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GAO-13-230R 1 (2013-02-28)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacgxz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: i ~GAO AAccuntbOity ,Integrity * Rekabtii t United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 February 28, 2013 The Honorable Robert Wittman Chairman The Honorable Madeleine Z. Bordallo Ranking Member Subcommittee on Readiness Committee on Armed Services House of Representatives The Honorable J. Randy Forbes House of Representatives Subject: Homeland Defense: DOD's Aerospace Control Alert Basing Decision Was Informed by Various Analyses Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the federal government has undertaken extensive efforts to protect U.S. airspace. As a part of the federal government's overall efforts to protect U.S. airspace, the Department of Defense (DOD) performs Operation Noble Eagle, which consists of several missions, including aerospace control alert (ACA).1 The ACA mission includes aerospace control forces arrayed in a rapid response posture to conduct both air sovereignty and air defense operations against airborne threats.2 Among other things, this includes fighter aircraft and trained personnel on alert 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, at 16 alert basing locations across the contiguous United States and one each in Alaska and Hawaii to deter, respond to, and if necessary defeat airborne threats over the United States and Canada. These fighter aircraft and trained personnel can be the last line of multiple layers of the air defense of the United States. Our prior work has highlighted improvements and challenges in the planning and management of the ACA operation, including challenges related to the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) and DOD's ability to balance risks, costs, and benefits when making decisions about the ACA operation. Specifically, in January 2009 we 1DOD formerly referred to the ACA operation as air sovereignty alert (ASA). 2Air sovereignty refers to a nation's inherent right to exercise absolute control and authority over the airspace above its territory. Air defense refers to defensive measures designed to destroy attacking enemy aircraft or missiles in the atmosphere, or to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of such attack. See Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joint Pub. 1-02, Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (Nov. 8, 2010; as amended through Nov.15, 2012). GAO-13-230R Homeland Defense

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