Concern Voiced In Hearings

An array of Department of Defense space procurement programs suffers multiple problems, including soaring costs, lengthy delays and increased risks, with some satellite systems now having less capability than initially envisioned, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated.

Christina T. Chaplain, the GAO director of acquisition and sourcing management, reported her findings to the Senate Armed Services Committee strategic forces subcommittee.

Delays in acquisition programs may mean gaps in delivery capabilities, Chaplain cautioned.

The GAO found, for example, that the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite system that in 2001 was seen costing about $6 billion now will come in at more than $10 billion, even though one of the satellites has been dropped from the AEHF constellation, according to a bar graph that Chaplain gave the subcommittee.

The AEHF has gained more importance, as Pentagon leaders have proposed dropping the planned Transformational Satellite (T-SAT) system in favor of future upgraded AEHFs.

Similarly, the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, or NPOESS, that in 2002 was estimated to cost about $6.5 billion for six satellites now tips off at $13.5 billion for four birds, with the program wrap-up once seen in 2018 now expected in 2026. NPOESS problems are multiple: "Poor workmanship and testing delays caused an eight-month slip in the delivery of a complex imaging sensor," the watchdog agency noted. That in turn caused the launch of a demonstration satellite to slide from September this year to January 2011.

For the Mobile User Objective System communications satellite, the delay amounts to 11 months while costs have jumped about 48 percent because of issues in the satellite design complexity, satellite weight, and component test problems and rework. But the overall program still is within its baseline program cost estimate.

She also examined the Global Positioning System II and III programs. (Please see separate story.)