Beginning in the  mid-1990s, DOD began to conceive of a different type of unmanned air  vehicle—the unmanned combat air vehicle or UCAV—which would be  capable of performing dangerous, lethal combat missions, including  suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD). Importance of Matching Resources with Requirements before Product Development

The product development decision that DOD is approaching for its  UCAV program represents a commitment by the product developer to  deliver a product at established cost, schedule, and performance targets  and identifies the amount of resources that will be necessary to do so. A key to achieving this match is to ensure that the developer has the  resources—technology, design and production knowledge, money, and  time—needed to design, test, manufacture, and deliver the product. The need to address one problem can slow down  other work on the weapon system. Figure 3 illustrates the timing of the match between a customer’s  requirements and a product developer’s resources for successful and  problematic programs we have reviewed. This step put the program at  considerable risk because it increased the gap between requirements and  resources. The program added two new requirements—one for electronic  attack capability and one for increased flying range—while reducing a  critical resource, time, to mature key UCAV technologies. UCAV Requirements Increased During 2002

The UCAV program’s original requirements were difficult to meet because  they posed significant but manageable technical challenges to building  an air vehicle that is, at once, affordable throughout its life cycle, highly  survivable, and lethal. However, keeping  requirements and resources in balance and funding intact until product  development starts will be a challenge. This competition would increase DOD’s ability to pursue the best technical  solution. In addition, more time will be added under the joint program to conduct  demonstrations by delaying the start of product development by several  years. Drawing on the experience of the UCAV to date as well as other programs,  DOD will face challenges in keeping the requirements for the new joint  design balanced with available resources. Conclusion

UCAVs offer a potential for DOD to carry out dangerous missions without  putting lives at stake and to find cost-effective ways of replacing DOD’s  aging tactical aircraft fleet. The decision to create  a joint program could make for a better program if the gap between  resources and requirements can be closed. The program also faces the challenge of sustaining funding  support from both services at a time when it is competing against other  large aircraft investments. Regardless of which direction the new program  takes, the role played by the Office of the Secretary of Defense will  continue to be instrumental in helping to negotiate requirements, to assure  the right resources are provided, and to make further difficult tradeoff  decisions throughout the program. We also recommend that the Secretary formalize the management role  performed by his office and the attendant authority to perform that role;  ensure that the services are fully involved in the process; and work to  develop an efficient approach to transitioning the UCAV from DOD’s  technology development environment to the services’ acquisition  environment so the needs of the war fighter can be met more quickly. DOD did state that the department’s UAV Planning Task  Force would continue to provide oversight over all DOD UCAV program  activities. To determine options that may be available to UCAV program managers in  making changes to requirements or resources, we examined the program’s  risk assessments of its 15 technologies, processes, and system attributes to  identify risk associated with beginning product development at different  points in time.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Department of Defense (DOD) is developing a new unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) that can suppress enemy air defenses and conduct other air-to-ground attacks, particularly against heavily defended targets. Because it may perform these missions at a relatively low cost, the UCAV could be used to replace some of DOD's aging tactical aircraft fleet. A key to UCAV's success will lie in DOD's ability to match users' needs, or requirements, with the developer's resources (technology and design knowledge, money, and time) when product development begins. Our work shows that doing so can prevent rework and save both time and money. Therefore, we assessed DOD's ability to make this match. GAO conducted its work on the basis of the Comptroller General's authority and addresses the report to the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, House Committee on Armed Services because of its interest and jurisdiction in the program.

What GAO Found

The UCAV program's original performance objectives posed manageable challenges to build an affordable, highly survivable, and lethal weapon system. The Air Force, however, added requirements for electronic attack and increased flying range after DOD accelerated the program's product development schedule by 3 years. These changes widened the gap between the customer's requirements and the developer's resources, specifically time, reducing the probability that the program would deliver production aircraft on cost, on schedule, and with anticipated performance capabilities. DOD has recently decided to adopt a new joint service approach to UCAV development that provides more time to close the requirements--resource gap before product development starts. It appears DOD may add new content because it is proposing to build a new prototype that would be a larger air vehicle, capable of flying and carrying out combat missions for longer periods of time. To reduce technical risk, DOD anticipates delaying the start of product development for several years in order to address new requirements. As a gap between resources and requirements widened in 2002, risks projected for the start of product development with UCAV's 15 technologies, processes and system attributes increased significantly. The new joint plan brings the risks back down. This action also allows competition back into the UCAV development effort. DOD will still face challenges in controlling joint, multimission requirements and ensuring that both services continue to provide funds for the program while also funding other large aircraft investments. If these challenges are not met, the gap between requirements and resources could resurface. DOD's role will continue to be instrumental in helping to negotiate requirements, assure resources are in place, and make difficult program trade-offs.