A Defense Department Inspector General’s (DoD IG) audit report finds that the Army could be spending more than $400 million on its Integrated Air and Missile Defense Program (IAMD) that it hasn’t demonstrated it can control and manage for an effective capability.
IAMD is a future capability to integrate all air and missile defense sensors, weapons and mission command.
“We recommend the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics postpone the initial production decision until the project manager completes testing that shows the Army IAMD meets planned requirements,” the report said.
The June 9 audit evaluated efforts to prepare the IAMD program for initial production, but found it needs to improve software, and test and requirements planning (DODIG-2014-081
).
A summary of the For Official Use Only IG report is posted on the DoD IG website, and is a follow-up to a Government Accountability Office review about a year and a half ago on the program.
Photo: Missile Defense Agency
The project manager planned the initial production decision before completing the software deliveries and testing needed to demonstrate the Army IAMD Battle Command System can fully meet initial capability requirements, the report said.
The software and testing deficiencies occurred because the project manager had not fully adjusted the program schedule to respond to contractor delays in delivering system software, and the Army sent soldiers and equipment originally allocated for testing overseas to protect troops.
“As a result, the Army could acquire 31 IAMD Battle Command System units costing $416.1 million that have not fully demonstrated they can control and manage the Army IAMD sensors and weapons to provide an effective IAMD capability,” the audit said.
Additionally, the Army Fires Center of Excellence (AFCOE) did not adequately define system capability requirements to support developing the second of two planned increments of the Army IAMD System.
AFCOE staff, by using incremental development, did not follow DoD practice for defining system requirements, the report said. “Without fully defined requirements, system developers incur greater risk that the additional $493 million planned for the second increment development will not provide the Army the most useful and supportable missile defense.”
Additionally, the IG audit substantiated one allegation and partially substantiated three of a total of six hotline allegations, but after reviewing project manager actions relating to the allegations, concluded no recommendations were needed.
“We recommend the Commander, Army Fires Center of Excellence fully define system capability requirements for the planned second increment of the Army IAMD,” IG auditors wrote.
Both the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and the Commander, Army Fires Center of Excellence, agreed with the recommendations.