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GAO-17-522R 1 (2017-07-07)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaakxy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: cAO U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 July 7, 2017 Congressional Committees Chemical and Biological Defense: DOD Has Identified an Infrastructure Manager and Is Developing the Position's Roles and Responsibilities Over the past 4 years, the United States has faced significant chemical and biological threats to its national security. North Korea's weapons of mass destruction program, according to the Quadrennial Defense Review 2014, constitutes a significant threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, and is a growing and direct threat to the United States.1 Moreover, the use of chemical weapons in Syria in August 2013 and again in April 2017, the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, the 2015-2016 Zika virus outbreak in the Americas, the ongoing threat from influenza strains like H5N1 (avian influenza or bird flu), and the emergence of nontraditional (chemical) agents, have each, among others, highlighted the nation's potential vulnerability to chemical and biological attacks and naturally occurring diseases.2 Additionally, the spread of scientific knowledge and capabilities by state and nonstate actors to produce effective chemical and biological weapons further contributes to the nation's vulnerability. The Department of Defense's (DOD) Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) leads the department's efforts to develop solutions, such as countermeasures, to enable the warfighter to deter, prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats and effects as part of a layered, integrated defense.3 The CBDP Enterprise-comprising DOD's chemical and biological defense research and development and test and evaluation infrastructure found among 26 DOD organizations-is responsible for implementing this mission. These organizations determine warfighter requirements, provide science and technology expertise, conduct research and development, and perform test and evaluation on capabilities needed to protect the warfighter, and provide 1 DOD, Quadrennial Defense Review 2014 (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 4, 2014). 2 As of January 2017, the World Health Organization confirmed 856 human cases of H5N1 infection worldwide between 2003 and 2017, and almost 53 percent of those infections were fatal. See GAO, Emerging Infectious Diseases: Preliminary Observations on the Zika Virus Outbreak, GAO-1 6-470T (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 2, 2016) and Defense Civil Support: DOD, HHS, and DHS Should Use Existing Coordination Mechanisms to Improve Their Pandemic Preparedness, GAO-1 7-150 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 10, 2017). In addition, nontraditional (chemical) agents are chemicals reportedly researched or developed with potential application or intent for use as chemical warfare agents that do not fall into the category of traditional chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, or toxic industrial materials. 3 DOD, Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) Strategic Plan (June 15, 2012). GAO-17-522R Chemical and Biological Defense Page 1

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