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GAO-01-369R 1 (2001-02-20)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptanax0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SGAO Accountability * Integrity Reliability United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548 February 20, 2001 The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld The Secretary of Defense Subject: Defense Acquisitions: Readiness of the Marine Corps' V-22 Aircraft for Full-Rate Production Dear Mr. Secretary: In a letter to Secretary of Defense Cohen, dated December 15, 2000, we stated that the Marine Corps' V-22 aircraft' was not ready for full-rate production and that the Secretary had made a prudent decision to defer that production decision until the V-22 Blue Ribbon Panel reports its findings.2 On January 12, 2001, we provided the Panel with additional details at their request. A copy of the briefing and briefing support material that we presented to the Panel are in enclosures I and II. Our conclusions about the program's readiness for full-rate production are based on two factors. First, our best practices work, which has identified practices used by successful commercial and defense programs to develop and produce quality products in significantly less time and at lower costs.3 Our reviews of numerous major weapon systems has shown that failure to follow these practices has led to cost increases, schedule delays, and performance problems. Second, our analysis of Department of Defense assessments and data relevant to the V-22 program and interviews with relevant Department officials. Our best practices work over the past few years has shown that successful system development efforts resolve major technology, design, and manufacturing uncertainties prior to the start of production. Thorough test and evaluation, when done early, increase the probability that systems will achieve required performance levels within agreed-upon time and cost parameters. In July 2000, we reported on how best commercial practices for testing and evaluating new products offer ways to improve the way the Department conducts test and evaluation on weapon systems.4 In commenting on our report, the Department stated that it is committed to 'The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor, short-take-off-and-landing aircraft, which was developed to satisfy various combat missions, including medium-lift assault for the Marine Corps. 2The Panel was appointed by former Secretary of Defense Cohen to review the V-22 Program. 3See particularly, Best Practices: Successful Application to Weapon Acquisitions Requires Changes in DOD's Environment (GAO/NSIAD-98-56, Feb. 24, 1998). 4Best Practices: A More Constructive Test Approach Is Key to Better Weapon System Outcomes (GAO/NSIAD-00-199, July 31, 2000). GAO-01-369R Defense Acquisitions