Improving DOD Weapon Systems Acquisitions
Total acquisition cost growth on the 95 major defense programs in the Department of Defense's (DOD) fiscal year 2007 portfolio is estimated, as of March 2008, at $295 billion. Of the weapon programs GAO assessed this year, none had proceeded through development while meeting the best practice standards for mature technologies, stable design, and mature production processes—all prerequisites for achieving planned cost and schedule outcomes. Over the next 5 years, DOD expects to invest more than $357 billion on major defense acquisition programs. Much of this investment will be used to address cost overruns rooted in poor planning, execution, and oversight.
Across-the-board improvements in acquisition outcomes require fundamental changes. DOD officials will need to (1) make better decisions as to which programs should be pursued given existing and expected funding and, more importantly, deciding which programs should not be pursued; (2) ensure that programs that are started can be executed by matching requirements with resources and locking in those requirements; and (3) make it clear that programs will then be executed based on knowledge and holding program managers responsible for that execution.
^ Back to topKey Reports
- Defense Acquisitions: A Knowledge-Based Funding Approach Could Improve Major Weapon System Program Outcomes
- GAO-08-619, July 2, 2008
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 47 pages) Accessible Text Recommendations (HTML)
- Defense Acquisitions: Better Weapon Program Outcomes Require Discipline, Accountability, and Fundamental Changes in the Acquisition Environment
- GAO-08-782T, June 3, 2008
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 21 pages) Accessible Text
- Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs
- GAO-08-467SP, March 31, 2008
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 205 pages) Accessible Text
