An independent Defense Department assessment found that weapons system did not significantly slow down the acquisition process, according to a Defense News report this week.
The review, which was commissioned by Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ashton Carter undertook a review of 40 major weapons programs that had experienced âsignificant delays,â Defense News reports.
But of those 40 programs, only seven experienced delays because of testing. Often, a confluence of other factors was to blame. And “in no case was a testing problem a principal cause of delay,” according to a memo from J. Michael Gilmore, DoD director of operational test and evaluation, Defense News reports.
The study recommended:
- Closer coordination and cooperation among requirements, acquisition and testing
- Better defined requirements
- Aligning acquisition strategies with testing