, we spoke with cognizant officials from each of the 
military services, research organizations across DOD, and DLA--
including DLA's Battery Network group. For information on coordination 
of S&T investments, we spoke with the Army Deputy Director for 
Technology from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for 
Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, Research and Technology Division; 
officials from the Army Research, Development, and Engineering 
Command; officials from the Army Research Laboratory; officials from 
the Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and 
Engineering Center's Army Power Division; and the Program Manager-
Mobile Electric Power's Product Director for Batteries. The Assistant 
Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment and the Army 
Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center both 
provided written responses to our questions. For the Navy, we spoke 
with officials from the ONR, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane 
Division, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Division, the 
Naval Air Systems Command's Power and Energy Division, and the Marine 
Corps Systems Command. We also received written responses to our 
questions from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, 
Installations, and Environment. For the Air Force, we spoke with 
officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory, and we obtained 
written responses from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force 
for Energy, Environment, Safety and Occupational Health. In addition, 
we obtained written responses from the DARPA. We also spoke to 
officials from the DOD ManTech office and officials involved with the 
DOD Reliance 21 program and the Energy and Power Community of 
Interest. We also took part in a training session related to DOD-wide 
information-sharing resources. 

To assess the effectiveness of some of DOD's coordinating mechanisms, 
we attended the 44TH Power Sources Conference where industry, 
academic, and DOD power source researchers and other experts discussed 
ongoing power source S&T efforts. We attended the annual meeting of 
the Chemical Working Group of the Interagency Advanced Power Group as 
well as a meeting of the Power Sources Technology Working Group. In 
addition, we spoke with members of the Lithium Battery 
Technical/Safety Group. To assess DOD coordination with the Department 
of Energy (DOE), we spoke with representatives of the Joint DOD/DOE 
Munitions Technology Development Program and the DOE Office of Vehicle 
Technologies. We also drew extensively on other GAO work related to 
interagency coordination. 

To assess the extent to which DOD's policies facilitate the use of 
standard power sources, we met with cognizant officials from each of 
the military services, including officials from the Army 
Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering 
Center and the Program Manager-Mobile Electric Power's Product 
Director for Batteries. We received written responses to questions 
from an official from the Defense Standardization Program's Joint 
Standardization Board for Power Source Systems. We also received 
written responses from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, 
Installations, and Environment; the Assistant Secretary of the Army 
for Installations and Environment; and the Deputy Assistant Secretary 
of the Air Force for Energy, Environment, Safety and Occupational 
Health. We also reviewed applicable standardization policies and 
regulations. 

We conducted this performance audit from December 2009 to December 
2010 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit 
to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable 
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for 
our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 

[End of section] 

Appendix II: DOD Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) 
Budget Activities: 

Budget activity: 1. Basic Research; 
Description of activity: Systematic study directed toward greater 
knowledge or understanding of fundamental aspects of phenomena without 
specific applications toward processes or products in mind. 

Budget activity: 2. Applied Research; 
Description of activity: Systematic study to understand the means to 
meet a recognized and specific need. 

Budget activity: 3. Advanced Technology Development; 
Description of activity: Development of subsystems and components and 
efforts to integrate subsystems and components into system prototypes 
for field experiments, tests in a simulated environment, or both. 

Budget activity: 4. Advanced Component Development and Prototypes; 
Description of activity: Efforts necessary to evaluate integrated 
technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high-
fidelity and realistic operating environment. 

Budget activity: 5. System Development and Demonstration; 
Description of activity: Conducting engineering and manufacturing 
development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to 
full-rate production. 

Budget activity: 6. RDT&E Management Support; 
Description of activity: RDT&E efforts and funds to sustain, modernize, 
or both, the installations or operations required for general RDT&E. 

Budget activity: 7. Operational Systems Development; 
Description of activity: Development efforts to upgrade systems that 
have been fielded or have received approval for full-rate production 
and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal 
year. 

