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Open Recommendations

Weapon Systems Annual Assessment: DOD Leaders Should Ensure That Newer Programs Are Structured for Speed and Innovation
GAO-25-107569
Jun 11, 2025
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment should ensure that it takes steps as the defense acquisition executive during the review of relevant acquisition documentation to determine whether future major weapon acquisitions fully incorporate leading product development practices early enough to influence the acquisition approach. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure the decision authorities within the department, including those related to the Space Force, take steps during the review of relevant acquisition documentation to determine whether future major weapon acquisitions fully incorporate leading product development practices early enough to influence the acquisition approach. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should ensure the decision authorities within the department take steps during the review of relevant acquisition documentation to determine whether future major weapon acquisitions fully incorporate leading product development practices early enough to influence the acquisition approach. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure the decision authorities within the department take steps during the review of relevant acquisition documentation to determine whether future major weapon acquisitions fully incorporate leading product development practices early enough to influence the acquisition approach. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Army Modernization: Leading Practices Could Better Support Delivery of Artillery and Missiles
GAO-25-107263
Jun 05, 2025
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should ensure that new efforts to meet requirements for a self-propelled howitzer capable of long-range fires incorporate leading practices for iterative product development, such as continuous evaluation of the business case, including the assessment of technology maturation. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should ensure that the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program assesses the practicality, benefits, and affordability of implementing an iterative product development approach that includes digital engineering tools, such as digital threads and digital twinning, for missile development. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should ensure that the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) program's planned assessment of the practicality, benefits, and affordability of implementing digital engineering includes consideration of the use of digital threads and digital twinning, and whether to incorporate these tools into the program. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Missile Defense: DOD Faces Support Challenges for Defense of Guam
GAO-25-108187
May 22, 2025
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment—in coordination with the Director of MDA and secretaries of the military departments—develops a strategy with a timeline and plan for the transfer of responsibilities for operating and sustaining GDS elements to each lead organization. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation. In comments on our report, DOD stated the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment will develop a strategy under existing policy for the transition and transfer of operations and sustainment of elements developed by the Missile Defense Agency, and under existing policy for systems developed and operated by the military services. This update is current as of May 2025.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Secretary of the Army—in coordination with the Commander of JRM, the Secretaries of the Air Force and Navy, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps— develops a long-term strategy for the Army's organization as a supported command at JRM. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation but, as of May 2025, has offered no comment on its intent to implement it.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the secretaries of the military departments determine the personnel requirements needed to operate and sustain GDS, including developing a deployment schedule for those personnel, to allow sufficient time for completing construction of necessary support facilities on Guam. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DOD concurred with this recommendation but, as of May 2025, has offered no comment on its intent to implement it.

Defense Command and Control: Further Progress Hinges on Establishing a Comprehensive Framework
GAO-25-106454
Apr 08, 2025
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should establish a framework to evaluate the extent to which military organization investments align with and achieve CJADC2 goals. The framework should establish clear guidance for command and control investments and a means to collectively track progress toward CJADC2 goals. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should establish an approach to consolidate and share lessons learned from ongoing CJADC2-related experimentation and real-world activities to the larger DOD enterprise. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should identify, comprehensively assess, and address key challenges that hinder progress toward DOD's CJADC2 goals. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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