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C-MASAD-82-6 1 (1982-02-24)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabcze0001 and id is 1 raw text is: This is arr untlassified digest furnished in lieu of I I i&..._ a report containing classified security information. REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES jICRITICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DEVELOPING IMPROVED CAPABILITY TO IDENTIFY AIRCRAFT AS FRIEND OR FOEj DIGEST Systems to identify friendly or enemy air targets are installed on various types of weapons to avoid the risk of mistakenly at- tacking friendly aircraft. Identification systems can be categorized as --cooperative, which depend on the deliberate participation of the target aircraft to pro- vide information that can be used for identi- fication or --noncooperative, which do not require the overt participation of targets to obtain identifica- tion data. Primary users of these systems are tactical aircraft with an air-to-air mission, air defense surface-to-air missiles, ships, and certain elements of the command and control system. (See pp. 1 and 2.) GAO conducted this review to provide the Congress with information on the Department of Defense programs to improve U.S. capabilities to identify aircraft as friend or foe. These programs, for which the Congress will be asked to provide funds, could potentially involve significant expenditures. LIMITATIONS OF EXISTING COOPERATIVE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS. . The primary systems in use today by the United States and some other forces in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are the Mark (MK) X and XII cooperative systems. Cur- rent U.S. capability to identify aircraft is limited. Consequently, missiles with capabilities of attacking targets beyond visual range cannot be used to their full potential-.- Aircraft, for'example, that could ordinarily stand off at relatively safe distances to fire these missiles, frequently have to close within 117729 C-MASAD-S 2-6 FE~~JA~Y 24, 1982