The next is the March 4, 2025, GAO report, DoD Satellite tv for pc Communications: Reporting on Progress Wanted to Present Perception on New Strategy..
From the report
What GAO Discovered
The Division of Protection (DOD) is implementing a brand new method to satellite tv for pc communications (SATCOM) that goals to combine present and deliberate DOD techniques, in addition to a variety of economic choices, right into a department-wide SATCOM enterprise. Historically, the SATCOM techniques that the division relies upon upon to ship and obtain data over lengthy distances have relied on a small variety of high-cost satellites together with floor stations and consumer terminals that every connect with a single kind of satellite tv for pc. The failure of 1 a part of these techniques would disrupt transmissions. With DOD’s new method, satellite tv for pc constellations, floor techniques, and consumer terminals would function as networked, built-in techniques. In comparison with the historically linear construction of impartial SATCOM techniques, these built-in architectures would permit a number of paths for communications to achieve their vacation spot and a number of factors of entry so as to add resilience. DOD plans to implement parts of the brand new method throughout the subsequent 5 years.
To perform this shift, DOD is growing coordination amongst SATCOM stakeholders and with industrial SATCOM suppliers. Implementing enterprise SATCOM additionally will depend on DOD enacting two key parts: automating useful resource allocation and implementing built-in architectures. To help these parts, DOD can be increasing its use of economic SATCOM capabilities.
Each parts of this shift face challenges. First, whereas DOD has begun automating SATCOM useful resource allocation, acquiring the completely different types of entry and permissions to allow information sharing is a problem, in keeping with officers. Second, DOD is buying vital SATCOM techniques, corresponding to consumer terminals that connect with a number of satellite tv for pc techniques or constellations. Nonetheless, the traditionally sluggish velocity of system acquisitions poses a problem to fielding these techniques in time to help DOD’s plans.
Whereas DOD is making preliminary progress towards enterprise SATCOM, the more durable a part of this shift—growing and integrating hybrid SATCOM techniques and networks—lies forward. GAO discovered that whereas DOD tracks progress on the parts of enterprise SATCOM, it lacks complete reporting on progress towards these outcomes. Such reporting would assist DOD establish and mitigate delays as early as attainable, in addition to inform Congress of progress.
Why GAO Did This Examine
GAO has reported for over a decade on the longstanding challenges DOD faces in buying and delivering SATCOM techniques, together with price and schedule overruns. In 2020, the Chief of House Operations declared that SATCOM needed to evolve from disparate techniques right into a single enterprise to function in contested environments, be extra resilient, and tackle evolving threats. DOD is now beginning to shift its method to SATCOM acquisition to supply safer, interoperable techniques that intention to raised leverage the $500 billion international house market. However, as GAO present in 2024, DOD averages 10 years to amass and ship new techniques (GAO-24-106831).
A Senate report features a provision for GAO to assessment DOD’s SATCOM planning efforts. GAO’s report addresses (1) DOD’s coordination and acquisition of SATCOM, together with any plans to make use of industrial SATCOM; and (2) the extent to which DOD is guaranteeing SATCOM acquisitions can ship interoperable capabilities.
GAO reviewed and analyzed DOD’s operational wants, plans, and different related documentation. GAO additionally interviewed cognizant officers from throughout the Workplace of the Secretary of Protection, navy departments, and the industrial SATCOM business.
What GAO Recommends
GAO recommends that DOD experiences to Congress yearly on its progress implementing an enterprise method to SATCOM, to incorporate figuring out outcomes, alternatives, and dangers. DOD concurred with this suggestion.
Obtain the doc right here.
