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Air Traffic Control: Ineffective Management Plagues $1.7-Billion Radar Program

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date May 31, 1990
Report No. IMTEC-90-37
Subject
Summary:

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Mode Select (Mode S) air traffic control surveillance and communication program.

GAO found that: (1) it had previously questioned FAA procurement practices and cited Mode S as a system for which FAA prematurely awarded a production contract; (2) FAA has not resolved Mode S technical problems, but expects the contractor to deliver the first fully capable system for deployment in 1993, 5 years later than planned; (3) technical problems have led to extensive schedule delays; (4) FAA officials did not fully appreciate the severity of the problems until 1989; (5) FAA failed to analyze its requirements prior to buying 259 additional systems; and (6) FAA did not justify its investment in Mode S, because it did not properly analyze its requirements, consider alternatives, or evaluate system benefits and costs.

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