Acquisition of the Army Airborne Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Minefield Detection System

摘要

We reviewed the Army's preparation of the Airborne Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Minefield Detection System (ASTAMIDS) program for the low-rate initial production decision program review. Additionally, because ASTAMIDS will provide sensor data to the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS), we reviewed the working relationships between the ASTAMIDS acquisition manager and the acquisition managers developing FCS. Army acquisition managers did not fully use memoranda of agreement to define the current working relationships needed to develop ASTAMIDS as part of the FCS system-of-systems. This made it more difficult for acquisition managers to resolve multiple technical, scheduling, and funding requirements gaps between ASTAMIDS and FCS. The Army Director, Accelerated Capabilities Developments, had not begun to develop the capability production document needed to support the ASTAMIDS low-rate initial production decision program review planned for March 2009. The capability production document is needed to support effective and efficient planning, funding, and execution of the program. The Project Manager, Close Combat Systems, did not work with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to develop a memorandum of agreement to allow the agency to provide effective oversight of contractor development of ASTAMIDS. The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) should direct Army acquisition managers to better define working relationships in agreements for developing ASTAMIDS as part of FCS. We made no recommendations to the Director, Accelerated Capabilities Development, or the Project Manager, Close Combat Systems, because the director took responsive action to begin development of a capabilities production document. Additionally, the project manager signed an agreement with the DCMA to allow the agency to oversee contractor development of ASTAMIDS.