The Army plans to equip some of its Comanche helicopters with the Longbow Hellfire missile and a modified version of the Longbow radar. Missile problems include less-than-satisfactory performance against targets defended with multiple countermeasures such as smoke and active jammers. Questions have also been raised about the ability to produce the Longbow Hellfire missile’s transceiver in mass quantities. Longbow Hellfire Procurement Plan Is Inadequate

Our review indicated that the Longbow Hellfire missile procurement plan is inadequate because (1) it will procure about 3,200 missiles that are not required at an estimated cost of between $540 million and $750 million and (2) a significant number of the missiles will be produced before Longbow Apache aircraft are available and will lose up to one-half of their shelf life. According to him, the overstatement occurred because the Army used the wrong model for calculating the procurement objective. Regarding our concerns on the lack of full consideration of alternatives in the cost-effectiveness analysis of the Longbow Apache weapon system, DOD stated that the formal COEA to be done to support the October 1995 DAB review would not include the Comanche as an alternative because it could not meet the Army’s near- to mid-term heavy attack helicopter requirement. Scope and Methodology

To determine whether critical issues related to the production of the aircraft and the producibility of its missiles had been addressed, we reviewed various program research, development, and acquisition documentation related to the Longbow Apache weapon system.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO reviewed the Department of the Army's Longbow Apache weapon system, focusing on whether: (1) the Army has conducted a thorough cost-effectiveness study of the weapon system; (2) critical issues related to the production of the aircraft and the producibility of the missiles have been addressed; and (3) the Army has adequately developed its Longbow Hellfire missile procurement plan.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) the Army has made major program decisions concerning the Longbow Apache weapon system without fully evaluating the costs and benefits of alternative systems; (2) the Army's cost and operational effectiveness analysis (COEA) will be of limited value because of its timing and the Army's decision not to include the Comanche helicopter as a possible attack helicopter alternative; (3) concerns have been raised about the performance of the Longbow Hellfire missile against targets with multiple countermeasures, radar capability against stationery targets, and the producibility of the missile's transceiver; and (4) the Longbow Hellfire missile procurement plan is flawed because the procurement objective is overstated by about 3,200 missiles, and the missiles stand to lose significant portions of their shelf life before the aircraft are available.