Source: GAO analysis of DOD Financial Management Regulation DOD 
7000-14R, Volume 2B, Chapter 5, July 2008. 

[End of table] 

[End of section] 

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Defense: 

Director of Defense Research And Engineering: 
3040 Defense Pentagon: 
Washington DC 20301-3040: 

Mr. Michael J. Sullivan: 
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management: 
U.S. Government Accountability Office: 
441 G Street. N.W. 
Washington. DC 20548: 

Dear Mr. Sullivan: 

This is the Department of Defense (DoD) response to the GAO Draft 
Report. GAO-11-113. "Defense Acquisition: Opportunities Exist to 
Improve DOD's Oversight of Power Source Investments." dated November 
10. 2010 (GAO Code 120872). DoD's response to the report 
recommendations is enclosed. 

Sincerely, 

Signed by: 

Zachary J. Lemnios: 

Enclosure: As stated: 

[End of letter] 

Draft Report Dated November 10, 2010: 
GAO-11-113 (GAO CODE 120872): 

"Defense Acquisitions: Opportunities Exist to Improve DOD's Oversight of
Power Source Investments" 

Department Of Defense Comments To The GAO Recommendations: 

Recommendation 1: The GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense 
consider how to best aggregate department wide investment data (from 
S&T, logistics support, and acquisition programs) in the power sources 
area and develop a mechanism to aggregate power source investment data 
across these investment categories at a level sufficient to guide 
decisions and policy. (See page 31/GAO Draft Report.) 

DoD Response: Concur. The Director of Operational Energy Plans and 
Programs (DOEPP) has initiated efforts to aggregate power source 
investment data more effectively. 

Recommendation 2: The GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense 
determine methods to strengthen pertinent member agency participation 
in interagency coordination mechanisms. (See page 31/GAO Draft Report.) 

DoD Response: Partially concur. Existing coordination methods are 
generally effective, and have been improving with the stand-up of the 
DOEPP office. Under DOEPP leadership, the Department will continue to 
seek ways of strengthening interagency coordination. 

Recommendation 3: The GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense 
identify and direct the appropriate office(s) to develop a plan to 
optimize use of standard power sources for weapon system or equipment 
types that are more amenable to such standardization. (See page 31/GAO 
Draft Report.) 

DoD Response: Partially concur. On-going activities led by DOEPP are 
adequately addressing this need, and no expansion of effort is 
required. 

Recommendation 4: The GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense 
develop a DOD-wide policy-based on the above standardization plan-
similar to section 8.8 of Army AR 70-1 that requires senior 
acquisition executive approval before allowing acquisition programs to 
use a power source that is not standard or preferred. As part of this 
new policy, consider requiring an independent review of the 
appropriateness of using the nonstandard or nonpreferred power source. 
(See page 31 /GAO Draft Report.) 

DoD Response: Partially concur. On-going activities led by DOEPP are 
adequately addressing this need, and no expansion of effort is 
required. Also, within the standardization efforts, there is a need to 
preserve some flexibility for forward-deployed commanders to adjust as 
conditions on the ground may require. 

Recommendation 5: The GAO recommends that the Secretary of Defense 
identify opportunities to cost effectively retrofit deployed weapons 
systems and equipment that use a proprietary power source with an 
existing military standard or other preferred power source. (See page 
32/GAO Draft Report.) 

DoD Response: Partially concur. On-going activities led by DOEPP are 
adequately addressing this need, and no expansion of effort is 
required. 

[End of section] 

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments: 

GAO Contact: 

Michael J. Sullivan, (202) 512-4841 or sullivanm@gao.gov. 

Staff Acknowledgments: 

In addition to the contact named above, Art Gallegos, Assistant 
Director; John Oppenheim, Assistant Director; Frederick K. Childers; 
John Dell’Osso; Rosa Johnson; John Krump; C. James Madar; Bill Solis; 
Don Springman; Bob Swierczek; and Mark Viehman made key contributions 
to this report. 

