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C-MASAD-81-2 1 (1981-02-18)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabcaq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNCLASSIFIED REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER THE ARMY'S STANDOFF TARGET GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES ACQUISITION SYSTEM--A PROGRAM HAVING DEVELOPMENT DIFFICULTIES DIGEST The Standoff Target Acquisition System (SOTAS) is a $1.1 billion Army program to develop an airborne radar system to detect and locate moving targets at distances far beyond the for- ward edge of the battle area. Although experi- mental SOTAS models have been fielded in Europe for about 2 years, a better model, operating from a new helicopter with an advanced radar and a jam-resistant data link, is now in devel- opment. (See pp. 1 to 3.) SOTAS can add a significant military capabil- ity to the Army. However, the system has ex- perienced technical difficulties which are causing significant delays in the program's sc4endil e av-q wh Ir-b r-n12Ids ciren a1 suhst Anti a4l cost overruns. Principally, the problems arose because SOTAS did not lend itself to the fast-paced development effort the Army has attempted in order to field the system quickly. The system's initial operating capability date has slipped several years. The Department of Defense chose to expedite development of SOTAS by curtailing some of the testing normally done in the advanced development phase and by placing the next phase--engineering development--on a very ambitious schedule. However, the system being developed in the engineering development phase is significantly different and more advanced than the model used in Europe. Difficulties have been compounded because --the most critical components involved ad- vanced technology and were creating techni- cal problems that were not anticipated by the Army and its contractors (see pp. 7 and 8); Inzrbffj. Upon removal, the report COver date shoujd be noted hereon. C-MASAD-81-2 UNCLASSIFIED C