National Missile Defense: Schedule and Technical Risks Represent SignificantDevelopment Challenges

摘要

In response to your request, we are providing an initial assessment of thetechnical and schedule risks associated with the National Missile Defense (NMD) program. The Department of Defense (DOD) has indicated that it intends to ask for $2.3 billion more for this program but has not released final plans showing how it intends to use the additional funds. The information provided in this letter is necessarily limited to the NMD acquisition strategy formally defined and approved by DOD as of September 19, 1997. Although changes are expected when final plans are released, the information in this letter should be a useful point of reference from which to analyze those new plans. We continue to obtain information on these risks and other issues you asked us to examine.