[End of section] 

Footnotes: 

[1] The batteries that were in short supply are used by United States 
troops to communicate, acquire targets, and gain situational awareness 
on the battlefield. Specifically, these non-rechargeable batteries 
provide a portable power source for nearly 60 critical military 
communication and electronic systems, including two radio systems, a 
missile guidance system, and a transmission security device. 

[2] GAO, Defense Logistics: Actions Needed to Improve the Availability 
of Critical Items during Current and Future Operations, [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-275] (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 8, 
2005). Batteries have also presented logistical challenges in previous 
military conflicts. For example, the Army faced difficulties providing 
sufficient quantities of batteries during the Vietnam War and the 
Persian Gulf War. 

[3] Pub. L. No. 111-84, § 243 (2009). 

[4] GAO, Results-Oriented Government: Practices That Can Help Enhance 
and Sustain Collaboration among Federal Agencies, [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-15] (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 21, 
2005). 

[5] The term power sources spans numerous technologies with a wide 
range of functions, including energy storage and power generation. 
Energy may be stored chemically, mechanically, or electrically within 
a power source. In general, power sources generate power by 
transforming energy stored within the power source device (in the case 
of batteries) or energy that is stored external to the power source 
(in the case of fuel cells). The power output may be pulsed, burst, or 
continuous depending on the specific application. 

[6] In light of DOD-wide power source needs, the Duncan Hunter 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 mandated that 
DOD submit a roadmap on this topic. This document has not yet been 
published. Pub. L. No. 110-417, § 218 (2008). 

[7] DOD projects this total weight to increase as soldiers are 
equipped with additional electronic equipment. 

[8] The latter categories include product development and support 
activities. The majority of the investment data we gathered from the 
research organizations were in the S&T category. An explanation of 
these activities can be found in appendix II. 

[9] The SBIR program is a competitive program designed to increase the 
participation of the nation's small, high-tech, innovative businesses 
in the federal government's research and development efforts. 

[10] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-15]. 

[11] GAO, DOD’s High-Risk Areas: Actions Needed to Reduce 
Vulnerabilities and Improve Business Outcomes, [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-460T] (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 12, 
2009). 

[12] Creating an exhaustive list of all power source S&T projects was 
not possible because of the lack of centralized DOD management of data 
on these projects. We had to rely on data gathered by each research 
organization identified by DOD, and the potential exists that some 
pertinent organizations were not identified. Additionally, since some 
organizations involved in this area are funded by other DOD customers, 
it is difficult to accurately track the precise amounts of funding for 
specific projects. 

[13] Capacitors have been used for consumer-oriented electronic 
devices and other commercial applications for a long time, but the 
types required for these DOD applications are still an immature 
technology. 

[14] The Defense Technical Information Center maintains a database 
called the Research and Engineering Database. The purpose of the 
database is to make information on S&T projects available to 
researchers and engineers across DOD. 

[15] The military services purchase power sources from the DLA 
inventory according to their needs. The prices at which DLA sells 
power sources to the military services are marked up from what DLA 
originally paid to account for the cost of managing supply and 
distribution of these items. 

[16] We obtained logistics support investment data from the military 
services. The data came from multiple databases and acquisition 
program sources. We did not include the services’ data in the total 
amount because we lacked sufficient information about the reliability 
of these data. However, the amounts were very small compared to the 
DLA total. 

[17] GAO, Defense Management: DOD Needs to Reexamine Its Extensive 
Reliance on Contractors and Continue to Improve Management and 
Oversight, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-572T] 
(Washington, D.C.: Mar. 11, 2008). 

[18] Each service has an assistant or deputy assistant secretary who 
has responsibility for energy and power issues. 

[19] This position was established by the Duncan Hunter National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, Pub. L. No. 110-417, § 
902 (2008). Operational energy is the energy required for moving and 
sustaining DOD’s forces and weapons platforms for military operations. 

