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IMTEC-84-14 1 (1984-05-04)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabnjo0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 



                       UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE

                 RELEASED      WASHINGTON. D.C. 20548


INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
& TECHNOLOGY DIVISION :                               MAY 4, 1984


      B-206887

      The Honorable William Lehman
      Chairman, Subcommittee
        on Transportation
      Committee on Appropriations
      House of Representatives

      Dear Mr. Chairman:

           Subject: Interim Observations on FAA's
                     Plans for Major Systems Acquisitions
                     (GAO/IMTEC-84-14)

           This is in response to your April 3, 1984, letter (see encl.
      I), asking for our observations with respect to the Federal Avia-
      tion Administration's (FAA's) development and acquisition of the
      Host Computer System, the Mode S System, and the Advanced Automa-
      tion System (AAS). Since your earlier request in June 1983, we
      have been working to identify and develop issues related to FAA's
      development and acquisition of the Host Computer System. We have
      also begun a planning effort to identify potential strategic issues
      associated with FAA's long term modernization of the air traffic
      management system. Based on discussions with Subcommittee staff
      subsequent to that request, we have expanded our planning efforts
      to include FAA's design, development, and acquisition of the major
      data processing, communications, and surveillance systems for air
      traffic management.

      OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY

           In response to your letter, this report contains our prelimi-
      nary observations regarding (1) Host computer technical risks and
      their potential impact on program performance and milestones, (2)
      the desirability of a full-scale Mode S acquisition at this time,
      and (3) the adequacy of the overall design and acquisition strategy
      for the AAS.

           We conducted our work primarily at the Department of Transpor-
      tation and FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C.; and the FAA Tech-
      nical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We interviewed staff
      members at Transportation and FAA, and technically qualified people
      from private industry, and aviation users. We reviewed Transporta-
      tion and FAA documents related to FAA's planning, management, and
      operation of the National Airspace System. Although the work has
      been conducted in accordance with generally accepted government
      audit standards, it is still in its early stages; therefore the

                                                                (510027)

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