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“The Air and Land Forces Subcommittee meets today to receive testimony from Government Accountability Office and Department of Defense witnesses regarding intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance programs and policies.
“ISR programs include the spectrum of manned and unmanned vehicles, from very small unmanned vehicles that weigh less than a pound, to a variety of UAV and manned aircraft programs, to multi-billion dollar, highly classified, satellite programs.
“Some ISR programs like the satellite programs and the U-2 aircraft fall within the jurisdiction of other subcommittees.
“ISR systems incorporate various sensor payloads, including electro-optical, radar, electronic, and infrared, as well as ground stations, data links, and users that include the immediate needs of the warfighter to intelligence analysts.
“Further, ISR policies and acquisition programs involve major involvement by a variety of organizations, including all the military services, the combatant commands, all the intelligence agencies, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and more recently the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization.
“There is concern as to whether an organization exists within the Department of Defense with sufficient information across the spectrum of ISR programs with the authority to properly direct resources and avoid wasteful, uncoordinated expenditure of resources.
“A U.S. Strategic Command senior study group tasked to review ISR programs recently concluded that there is no authoritative ISR baseline to determine requirements. The GAO indicates that the Department of Defense’s ISR roadmap, required by Congress in 2004 and published in 2005 and again in early 2007, does not identify future requirements, does not identify funding priorities, and lacks a means of measuring progress in meeting requirements.
“While DOD has made some progress in coordinating the acquisition of some ISR systems, significant progress needs to be made as ISR programs continue to proliferate. As examples:
“The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization alone includes a budget request of $4.5 billion for 130 ISR projects.
“The Army has 18 UAV ISR science and technology projects, including three projects investigating flapping-wing UAVs.
“The Army and Navy, less than two years ago canceled a $900 million development program for the joint Aerial Common Sensor aircraft and sensors because of an estimated doubling of cost and an estimated two year slip. That program has now been slipped five years and the Navy and Army intend to each acquire their own system.
“The Air Force believes that there is an unnecessary duplication of UAV program acquisition offices, training operations, logistics and maintenance operations, and intelligence support facilities.
“Even though Central Command and all of the other combatant commands have their own joint intelligence center, the Joint Improvised Explosive Defeat Organization has created its own nearly 600 person organization with 200 contractor personnel.
“The Subcommittee’s challenge is to attempt to understand this vast variety of programs and projects across the spectrum of the Department.
“We look forward to hearing from all our witnesses on these and other important issues.
“Representing the GAO on panel 1:
· Ms Davi D’Agostino, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Issues
· Ms. Sharon Pickup, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Issues
· Mr. Michael J. Sullivan, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues
“Without objection, all witnesses’ prepared testimony will be included in the hearing record. Ms. D’Agostino, you may begin.” |
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