[20] DOD is currently managing about 100 Acquisition Category (ACAT) I 
programs, which are programs at or above a funding threshold of more 
than $365 million in fiscal year 2000 constant dollars or, for 
procurement, of more than $2.190 billion in fiscal year 2000 constant 
dollars. GAO, Defense Acquisition: Observations on Weapon Program 
Performance and Acquisition Reforms, [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-706T] (Washington, D.C.: May 19, 
2010). 

[21] We spoke to officials in 12 program offices for major acquisition 
programs designated ACAT I. We also attempted to identify smaller 
acquisition programs for the purpose of assessing how some programs 
acquired power sources. However, we were unable to identify active 
programs below the ACAT I level. 

[22] Although some programs may select a COTS power source, they are 
not suitable for all defense applications, especially those that are 
highly specialized (e.g., missiles) or for programs that require 
reliability and survivability in adverse environmental conditions. 

[23] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-15]. 

[24] One such example is the October 2009 Power Sources Technology 
Roadmap sponsored by the Power Sources Technical Working Group of the 
DOD Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel. 

[25] The Reliance 21 program was established to perform integrated 
strategic planning for DOD S&T and encourage transparency across 
components. 

[26] GAO, Defense Management: Overarching Organizational Framework 
Needed to Guide and Oversee Energy Reduction Efforts for Military 
Operations, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-426] 
(Washington, D.C.: Mar. 13, 2008). 

[27] Pub. L. No. 110-417, § 331 (2008). 

[28] GAO, Best Practices: Stronger Practices Needed to Improve DOD 
Technology Transition Processes, [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-883] (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 14, 
2006). 

[29] The Defense Standardization Program is a program established by 
DOD and is responsible for promoting standardization throughout DOD. 
Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics, Defense Standardization 
Program (DSP): Policies and Procedures, DOD 4120.24-M (March 2000). 

[30] The Joint Standardization Board for Power Source Systems is one 
of nine chartered joint standardization boards under the Defense 
Standardization Program that are focused on different technology 
areas. Each board is responsible for advancing interoperability, 
logistical readiness, and cost efficiency within its technology focus 
areas. These boards also provide standardization advocacy, guidance, 
and executive-level support, ensuring high-level oversight and 
advocacy of strategic standardization initiatives. OSD Memorandum for 
Joint Battery Technical Working Group, Subject: Joint Standardization 
Board for Power Source Systems (June 8, 2006). 

[31] Army Regulation 70-1: Research, Development, Acquisition: Army 
Acquisition Policy, para. 8-8, December 2003. 

[32] These experts formerly made up the Power Sources Center of 
Excellence, but now this responsibility has been transferred to the 
Army Power Division of the Army Communication-Electronics Research, 
Development, and Engineering Center. 

[33] This position is in the office of the Program Manager-Mobile 
Electric Power, which has traditionally dealt with attempting to create 
DOD-wide standards for military generators. 

[34] Before his position was established, the Product Director for 
Batteries discussed the possibility of establishing such a position 
with relevant organizations throughout the Army. Officials in these 
organizations thought that the idea of a having battery director was 
warranted to facilitate improving management in this area. Though a 
charter is still forthcoming, the mission of his office will be to 
facilitate central coordination in this area. 

[35] In some cases, retrofitting may be achieved through the use of an 
adapter cable that enables a system to use a standard battery. 

[36] Defense Standardization Program, Army Battery Standardization: 
Rechargeable Batteries Power the Future Force (2002). 

[37] Department of Defense, Battery Manufacturing Gap Study (July 2004). 

[38] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-275]. 

[39] We conducted an analysis of the total weight of power sources 
carried by soldiers during a typical mission based on initial 
information that the combined weight of these power sources is overly 
burdensome. We found that the total weight of power sources carried by 
soldiers is not as significant as has been suggested by some sources. 

[End of section] 

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