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ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

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Air Combat Program

The purpose of this program is to enable DoD to successfully wage war in the air by developing and producing a variety of tactical fighter and strike aircraft.

Rating

What This Rating Means

PERFORMING
Moderately Effective

In general, a program rated Moderately Effective has set ambitious goals and is well-managed. Moderately Effective programs likely need to improve their efficiency or address other problems in the programs' design or management in order to achieve better results.
  • DoD's management of the overall air combat program is currently based on the extensive system of regulations governing how individual acquisition programs are managed. Through these regulations DoD tracks the progress of individual programs and can hold managers accountable for their programs.
  • DoD's individual programs within the overall air combat program are delivering aircraft at targeted rates, but in several cases, such as the F/A-22, at greater cost than projected.
  • DoD is moving towards an assessment of the overall capabilities provided by its programs, rather than its traditional assessment of individual acquisition programs. However, until the air combat program is managed as a single program (consisting of several systems) with clear long-term goals, it will be difficult to perform such a "capabilities based" assessment.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • Working to refine methods for assessing the effectiveness of the overall air combat program in light of the needs of the global war on terrorism.
  • Reviewing the balance of individual programs within the air combat program in light of the Quadriennial Defense Review of overall strategy.

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