Army and the Air Force have encountered limitations in their sustainment plans for some fielded weapon systems because they lacked needed technical data rights. The lack of technical data rights has limited the services flexibility to make changes to sustainment plans that are aimed at achieving cost savings and meeting legislative requirements regarding depot maintenance capabilities. During our review we identified seven Army and Air Force weapon system programs where these military services encountered limitations in implementing revisions to sustainment plans C-17 aircraft, F-22 aircraft, C-130J aircraft, Up-armored High- Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), Stryker family of vehicles, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, and M4 carbine. Although the circumstances surrounding each case were unique, earlier decisions made on technical data rights during system acquisition were cited as a primary reason for the limitations subsequently encountered. As a result of the limitations encountered due to the lack of technical data rights, the services had to alter their plans for developing maintenance capability at public depots, new sources of supply to increase production, or competitive offers for the acquisition of spare parts and components to reduce sustainment costs. For example, the Air Force identified a need to develop a capability to perform maintenance on the C-17 at government depots but lacked the requisite technical data rights. Consequently, the Air Force is seeking to form partnerships with C-17 subvendors to develop its depot maintenance capability. Its efforts to form these partnerships have had mixed results, according to Air Force officials, because some sub-vendors have declined to provide the needed technical data.

Since FY 2000, the DoD has significantly increased the number of major defense acquisition programs and its overall investment in them. However, acquisition outcomes have not improved. In most cases, the programs failed to deliver capabilities when promised -- often forcing warfighters to spend additional funds on maintaining legacy systems. This testimony describes the systemic problems that have contributed to poor cost and schedule outcomes in DoD¿s acquisition of major weapon systems; recent actions DoD has taken to address these problems; and steps that Congress and DoD need to take to improve the future performance of DoD¿s major weapon programs. Illustrations.

The Department of Defense (DOD) acquires goods and services from contractors, federal arsenals, and shipyards to support military operations. Acquisitions is a broad term that applies to more than just the purchase of an item of service; the acquisition process encompasses the design, engineering, construction, testing, deployment, sustainment, and disposal of weapons or related items purchased from a contractor. As set forth by statute and regulation, from concept to deployment, a weapon system must go through a three-step process of identifying a required weapon system, establishing a budget, and acquiring the system. One of DOD's main efforts to improve acquisitions is the Better Buying Power Initiative. This book provides an overview of the process by which DOD acquires weapon systems and discusses recent major efforts by Congress and the Department of Defense to improve the performance of the acquisition system.

Contents: (1) Introduction; (2) Background: Statutory and Regulatory Foundation; (3) The Organizational Structure: Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System; Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution System; Defense Acquisition System; (4) Acquisition Categories; (5) Acquisition Reform; Recent Analysis of Defense Acquisitions; Major Reports Since 2000; Periodic Reports; Recent DoD Reform Efforts; Congressional Reform Efforts; (6) FY 2007¿2009 Legislative Activity: Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009; FY 2009 Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act; FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act; FY 2007 John Warner National Defense Authorization Act. Charts and tables.